מדרש אויף תהילים 17:1

(Deut. 3:23:) I BESOUGHT THE LORD. For what? That he should enter the land. This text is related (to Ps. 61:2 [1]): HEAR {A JUST CAUSE}[MY SONG OF PRAYER],¹⁷Buber in a note suggests that there is a confusion here with Ps. 17:1. O GOD. He said to him: What do you want. He said to him (in vs. 3) FROM THE END OF THE EARTH I CALL UNTO YOU WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT. <LEAD ME TO A ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I.> The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 3:26): ENOUGH FROM YOU! DO NOT <EVER SPEAK UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. [Moses said to him:] Sovereign of the World, you addressed me as MY SERVANT MOSES (in Numb. 12:7): NOT SO WITH MY SERVANT ('eved) MOSES. I am a servant ('eved), and Leviathan is a servant ('eved). I act the suppliant before you, and he acts the suppliant before you, as stated (in Job 40:27 [41:3]): WILL HE MAKE MANY SUPPLICATIONS UNTO YOU? The supplication of Leviathan you hear, for you have made a covenant with him and sustain him, as stated (in Job 40:28 [41:4]): WILL HE MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU FOR YOU TO TAKE HIM AS YOUR SERVANT ('eved) FOREVER? Now I am your servant ('eved), you have said to me (in Exod. 34:10): I HEREBY MAKE A COVENANT. But you have not carried it out. Instead you have said to me (in Deut. 32:50): AND YOU SHALL DIE ON THE MOUNTAIN <THAT YOU ARE ASCENDING>…. And not only that, but you have written in the Torah and said (in Exod. 21:5–6): BUT IF THE SLAVE ('eved) SAYS: I LOVE MY MASTER, <MY WIFE, AND MY CHILDREN>; I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD, AND HE SHALL BRING HIM UNTO THE DOOR OR UNTO THE DOORPOST, WHERE HIS MASTER SHALL PIERCE HIS EAR WITH AN AWL, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. > Now I love you and I love your children; (in accord with Exod. 21:5) I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. I do not want to die. (Exod. 21:6:) THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD …, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. But you have not carried it out with me. So now please, (Ps. 61:2 [1]:) HEAR MY SONG OF PRAYER, O GOD. (Ps. 55:2 [1]:) DO NOT HIDE YOURSELF FROM MY BESEECHING. The Holy One said to me: Impossible! (Deut. 3:26:) ENOUGH FROM YOU! The litigant against you (Satan) has already made a decision over you that you and all creatures like you are to die.

Chapter 6, Writings. [1] A prayer of David: Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea (Psalms 17:1). In the scriptures it is said: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Proverbs 15:8) refers to Moses, David, and the Messiah. Regarding Moses, it is written, "A prayer of Moses, the man of God" (Psalms 90:1). Regarding David, it is written, "A prayer of David" (Psalms 17:1). Concerning the Messiah, it is written, "A prayer of the poor man, when he is faint" (Psalms 102:1). "And the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Prov. 15:8), although all three pray, David prays with artistry. How can one say, "Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Until when will you pray? Say what you need, for you said, 'my righteous plea.' I swear by your life that for the sake of one of the things that I have mentioned before you, My vindication will come from You; (Psalms 17:2). Why did you say, 'If the leader sins' (Leviticus 4:22)? "A leader over whom there is no ruler except for God, since over a ruler there is no judge except for You, my judgment comes before You. David was a great artist, when he asked something from the Holy One, blessed be He, he played music to Him, as if to say, he delved his thoughts like those skilled in the wisdom of the microcosm (Baba Kamma 103b, Baba Batra 61a*). Deep wells of understanding." He asked first about the easy things, and only afterwards about the difficult things. Why was David similar to a person who asked to borrow a wheat barrel from the lender, and the lender said to him, "Please lend me a carob barrel because I am in a difficult situation"? David replied, "Come and take, we will take (the barrels) together." The lender then asked David to lend him a barley barrel and leave a carob barrel instead. David replied, "Come and take, we will take (the barrels) together." The lender then asked David to make him a wheat barrel and lend him carob and barley under it. David replied, "Take it, but who caused him to first ask about the easy things and only then about the difficult things?" The answer is from the verse "Judgment fell for David, 'The Lord has heard my righteousness.'" (Psalms 7:9) That is, first the easy things, and then the difficult things came before him in a straight path, as it is written "Your eyes will see what is straight before you." (Isaiah 30:21) God replied to him, "And I will act, for it is written, 'Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you' (Jeremiah 51:36), and 'I will contend with him that contends with you' (Isaiah 49:25)." End of story. [*comment: This statement is found in the Talmud Bavli tractate Bava Batra 93b, and it discusses the power of a Jewish leader or "nasi" who has no earthly ruler above him, only God. The passage states that since there is no one to judge or govern the Nasi except for God, then his judgment must be considered just and valid. It then goes on to praise King David as a great artist, as he would deepen his thoughts and connect with God when playing music. The phrase "והואיל שאין על גבי מושל אלא ה'" can be translated as "since there is no ruler above him except for God," emphasizing the unique position of a Nasi who is accountable only to God. The phrase "מלפניך משפטי יצא" means "my judgment comes from You," implying that since God is the only authority over the nasi, his decisions are divinely inspired. The passage then shifts to discussing King David and his artistic talents. The phrase "אומן גדול הי' דוד" means "David was a great artist," and the following phrase "כשהי' מבקש דבר מן הב"ה מנגנו" means "when he would seek something from God, he would play music." The term "אינגיניו בלע"ז" refers to David's musical instruments, and the phrase "כמו הנהו נגאני דארעא מיקרו" means "he would play so deeply that the ground would shake." This passage highlights David's unique talents and spiritual connection with God.]

Chapter 9: Writings [1] A prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, the right; etc. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence, etc. (Psalm 17:1-2) As it is said in Scriptures: "And turn towards the prayer of your servant and his supplication, Lord my God..." (1 Kings 8:28) This is what King Solomon said before God: "Master of the Universe, let everything else be set aside and focus on my prayer and supplication. I pray to You, God, even though I am only human, that my prayer may be heard and answered." It says "And turn towards the prayer of your servant," meaning that God should turn His attention towards Solomon's prayer, and "turn towards" implies a great deal of attention, as it says "And I will turn towards you [and make you fruitful and multiply you]" (Leviticus 26:9). "And turn towards the prayer of your servant," why? "To hear the song and prayer" (1 Kings 8:28).