וְאֵ֛לֶּה דִּבְרֵ֥י דָוִ֖ד הָאַֽחֲרֹנִ֑ים נְאֻ֧ם דָּוִ֣ד בֶּן־יִשַׁ֗י וּנְאֻ֤ם הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ הֻ֣קַם עָ֔ל מְשִׁ֙יחַ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּנְעִ֖ים זְמִר֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Inilah perkataan-perkataan terakhir Daud: Ucapan Daud bin Isai, ucapan orang yang diangkat ke tempat yang tinggi, yang diurapi Allah Yakub, penggubah nyanyian-nyanyian merdu Israel:
Likutei Moharan
This is conceptually linked ("bechinat") to (II Samuel 23:1) "The utterance of the man set on high..." (concerning which) our Rabbis expounded (bMoed Katan 16b), that he [David] raised up the yoke of repentance, and [the same verse continues,] "...the favorite of the songs of Israel," for it is a result of the aspect of...the book of Psalms that he wrote, that one merits repentance, as said above.
Kedushat Levi
Having said all this, we are faced with the question why according to Rashi, (Genesis 7,7) Noach was of a category described by our sages as קטני אמונה, “lacking in adequate faith.” How could a man be described as perfectly righteous, צדיק תמים, and at the same time display a lack of faith in the Lord? Another question we must ask is why Noach, if he did not feel that rebuking his peers would help, did not at least pray for his fellow human beings prior to the deluge?
We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.
Noach, though aware of the many sexual perversions practiced by the people around him, and being steadfast in not copying their behaviour, is attested to by the Torah describing him as תמים היה בדורותיו, “he was perfect in his time.” Nonetheless, his loyalty to the Creator certainly did not endear him to his peers, hence “he walked with G’d”, as there was no one else “with whom to walk.” Sadly, only G’d appreciated his self-restraint, his righteousness.
Having said all this, we are faced with the question why according to Rashi, (Genesis 7,7) Noach was of a category described by our sages as קטני אמונה, “lacking in adequate faith.” How could a man be described as perfectly righteous, צדיק תמים, and at the same time display a lack of faith in the Lord? Another question we must ask is why Noach, if he did not feel that rebuking his peers would help, did not at least pray for his fellow human beings prior to the deluge?
We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni in Moed Katan 16 commenting on Samuel II 23,1 where the prophet introduces King David’s last utterances, (actually a “hymn,”) with the words: נאום דוד בן ישי ונאום הגבר הוקם על, ”words of David son of Yishai, and of the strong man who has been elevated and anointed by G’d, etc.” He continues there in verse 3: אמר אלוקי ישראל לי דבר צור ישראל מושל באדם צדיק מושל יראת אלוקים, “Israel’s G’d said concerning me: ‘be ruler over mankind, be ruler over awe of G’d.’” According to Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni, the somewhat enigmatic verse must be understood as follows: David, who had raised high the banner of repentance (when he said to the prophet Natan in response to his rebuke that he had been guilty of without ifs or buts in the matter of Bat Sheva) “G’d rules man, whereas the righteous rules G’d.” What is meant by “the righteous rules G’d?” Initially G’d decrees what man’s fate will be; however, the intercession of a tzaddik’s prayer” may result in G’d’s decree being cancelled.” The Talmud suggests that when a tzaddik is not only concerned with his own salvation but endeavours to bring sinners closer to G’d, his prayer can influence G’d to the extent that He will cancel a decree of death already promulgated in heaven against certain individuals or groups of people. Noach, alas, did not engage in active attempts to influence people by rebuking them.
[No doubt, whenever Noach was asked during the 120 years that he built the ark why he did so, he told his peers that G’d had instructed him to do this in order to escape the deluge that would occur. Ed.]
One of the reasons that he did not pray for his fellow man may have been that he felt inadequate to be able to cancel a decree that G’d had told him He had issued. He may have been motivated by considerations we encounter in connection with Neuchadnezzar (Sanhedrin 92). We are told there that when throwing Chananyah, Michael and Azaryah into a fiery furnace from which all three were saved, G’d also commanded Ezekiel to revive the dead bones of the Jews that had been killed by Nevuchadnezzar when he destroyed Jerusalem and burned the Temple. One of the newly revived was instructed to touch Nevuchadnezzar on his forehead and to identify himself as one of the many thousands who had been resurrected. Nevuchadnezzar was so impressed that he began to compose songs of praise extolling the Almighty. Thereupon an angel shut Nevuchadnezzar’s mouth to prevent him from continuing. Had the angel not done so, all the hymns composed by King David would have lost in value when compared to the songs composed by Nevuchadnezzar.
