This week’s Tehillim is Shoshana Rhonda bas Freida
Sometimes people question the righteous. There is nothing wrong with questioning. The error people make is when they jump to conclusions, based on their own limited understanding of the situation.
Some people question King David. Some people still point the finger at King David, using him and his son as a classic example of what ‘modern Judaism’ must correct. Yes there are questions as to his conduct with Batsheva. These are serious points which are clearly answered by the Oral Torah.
It is beyond the scope of this article to delve into all the answers given. However, he was undoubtedly one of the most righteous people of all time. The fact that he was the author of Tehillim, a book that is still used by Jews around the world until this very day, is clear testimony from Hashem, our G-d and Master of the entire world that King David was a true Tzadik. He and his descendants would never have been given the privilege of starting and completing the building of the Temple of G-d if he had truly sinned.
Indeed, the Messiah himself will herald from the house of David. The Gemarah says “David Hamelech lo chata, King David did not sin.’ Any orthodox Jew who faithfully follows the Oral Torah as well as the Written Torah, and who loyally trust the Rabbis of the Talmud, and indeed the halachic guidelines learnt out from the Talmud, will easily see that King David was not G-d forbid ‘a rapist’ as some people today claim. People who make this claim are clearly not following orthodox tradition.
In this week’s Psalm, King David makes the point that although he was relentlessly pursued by wicked people trying to destroy him, he was always ultimately rescued. He constantly asks G-D to let him ‘not be ashamed.’
Our Rabbis tell us that when a person suffers embarrassment, his blood drains from his face and he goes red. This is akin to murder, when blood also drains from one’s face, and bloodshed is a terrible sin. Our Rabbis also tell us that embarrassment is 1/60th of experiencing Gehinnom. Part of the pain of hell is suffering the embarrassment of knowing that you were wrong, in a world of truth. Because Hashem saves him, he rejoices in G-d’s kindness, happy in the knowledge that he is ‘ not delivered into the hand of the foe,’ but that he can stand firmly ‘ in a broad place.’ He prays that those who lie and speak ‘falsely with arrogance and utter contempt,’ about a Tzadik, shall be muted.
Once this has happened, then the words of the next verse, that we say at levayas and shiva houses will come true. ‘ ma rav tuvcha, asher tzafanta lerecha’ how abundant is your goodness that you have hidden away for those who fear you.’ May we all merit to see revelation of the hidden light once more in the days of the righteous Mashiach ben David. Amen
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