Tehillim 119:25

Thursday, February 15, 2018 · Posted in , ,

Tehillim 119:25
דָּבְקָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשִׁי חַיֵּנִי כִּדְבָרֶךָ
davkah leafar nafshi chayeni kidvarecha
My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word.

David Hamelech depicts his lowly condition: "My soul" - my self - "cleaves to the dust." So I plead, "revive me according to Your word." For You said in the Torah, "I kill and bring to life" (Devarim 32:39)

This also refers to the condition of the Jewish people in exile. Yisrael declares, "My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word." For You promised eternity to Yisrael, that they "will be to Me a kingdom of kohanim, and a holy nation" (Shemot 19:6).

David Hamelech also continues to speak here about the obstructions to high spiritual attainment. Because "my soul cleaves to the dusst" - to the body that is dust like material substance - I plead, "Revive me according to Your world." Give me life, as You said, "Let us make man in our image and likeness" (Bereishit 1:26). Grant me, as well, the faculty of intelligence and imperishable life.

Not withstanding that "my soul cleaves to the dust" of my material body, "revive me according to Your word." Thus it says, "But you who cleave to Hashem your G-d are alive every one of you this day" (Devarim 4:4).

Enduring life is attained through cleaving to the Torah.

- Me'am Lo'ez

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