This tehillim is for a refuah shelema for Michoel ben Fruma Leah
We start the second book of Tehillim with an interesting expression. “Lamnatzeach maskil Lvnei Korach – For the conductor, a Maskil by the sons of Korach.” But doesn’t the Torah tell us that Korach and all his descendants perish into the ground?
Rashi answers that the sons of Korach did not die. Rather, because they had thoughts of repentance in their hearts before they decended to the pit, Hashem saved them by allowing them to fall on a ledge, suspended high above Gehinom, where they were sustained for 40 years by manna that fell through the ground to them. Just before the Jews entered the land of Israel, they came up through the ground and joined their brethren once more.
We then come to a famous verse. “K’Ayal taarog, al afikei moyim, kein nafshi taarog, elecha Elokim – As the deer longs for brooks of water, so too my soul longs for you Elokim.” When the deer is faint with thirst, it longs for the brooks of water in the distance, which it hears but can’t quite see.
We too, long for Hashem to be close to us during this difficult exile. “ Tzama nafshi L’Elokim -Lkeik chai; Mtai avo veroeh pnei Elokin – My soul should thirst for G-d, for the living G-d: When should I come and appear before G-d?”
The sons of Korach ask Hashem when we will be able to return to Jerusalem on the three foot festivals each year, to offer up sacrifices and praises. (Some opinions hold that it was actually King David, who wrote this Psalm for the sons of Korach to perform in the Temple.)
A popular Avram Fried song makes an appearance here, with the words “Hatya le dimati, lechem yomam vlaila..aye Elokecha.” They were tears of sustenance for me by day and night, when my foes say where is your G-d?” The Radak explain this to mean if He is a true G-d, why hasn’t he helped you?
The famous words from Yom Kippur Mussaph, ‘Eileh Eskera’ are place here. “These do I recall..,’ alluding to the pilgrimages to Jerusalem. May we all be zoche at this special time of miracles to witness the greatest miracle of all, the return to Jerusalem in peace forever.