The word used by the Talmud to describe what would have occurred is לגנות, “to denigrate, or defame.” When reminding ourselves of the tzaddik’s ability, under certain conditions to reverse a decree that originated from the Attribute of Justice, and to cause it to become a beneficial decree, we can understand why Nevuchadnezzar had begun to sing the Lord’s praises; [after all he had deliberately destroyed G’d’s Temple on earth. Ed.] When he noticed that Ezekiel’s prayers had resulted in an army of people being resurrected, he became afraid that another prayer by the same person, or persons like him, would result in his life’s work, the destruction of the Temple, being reversed also. In order to pre-empt any prayer by any tzaddik being able to achieve this, he tried to pre-empt anyone from offering such a prayer and being granted his request, by extolling G’d’s greatness in even more glowing terms than David had done in the Book of Psalms.
Noach, far from being a boastful individual, proclaiming himself as a major deity, was the very opposite, a humble person, to whom it would not have occurred that a prayer of his would influence G’d to reverse a decree which He had certainly not arrived at without first having agonized over it. [He even told Noach that He would delay execution of this decree for up to 120 years, this is why He told Noach when he was 480 years old to start building the ark. Ed.] It was because he did not consider himself as especially righteous, that he reasoned that just as he would be saved, so there must be numerous other people of similar stature who would also be saved. When G’d noticed this, He told Noach (Genesis 6,13) that He would have to proceed with His intention to destroy the human race as there was no one who had tried to intercede on their behalf. Nonetheless, He made plain to Noach, that although he had not interceded on behalf of his fellow humans, He would maintain the existing covenant between G’d and mankind through Noach and his family. (Genesis 6,18).
We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.
Noach, though aware of the many sexual perversions practiced by the people around him, and being steadfast in not copying their behaviour, is attested to by the Torah describing him as תמים היה בדורותיו, “he was perfect in his time.” Nonetheless, his loyalty to the Creator certainly did not endear him to his peers, hence “he walked with G’d”, as there was no one else “with whom to walk.” Sadly, only G’d appreciated his self-restraint, his righteousness.
Having said all this, we are faced with the question why according to Rashi, (Genesis 7,7) Noach was of a category described by our sages as קטני אמונה, “lacking in adequate faith.” How could a man be described as perfectly righteous, צדיק תמים, and at the same time display a lack of faith in the Lord? Another question we must ask is why Noach, if he did not feel that rebuking his peers would help, did not at least pray for his fellow human beings prior to the deluge?
We must refer once more to the distinction between the two categories of righteous people. One category has earned the title “tzaddik” because he serves only the one and only true G’d, the Creator, and believes that this Creator is all powerful and guides the universe in accordance with His wishes.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni in Moed Katan 16 commenting on Samuel II 23,1 where the prophet introduces King David’s last utterances, (actually a “hymn,”) with the words: נאום דוד בן ישי ונאום הגבר הוקם על, ”words of David son of Yishai, and of the strong man who has been elevated and anointed by G’d, etc.” He continues there in verse 3: אמר אלוקי ישראל לי דבר צור ישראל מושל באדם צדיק מושל יראת אלוקים, “Israel’s G’d said concerning me: ‘be ruler over mankind, be ruler over awe of G’d.’” According to Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni, the somewhat enigmatic verse must be understood as follows: David, who had raised high the banner of repentance (when he said to the prophet Natan in response to his rebuke that he had been guilty of without ifs or buts in the matter of Bat Sheva) “G’d rules man, whereas the righteous rules G’d.” What is meant by “the righteous rules G’d?” Initially G’d decrees what man’s fate will be; however, the intercession of a tzaddik’s prayer” may result in G’d’s decree being cancelled.” The Talmud suggests that when a tzaddik is not only concerned with his own salvation but endeavours to bring sinners closer to G’d, his prayer can influence G’d to the extent that He will cancel a decree of death already promulgated in heaven against certain individuals or groups of people. Noach, alas, did not engage in active attempts to influence people by rebuking them.
