Tehillim 119:36

Thursday, March 22, 2018 · Posted in , , , ,

Tehillim 119:36
הַט-לִבִּי אֶל-עֵדְוֺתֶיךָ וְאַל אֶל-בָּצַע
hat-libi el-edvoteicha veal el-batza
Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to love of gain.

There are many passions in the human heart, and so David Hamelech pleads, "Incline my heart to Your testimonies." For the Torah is "more precious than rubies; and all things you [can] desire are not to be compared with her" (Mishlei 3:15).

David Hamelch asks that he should want only the mitzvot, "not love of gain."

He asked that Torah study be his constant occupation, and his work but an occasional matter. The Torah should be his entire concern: It should not be half a concern and "love of gain" the other half.

He also asked that his love for keeping the mitzvot be for the sake of Heaven, rather than for receiving reward.

Let me be totally dedicated to walking "in Your way" (ibid).

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