ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף תהילים 8:4

An Elucidation of Psalm 8
While contemplating the above passage and presenting it with thorough analysis, I was led to the awareness that based on some of the above concepts, explanation can be provided for one of the psalms, Psalm 8. That psalm contains the verse,¹1. Tehillim 8:4. “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You established.” Significantly, although the psalm mentions the moon and the stars, it does not mention the sun. True, it could be said that the sun is included among “the stars.” Alternatively, as Rav Avraham ibn Ezra explains, citing other commentaries, the sun is alluded to by the phrase,²Ibid. 8:2. “You have placed Your glory.” It could be said that this phrase refers to the sun, for it is the largest created being and hence, it is appropriate to describe the sun as “Your glory.” Nevertheless, in contrast to the moon, the sun is not mentioned explicitly by name. As such, my heart tells me that this psalm refers to the diminishment of the moon as described in the Midrashim explained above, as will be elucidated with God’s help.

Bar Kapparah, in Ketuvot 5, explained that the deeds of the righteous are greater than the creation of heaven and Earth. It is written, "Also My hand set the foundations of the earth, and My right hand spanned the heavens.” Concerning the deeds of the righteous however, it is written, "The sanctuary of G-d which Your hands (pl) have established"(Exodus 15,17). A Babylonian by the name of Rabbi Chiyah objected, saying that it is written in Psalms 95,5, "His hands have fashioned the land masses." Rabbi Nachman explained that this refers to His fingers, since it says "When I behold the heavens, the work of Your fingers" (Psalms 8,4). Another objection was raised; it says, "The heavens proclaim the glory of G-d and the expanse of the sky, the work of His hands (Psalms 19,2). The passage means, "What tells the important work of the righteous? the skies. By what means? By means of the rainfall."

The Second piece of evidence is from the collection of parts and the composition of chapters, and it is that I observed the rain being composed of connected parts and the chapters being intricate, and in them, a sign of the act of creation and innovation was evident to me. Afterward, I thought, "Perhaps these chapters and connections are only in the small rains," meaning the sensory and vegetative rains. I narrowed down my thought to the earth, and behold, it is indeed so, for it consists of dust, stones, sand, and similar particles gathered together. I ascended to the heavens and observed many categories of celestial bodies, some of them within others. Among them are categories of luminous bodies called stars, varying in size, some large and some small, some with abundant light and some with little light, all composed within those celestial spheres. As the grouping, connecting, and composition became clear to me, which are innovations in the rain of the heavens and others, I affirmed through this evidence that the heavens and all that is in them are renewed. I found the scriptural statement saying that the dispersion of the parts of living beings and their composition indicates their renewal, as it says (Psalm 119:73), "Your hands made me and established me," and it says about the earth (Isaiah 45:18), "He fashioned it and made it," and it says about the heavens (Psalm 8:4), "When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon, and the stars that You set in place." The Third evidence is from specific instances. I found that all the rains will not escape.