[No doubt, whenever Noach was asked during the 120 years that he built the ark why he did so, he told his peers that G’d had instructed him to do this in order to escape the deluge that would occur. Ed.]
One of the reasons that he did not pray for his fellow man may have been that he felt inadequate to be able to cancel a decree that G’d had told him He had issued. He may have been motivated by considerations we encounter in connection with Neuchadnezzar (Sanhedrin 92). We are told there that when throwing Chananyah, Michael and Azaryah into a fiery furnace from which all three were saved, G’d also commanded Ezekiel to revive the dead bones of the Jews that had been killed by Nevuchadnezzar when he destroyed Jerusalem and burned the Temple. One of the newly revived was instructed to touch Nevuchadnezzar on his forehead and to identify himself as one of the many thousands who had been resurrected. Nevuchadnezzar was so impressed that he began to compose songs of praise extolling the Almighty. Thereupon an angel shut Nevuchadnezzar’s mouth to prevent him from continuing. Had the angel not done so, all the hymns composed by King David would have lost in value when compared to the songs composed by Nevuchadnezzar.
The word used by the Talmud to describe what would have occurred is לגנות, “to denigrate, or defame.” When reminding ourselves of the tzaddik’s ability, under certain conditions to reverse a decree that originated from the Attribute of Justice, and to cause it to become a beneficial decree, we can understand why Nevuchadnezzar had begun to sing the Lord’s praises; [after all he had deliberately destroyed G’d’s Temple on earth. Ed.] When he noticed that Ezekiel’s prayers had resulted in an army of people being resurrected, he became afraid that another prayer by the same person, or persons like him, would result in his life’s work, the destruction of the Temple, being reversed also. In order to pre-empt any prayer by any tzaddik being able to achieve this, he tried to pre-empt anyone from offering such a prayer and being granted his request, by extolling G’d’s greatness in even more glowing terms than David had done in the Book of Psalms.
Noach, far from being a boastful individual, proclaiming himself as a major deity, was the very opposite, a humble person, to whom it would not have occurred that a prayer of his would influence G’d to reverse a decree which He had certainly not arrived at without first having agonized over it. [He even told Noach that He would delay execution of this decree for up to 120 years, this is why He told Noach when he was 480 years old to start building the ark. Ed.] It was because he did not consider himself as especially righteous, that he reasoned that just as he would be saved, so there must be numerous other people of similar stature who would also be saved. When G’d noticed this, He told Noach (Genesis 6,13) that He would have to proceed with His intention to destroy the human race as there was no one who had tried to intercede on their behalf. Nonetheless, He made plain to Noach, that although he had not interceded on behalf of his fellow humans, He would maintain the existing covenant between G’d and mankind through Noach and his family. (Genesis 6,18).
Likutei Halakhot
1. And this is like our Sages of Blessed Memory’s dispute regarding the knowledge, to know how to direct when midnight is, as brought down in Berachot 3, "But did David know the exact time of midnight? — Even our teacher Moses did not know it!", etc. But by David the harp was hung etc. For the main redemption in general and specifically, the redemption of the soul of each and every one depends on this knowledge and conception, to precisely direct the points of midnight. In other words, when the force of sleep strengthens upon the Jewish soul and wants to cast it down completely, G-d forbid, on account of the multitude of his sins and corruptions until he would almost almost fall completely, the Merciful One save us — then specifically Hashem Yisbarach, will shine on him in His mercy that he should remind himself of the good points that are in him and should liven himself as mentioned above, which is the aspect of rising at midnight. This is when the Shekhinah, which is the inclusion of the souls of Israel, is in ultimate smallness and minimality and then she cries in a bitter voice to Hashem Yisbarach, in the aspect of (Psalms 42:2) "Like a hind crying for water." the aspect of (Jeremiah 31:15) "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping" etc. And then Hashem Yisbarach, awakes His compassion and draws down a thread of mercy etc. as all this is understood in the writings. And all this is done with each Jew at all times. Since at every moment the aspect of sleep strengthens upon him, as mentioned above, until he almost almost etc. — the Merciful One save us. And then specifically must one seek his good point as mentioned above, like (Psalms 94:18-19) "When I think my foot has given way, Your faithfulness, O LORD, supports me. When I am filled with cares, Your assurance soothes my soul", as all this is like the holy teaching of 'I will sing' mentioned above. That specifically when one arrives in his mind to complete constriction, the Merciful