Les Psaumes 95:1 Midrash : Midrash Tehillim

"To the conductor, a song of praise. Shout to God, all the earth, sing the glory of His name. This is what is written in Zephaniah 3:9: 'For then I will convert the nations to a clear language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.' And what is His service? Prayer, as Moses says in Deuteronomy 11:13: 'And it shall come to pass if you will diligently listen to My commandments.' And what is meant by serving Him in this world? It is prayer, as it says in Psalms 100:2: 'Serve the Lord with gladness.' And it says in Psalms 95:1: 'Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.' And likewise, Darius says to Daniel in Daniel 6:21: 'Your God whom you serve continually.' And what is meant by 'serve continually'? It is prayer, as it says in Daniel 6:11: 'He prayed three times a day.' Let us say to God: 'How awesome are Your deeds.' And as Isaiah says, just as they said to Him at the sea in Exodus 15:11: 'Who is like You, O Lord, among the heavenly powers?' So too, in Isaiah 25:1, it says, 'O Lord, You are my God, I will exalt You; I will praise Your name.' And now I say to you, 'How awesome are Your deeds,' as Isaiah says in Isaiah 66:23: 'And it shall be, that from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me.' And it says in Psalms 86:9: 'All the nations that You have made shall come and bow down before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.' And not just the nations, but all the earth will bow down to You, because there is no sovereignty over flesh and blood. And the sons of Korah say in Psalms 47:2: 'Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. For the Lord Most High is awesome, a great King over all the earth.' At that time, as it says in Zechariah 14:9, 'And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall the Lord be one and His name one.'"

A prayer for Moshe, the man of God. Before the mountains were born, and You gave birth to the earth and the inhabited world, from eternity to eternity You are God. "Let Reuven live and not die" (Devarim 33:6). "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty" (Tehillim 91:1). This is in contrast to the tribe of Levi, which sat in the shade of the Temple courtyards (Tehillim 68:5). "A song, a psalm for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the Lord" (Tehillim 92:1). This is in contrast to the tribe of Yehuda, as it says, "This time I will praise the Lord" (Bereishit 29:35). "The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty" (Tehillim 93:1). This is in contrast to the tribe of Binyamin, which sat in the shade of God's presence (Tehillim 84:5). "O God of vengeance" (Tehillim 94:1). This is in contrast to the tribe of Gad, for Elijah the prophet stands ready to cut off the idolatrous beverage of the Gentiles (Tehillim 82:1). "Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord" (Tehillim 95:1). This is in contrast to the tribe of Yissachar, which engaged in the joy of Torah study. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "Up until this point, I have related to you what I have heard. From here on out, you must rely on your own understanding." Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra, "All the prophets prophesied, but they did not know what they were prophesying, except for Moshe and Yeshayah only. Moshe said, "My teaching shall drop like the rain" (Devarim 32:2), and Yeshayah said, "Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me" (Yeshayah 8:18). Rabbi Yehoshua the priest said, "Even Eliyahu prophesied, but he did not know what he was saying," as it says, "My words are clear, and my lips speak right" (Iyov 33:3). Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei, "Even Shmuel, who was the head of the prophets, prophesied, but he did not know what he was saying," as it says, "The Lord sent Yerubaal and Bedan and Yiftach" (Shmuel I 12:11). Only I was mentioned by name, and he did not know what he was prophesying. Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Chanina, "The eleven psalms that Moshe recited in the Divine chariot, he said as a prophecy. Why were they not written in the Torah? These are the words of the Torah, and these are the words of prophecy, and we do not make a distinction between the words of the Torah and the words of prophecy."...

Let us rejoice to God. This is what the verse says (Zephaniah 3:14): "Sing, daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!" On what matter (Micah 7:9) has your enemy been deprived of his right to rule? All rejoice at the downfall of the wicked. And similarly, it says (Isaiah 14:5-6): "The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression." What is written (ibid. 14:7)? "All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing." And it says (Ezekiel 32:31): "All the earth's kings lie in state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot." When is the earth joyful? When I make you desolate. And similarly, it says (Psalms 149:6): "Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands." And it says (Proverbs 11:10): "When the wicked perish, there is rejoicing." Let us approach Him with thanksgiving, let us sing psalms to Him, great is the power of gratitude. And similarly, Jonah says (Jonah 2:10): "And I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You."