Midrash su Salmi 6:1

[It is written] (Ps. 66, 1.) A prayer of David, preserve my soul, for I am pious. R. Levi and R. Isaac both explain this passage. One said: "Thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, am I not pious? Whereas all the kings of the east and west sleep until the third hour of the day, I rise at midnight to praise Thee.'" And the other said: "Thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, am I not pious, whereas all the kings of the east and west sit companies in their glory, my hands are soiled in blood, membraneous-bag and after-birth in order to decide questions pertaining to family life; and moreover, whatever I do, I first consult Mephi-bosheth my teacher, saving to him: Meplu-bosheth my teacher, have I properly convicted? Have I properly acquitted? Have I properly declared pure? Have I properly declared impure? And I do not feel degraded [asking this].'" R. Joshua, the son of Ide, said: "What is the Biblical passage [that refers to this]? It is written (Ps. 119, 46.) And I will speak of thy testimony before kings and will not he ashamed." We are taught that his name (David's teacher) was not Mephi-bosheth but Ish-bosheth. Why was he called Mephi-bosheth? Because he insulted David during Halachic discussions; therefore, [because David humbly accepted these reproaches,] David was rewarded and Kilab came forth from him and R. Jochanan said: "His name was not Kilab but Daniel; why then was he called Kilab? Because he reproached Mephi-bosheth in matters of Halacha, and concerning him (Kilab) Solomon said in his wisdom (Pr. 23, 15.) My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. And it is also said (Ib. 27, 11.) Become wise, my son, and cause my heart to rejoice that I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me." Why, did David call himself pious? Is it not written (Ps. 27, 13.) Unless I had to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of life, and we are taught in the name of R. Jose, "Why is the word Lulei (unless) dotted? David said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, I assuredly trust in Thee, knowing that Thou wilt properly reward the just when the time shall come [in the future world], but I doubt whether I shall have a share in them,' [Hence we infer that David did not consider himself a pious man.]" He was afraid because of the sin, as R. Jacob b. Ide said; for R. Jacob b. Ide raised the following contradictory question: "It is written (Gen. 28, 15.) And behold, I, (God) am with thee, (Jacob), and will keep thee withersoever thou goeth. And it is written (Ib. 32, 8.) And Jacob was greatly afraid and he felt distressed. [Why was he afraid after the Lord promised to be with him?] Jacob said: 'Perhaps there is some cause of sin which will prevent the fulfillment of His promise;' as we have been taught: 'It is said (Ex. 15, 16.) Till thy people pass over, O Lord, till this people pass over, which Thou hast purchased. Till thy people pass over, O Lord: refers to the first entrance, [into the land of Israel]; Till this people pass over which Thou hast purchased; refers to the second entrance [in the days of Ezra]. From this, declared the sages, it can be inferred that Israel was to be brought in [into the land of Israel] during the days of Ezra by the same miracles through which they entered the first time, in the days of Joshua ben Nun, but Israel's sins prevented the fulfillment of this."

(Numb. 8:5-6:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Take the Levites.’” Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?¹Numb. R. 15:11. So said R. Judah:²T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shb') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11), “In Your presence there is fullness (rt.: sb')³Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. of joy.” Do not read [the word pointed as] sova' ("fullness") but [as] sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164), “With seven a day do I praise You.⁴M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the messiah it will be made with eight [strings]. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1), “For the leader; with instrumental music on the eight-stringed harp.” Furthermore in the future it will be made of ten [strings] as stated (in Ps. 144:9), “O God, let me sing to You a new song; let me play for You on a ten-stringed harp.” And who ordained them? Samuel and David, as stated (in I Chron. 9:22), “David and Samuel the seer ordained them in their office of trust.” Moreover, they [were the ones who] set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the One who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One, blessed be He, loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, chose them to serve Him. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “The Levites are extremely dear to Me. Take them in My name for a position of authority.” From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 8:6), “Take the Levites.”

(Numb. 8:5-6:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES SAYING>: TAKE THE LEVITES. Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?³²Tanh. Numb. 3:7; Numb. R. 15:11} Thus did R. Judah teach:³³T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shB') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11): IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS (rt.: SB')³⁴Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. OF JOY. Do not read <the word pointed as> sova' ("fullness") but <as> sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164): WITH SEVEN A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU.³⁵M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the Messiah it will be made with eight <strings>. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1): FOR THE LEADER; WITH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ON THE EIGHT-STRINGED HARP. Furthermore in the age to come it will be made of ten <strings> as stated {SING TO GOD A NEW SONG…. }³⁶No Psalm has exactly these words but SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG…. appears in Pss. 96:1; 98:1; and 149:1; as well as in Is. 42:10. [(in Ps. 144:9): O GOD, LET ME SING TO YOU A NEW SONG; LET ME PLAY FOR YOU ON A TEN-STRINGED HARP.] And who ordained them? Samuel and David. It is so stated (in I Chron. 9:22): DAVID AND SAMUEL THE SEER ORDAINED THEM IN THEIR OFFICE OF TRUST. Moreover, they <were the ones who> set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the one who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One chose them to serve him. Therefore, the Holy One said to Moses. Levites are extremely dear to me. Take them in my name for a position of authority. {Thus it is stated:} [From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter] (in Numb. 8:6): TAKE THE LEVITES.

Rabbi Levi son of Rabbi says: A pure Menorah came down from heaven, as The Holy One Who is Blessed said to Moshe "You will make a Menorah of pure gold [alt: a pure Menorah of gold]" (Shmot 25:31) [Moshe] responded: how will we make it? [God] responded "It will be made of hammered work [mikshah]" (Shmot 25:31). Nevertheless, Moshe struggled [nitkasha] and went down and forgot its manner of work. He went up and said: My Master, how will we make it? [God] said "It will be made of hammered work." Nevertheless, Moshe struggled and went down and forgot. He went up and said: My Master, I forgot it. [God] showed Moshe and Moshe still struggled. [God] said to him: "See and do" (Shmot 25:40), and took a Menorah of fire and showed him how it was made. Nevertheless, it was a struggle for Moshe. The Holy One Who is Blessed said to him: Go to Betzalel, and he will make it. [Moshe] told Betzalel and he immediately made it. He was amazed and said: For me, how many times did the Holy One Who is Blessed show me and I struggled to make it, but for you, who never saw it, you make it from your thoughts! Betzalel, you were standing in the shadow of God [b'tzel el] when the Holy One Who is Blessed showed me how to make it. Therefore, when the Temple was destroyed, the Menorah was hidden. And this is one of the five things that was hidden: the ark, the Menorah, the fire, the holy spirit, and the cherubs. When the Holy One Who is Blessed returns in [God]'s mercy and builds [God]'s house and sanctuary, [God] will bring them back to their place to make Jerusalem rejoice, as it says, "The arid desert shall be glad, The wilderness shall rejoice" (Isaiah 35:1), "It shall blossom abundantly, It shall also exult" (Isaiah 35:2).

Beloved are Israel, whom the Holy One Blessed be He surrounded with (seven) mitzvoth: Tefillin on the head and tefillin on the arm, mezzuzah on their doors, and tzitzith on the four corners of their garments. About them David said (Psalms 119:114) "(For these) seven in the day have I praised you." He entered the bathhouse and saw himself naked — whereupon he said: "Woe unto me that I am 'naked' of mitzvoth," but looking upon his circumcision, he uttered praise, viz. (Ibid. 12:1) "For the chief musician on the eighth, (circumcision, the eighth mitzvah, on the eighth day), a psalm of David."