One save us, until he wants to say, 'my foot has given way', G-d forbid, then specifically the mercies of Hashem shall hold him up according to that which is mentioned above, to awake him from his sleep and to strengthen him, which is the aspect of waking at actual midnight, which is the time of ultimate smallness. And then specifically is the aspect of waking from sleep, which is the aspect of waking from his fall through the aspect of 'I will sing unto My God while I yet have being', as mentioned above. And on this depends the redemption in general and specifically, as mentioned above. And therefore the first redemption was at midnight specifically. And so shall the last redemption be, which we hope to be soon in our days, shall be through the aspect of midnight through 'the fit and fearing ones who arise each night at midnight', that then they will awaken a great kindness, which through this they merit to draw upon themselves always the aspect of the wakening from the sleep that is at midnight, to draw upon themselves this aspect always i.e. that whenever they want to cast upon them a very great sleep and smallness. Even if they cast them down in whatever way they cast them down, G-d forbid, even if what happens to him happens. Despite this he shall always wake up specifically from amidst the force of the smallness, in the aspect of waking at midnight mentioned above. In other words, through the aspect of the yet little good that he finds in himself, and as mentioned above. And therefore Moshe did not yet know how to figure exactly when midnight was. For then it was yet before the giving of the Torah and there was not yet the awakening from below, for there were not quite yet such tzaddikim who arose at midnight and delved in Torah because it was before the giving of Torah. And therefore it was difficult to figure exactly the point of midnight, even for those who say that Moshe did know but was not quite able to speak about it and was yet afraid that perhaps they would mistake it etc. For he was not yet able to draw down this revelation openly because it was before the giving of Torah. But David did know, for the harp was hung above his bed. And the power of the harp is drawn from the Torah, as brought down in the words of the Admor Z"L. For the harp of David was five-stringed, corresponding to the five books of the Pentateuch and he would awake from his sleep until he knew how to figure the hour and the point of midnight. For David was the aspect of Mashiach who always busies with the repair of souls of Israel to awake them from their sleep through the aspect mentioned above, through the good points that he finds in each one and he teaches each one and enlightens his heart that he can seek and ask after and find in himself good points always, in order to awake him from his sleep and fall, that he should not fall completely, G-d forbid. And the main thing is to have direction at the time when he would almost almost fall, G-d forbid. Then specifically he will shine on him in His mercy and save him and awake him from the aspect of (Psalms 37:33) "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down" etc., the aspect of (Id) "The wicked watches", etc.,. Hashem will not leave him in his hand". In the aspect of (Deuteronomy 32:36-39) "When He sees that their might is gone, And neither bond nor free is left. He will say: Where are their gods, The rock in whom they sought refuge, etc; See, then, that I, I am He", etc. And all this is in the power of the Torah which we have already received through Moshe Rabbeinu and through all the Tzaddikim that have been until now who thoroughly explained to us the ways of the Torah. Therefore David did know the time of midnight through the harp mentioned above for he was skillful in playing (I Samuel 16:13) "for all the holy teaching" etc., as mentioned above, is to seek the good and to enliven oneself through this. All this is the idea of the holy melodies that go out from the harp of David, as in, 'I will sing unto my God while I yet have my being', as mentioned above, the aspect of 'Awake... psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn', as mentioned above. And through this David merited to know to figure the point of midnight mentioned above, upon which the latter redemption in general and in detail depends, for each soul of Israel. For David was Mashiach, through whom will be the final redemption, which is the complete redemption, after which there is no exile. And this is mainly through the aspect of 'songs and melodies mentioned' above, like (II Samuel 23:1) "the Mashiach of the G-d of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel", etc, i.e. through the aspect of 'I will sing' mentioned above. Soon in our days, Amen. And understand these things well, for it is impossible to explain it all. Just that everybody, according to whatever happens to him all the days of his life, in the days of his youth and in the days of his old age, can enliven himself always according to all these words of ours which explain a little of the truth of the holy advice and teaching of 'I will sing unto my God while I yet have my being' which the Admor Z"L very very much implored us to walk in. Happy is he who grasps onto it.