"Preserve my soul; for I am pious"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon tells Rabbi Yehuda that "Preserve my soul" means "preserve the Hei," for the soul holds onto the Hei. If the soul is deserving when it leaves this world it is welcomed to the World to Come, but if it is not deserving, the angels of destruction push it outside. When David prayed for the preservation of his soul, he called himself pious because he was receiving the flow of Chassadim, and Rabbi Yitzchak says that Chassadim is bestowed by the Righteous, Yesod.

Relevance

The letter Hei appears twice in the Holy Name of God, the Tetragrammaton יהוה. The first Hei corresponds to the Sfirah of Binah. Binah is vastly important. It is a boundless bank of Light from which we draw the beneficence of the Creator. The Light of Binah also denotes the World to Come - namely, paradise in the here and now, when we are fortunate enough to connect to it.

The second Hei corresponds to our mundane, material world of Malchut. Through his spiritual might, King David likewise embodies the perfection of Malchut. Our soul is preserved and made worthy of the World to Come - the Light of Binah. As Binah's Light is now cast upon the world, the tables are suddenly turned: Binah's rays are directed against the angels of destruction, and they are pushed outside, cast out forever from this world and the next. We are now free to inherit a land of peace, prosperity, and paradise.

David Midnight Soul, The

12. Rabbi Yehuda began: "Preserve my soul; for I am pious: Save Your servant..." (Tehilim 86:2). One has to look at the end of the verse, and then at the whole verse. At the end of the verse it says, "who trusts in You." HE ASKS, Should it not have said, "who trusts You?" HE ANSWERS: apparently David promised not to be asleep when midnight passed, as it is written: "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You" (Tehilim 119:62). He should have said, "I arose," but THE MEANING IS, I will arise and be bound to You forever.

12. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי הוֹשַׁע עַבְדְךָ וְגוֹ.' סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, וּלְבָתַר קְרָא כֹּלָּא, סוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא כְּתִיב, הַבּוֹטֵחַ אֵלֶיךָ, הַבּוֹטֵחַ בָּךְ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי הַבּוֹטֵחַ אֵלֶיךָ. אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל דָּוִד מִבְטַח לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יַעְבַּר לֵיהּ פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא בְּשִׁנְתָּא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה אָקוּם לְהוֹדוֹת לָךְ. קַמְתִּי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא, אָקוּם, וְאֶתְקְשַׁר בָּךְ לְעָלְמִין.

Form Hosts Soul, The Torah

13. HE ASKS WHY IT say, "Preserve (Heb. shomrah) my soul," when he should have used the form 'shemor,' since we have learned that there is no letter in the Torah that does not have heavenly and precious secrets. HE ANSWERS 'shomrah,' for he was saying to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'shomrah,' NAMELY SHEMOR (PRESERVE) THE HEI, for it is that same part onto which the soul holds. When the soul leaves this world it enters to inherit the domain of the World to Come. If it so merits, a number of heavenly hosts come out to greet it, guard it, and bring it into its residence in its place. That letter Hei, NAMELY MALCHUT, preserves it, so as to unite with it on new moons and Shabbatot.

13. שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, שְׁמוֹר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. וְהָא תָּנֵינָן דְּלֵית אָת בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּלָא אִית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין. שָׁמְרָה. לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָאָמַר, שָׁמְרָה לְהַהוּא חוּלָקָא, דְּאִתְאֲחָד בֵּיהּ נָפֶשׁ. דְּכַד נַפְשָׁא נָפְקָאת מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אַתְיָא לְמֵירַת עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. אִי זָכֵי, כַּמָה חֵילִין עִלָּאִין נָפְקִין לָקֳבְלָא, וּלְנַטְרָא לָהּ, וּלְאַעֲלָא לָהּ בְּמָדוֹרָא דְּדוּכְתָהָא, וְהַאי ה' נָטִיל לָהּ, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא עִמָּהּ בְּרֵישׁ יַרְחֵי וְשַׁבַּתֵּי.

Angels Chassadim David Destruction Merit Samuel Soul, The Stone

14. But if it does not so merit, a number of angels of destruction are directed against it, and push it outside. Woe to that soul that wanders in vain as a stone in the hollow of the sling. This is what was said: "and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the hollow of a sling" (I Shmuel 25:29). And David made his request before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "Preserve my soul" that it be not rejected, and when they come out against it, may the portals be opened for it, and may You accept it before You. "for I am pious...:" HE ASKS, was David really called 'pious?' WAS HE NOT A KING, AND WAS NOT KINGSHIP (MALCHUT) HIS CHARACTERISTIC? Rabbi Yehuda said, Yes, HE WAS CALLED 'PIOUS,' for it is written, "the sure loving promises (Heb. chassadim) of David" (Yeshayah 55:3). THAT IS, SINCE HE WAS RECEIVING CHASSADIM THAT ARE SURE, HE IS 'PIOUS' (HEB. CHASID) and this is the reason for "Preserve my soul," namely, do not abandon it to wander on the outside.

14. וְאִי לָא זָכֵי, כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי טְהִירִין אִזְדַמְּנָן לָקֳבְלָהּ, וְדָחוּ לָהּ לְבַר. וַוי לְהַהִיא נַפְשָׁא, דְּמִתְגַּלְגְּלָא בְּרֵיקָנַיָּא, כְּאַבְנָא בְּקוּסְפִיתָא. הה"ד, וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע. וְדָוִד בָּעֵי בָּעוּתֵיהּ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָמַר, שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, דְּלָא יִדְחוּן לָהּ לְבַר. וְכַד מָטֵי לָקֳבְלָהּ, יִפְתְּחוּן לָהּ פִּתְחִין, וּתְקַבֵּל לָהּ קַמָּךְ. כִּי חָסִיד אָנִי, וְכִי חָסִיד אִקְרֵי. א"ר יְהוּדָה, אִין. דִּכְתִיב, חַסְדֵי דָּוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים. בְּגִין כַּךְ שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, דְּלָא תִּשְׁבּוֹק לָהּ לְמֵהַךְ לְבַר.

Brit (Covenant) Chassadim Covenant (Brit) David Righteous Soul, The

15. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Everyone who has a portion in the Righteous, NAMELY WHO GUARDS HIS COVENANT, inherits this land, THAT IS MALCHUT, as it is said: "Your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever" (Yeshayah 60:21). And this Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, is called 'pious' SINCE HE BESTOWS CHASSADIM. THAT IS WHY David said, Since I am linked and holding onto that place, UNTO THE RIGHTEOUS, THEREFORE, "I am pious;" and because of this, "Preserve my soul" that it be bound up with You.

15. ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר, כָּל ב"נ דְּאִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּצַדִּיק, יָרִית לְהַאי אֶרֶץ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים וְגוֹ.' וְהַאי צַדִיק חָסִיד אִקְרֵי. אָמַר דָּוִד בָּתַר דִּבְהַאי אֲתָר אֲחִידְנָא, חָסִיד אָנִי, ובג"כ שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בָּךְ.