This week’s Psalm finishes the book that many people recite for Monday. As well as splitting the Tehillim into portions for each day of the week, Tehillim is also split into five books, and also into separate chapters to say for each day of the month.
In this Psalm, we see how G-d’s desire is not only for people to adhere to His commandments externally, and to perform mitzvas, but for people to ultimately perform them internally with love, from the very depths of the heart. In Shema we say the word ‘Lvavcha,’ meaning that prayer should be from the heart, not mere lip service which might look good, but lacks sincerity. Our Psalm urges people to take the same attitude with regards to all 613 commandments.
This prophecy discusses how Hashem will reveal himself in judgment to the nations of the world, who have assembled to do battle against Jerusalem.
‘Kel Elokim Hashem, deber vayikrah aretz… mitziyon…hofiah – Almighty G-d Hashem spoke, and called to the earth .. G-d appeared out of Zion.’ The Psalm opens with reference to the end of days when Mashiach will come.
In the Temple, to renew the covenant with the Torah, the Kohanim would offer up sacrifices on behalf of the Jewish nation. Sadly, since the destruction of the Temple, for many thousands of years, Jewish people have been tragically murdered across the globe, unwittingly being sacrificed for their Judaism.
We hope and pray that all tragedy will end with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days and that we will be able to return to our land and Temple in security and peace, speedily in our days, Amen.