Midras Mazmur 11:1: Midrash Tehillim & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

To the chief musician, a psalm of David: In the Lord I have taken refuge. This is what the verse says, "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid" (Psalm 118:6). It can be compared to a king who had a servant whom he loved, but his other servants were jealous of him. The king said, "Whoever is compassionate towards me, I am grateful to him." "Nodi" should be read as "Nodu" (meaning "flee"), as Rabbi Acha said, "When Israel was exiled, the nations of the world rejoiced and tried to remove them from their place." Rabbi Acha explained that the verse "Like a bird wandering from its nest, so is a man wandering from his place" (Proverbs 27:8) refers to the Lord, who is a warrior and has no place other than the Temple, as it says, "This is my resting place forever and ever" (Psalm 132:14).

Raba lectured: "What does the passage (Ps. 11, 1) In the Lord have I put my trust; how can ye say to my soul, flee to your mountain as a bird mean? i.e., David said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe! forgive me this sin so that people shall not say that your mounatin was lost through a bird'." (Fol. 107) Raba lectured: "What is the meaning of the following passage (Ps. 51, 6) Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Thy eyes; in order that Thou mayest be justified when Thou speakest, and be in the right when Thou judgest, i.e., David said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, it is known and revealed before Thee, that if I had desired to curb my passion, I would have succeeded, but I did not, so that people should not say that the servant conquered his master'." Raba lectured again: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ib. 38, 18) For I am ready to halt, and my pain is continually before me. Bath Sheba was destined for David since the six days of creation; however, she came to him only through infliction." And so also it was taught at the college of R. Ishmael: Bath Sheba, the daughter of Eliam, was destined for David, but he enjoyed her as an unripe fruit. Raba lectured: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ps. 35, 15) But when I halt they rejoice, and gather themselves together; … they tear me, and cease not. Thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He! "Sovereign of the Universe, it is known and revealed before Thee that if they would tear my flesh the blood would not run. Even when they are occupied in the study of Negaim and Ahaloth they say to me: 'David, who is an adulterer, with what kind of a death must he be punished?' And I answered them: 'He is to be hanged; he, however, has a share in the world to come, but he who exposes his fellowmen to shame in public has no share in the world to come'."

My soul longs and faints for the house of the Lord. This is not just a present feeling, but the Israelites also longed for the Temple when they were at the sea, as it is said, "You led them in Your faithfulness to Your holy abode" (Exodus 15:13). Bring it and taste it. The Israelites said, "How long will our enemies hate us and say, 'Like a bird wandering from its nest'?" (Proverbs 27:8). There is no one but God, as it is said, "The Lord is a man of war" (Exodus 15:3). It is said that God does not return to His house, as it is said, "So a man wanders from his place" (Proverbs 27:8). And it is also said, "Flee, like a bird, to your mountain" (Psalm 11:1). It did not say "dove," but "bird." One takes the chicks of a dove, and it returns to its place, as it is said, "For the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot" (Genesis 8:9). But this bird is different; it lays its eggs in one place and takes its chicks, and does not return to its place. Similarly, the wicked and Israel are compared to this bird, as it is said, "Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself" (Psalm 84:4)....