"You are my hiding place"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar explains the terms, "hiding place," "adversary," and "songs of deliverance." All the songs and hymns of David, we learn, contain profound allusions to Wisdom, because they were composed with the direct inspiration of God. Rabbi Elazar then discusses the meaning of the verse, "You did push me hard ..." David addressed these words to the Other Side, which presses man to turn away from God. As David knew well, God protects those who guard against the Evil Inclination.

Relevance

King David was a brave and valiant warrior by daylight and a profound mystic during the hours of moonlight. Spiritually, David waged war and conquered the Evil Inclination within himself. This is the decisive battleground where the greatest of wars and conflicts unfold. Employing the mystical wisdom of Kabbalah, David skillfully wielded the power of the Light and thus triumphed over the forces of Darkness. his spiritual might and courage is instilled within us by these ancient verses. Moreover, the Light of David empowers our prayers, securing for us greater protection against the internal forces of evil, and increasing the Light that pours into our lives, and hence, into the world.

Evil Evil Inclination Shadow Shield Torah

274. Rabbi Yosi quoted the verse, "You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from the adversary; You do compass me about with songs of deliverance. Sela" (Tehilim 32:7). " ...My hiding place," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is a hiding place and a shield to the man who treads the paths of the Torah, THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and is hidden under the shadow of His wings so as not to come to harm. HE ASKS, WHY THEN DOES IT READ, "You shall preserve me from the adversary," WHICH HAS THE SAME MEANING AS, "YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE?" HE ANSWERS, Man has enemies above as well as below FOR WHICH IT SAYS, "YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE." It is the Evil Inclination, OF WHICH IT IS WRITTEN, "YOU SHALL PRESERVE ME FROM THE ADVERSARY." It attacks above and below - DESCENDS TO INCITE, AND ASCENDS TO BRING ACCUSATIONS. Were it not for the Evil Inclination, man would not have any enemies in the world. Therefore THE SCRIPTURE READS, "You shall preserve me from the adversary," FROM THE EVIL INCLINATION.

274. פְּתַח ר' יוֹסֵי וַאֲמַר, אַתָּה סֵתֶר לִי מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי רָנֵי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָּה, אַתָּה סֵתֶר לִי, דָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ סִתְרָא וּמָגֵן לְבַּר נָשׁ, דְּאָזֵיל בְּאָרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִיהוּ אִסְתַּתַּר בְּצִלָּא דְגַדְפוֹי, דְּלָא יָכְלִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לֵיהּ. מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי, מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא, לְעֵילָא אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, מָארֵי דְבָבוֹ, לְתַתָּא אוֹף הָכֵי נָמֵי, וּמַאן אִיהוּ דָּא יֵצֶר הָרָע, דְאִיהוּ צַר לְעֵילָא, וְצַר לְתַתָּא, וְאִלְמָלֵא יֵצֶר הָרָע, לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח מָארֵי דְּבָבוֹ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּעַלְמָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ, מִצַּר תִּצְרֵנִי.

Grades Redemption and Salvation

275. " ...You do compass me about with songs of deliverance, Sela" (Tehilim 32:7). He said, It should have read, 'He does compass me,' IN THE THIRD PERSON, BECAUSE IN THE SECOND PERSON IT COULD MEAN 'THE SONGS OF DELIVERANCE COMPASS ME.' Why then does it read, "You do compass," IN THE PRESENT PERSON? HE ANSWERS, Within these songs there are grades of salvation, You will compass me with them to guard me on my way. THE VERSE IS INDEED ADDRESSED TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE SAYING, "YOU DO COMPASS ME." This verse may be read forwards or backwards, from both sides, YET ITS MEANING REMAINS THE SAME.

275. רָנֵי פַלֵּט תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה, יְסוֹבְבֵנִי סֶלָה, מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי. אִלֵּין אִינוּן שִׁירִין, דְּאִית בְּהוֹ דַּרְגִּין לְהַצָּלָה, תְּסוֹבְבֵנִי בְּהוֹ, לְשֵׁזָבָא לִי בְּאָרְחָא. וְהַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ כְּסִדְרָא, וְאִיהוּ לְמַפְרֵעַ, מֵהַאי גִיסָא, וּמֵהַאי גִיסָא.

David Wisdom

276. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּאִלֵּין שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּקָאֲמַר דָּוִד, אִית בְּהוֹן רָזִין, וּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין, בְּרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא אִתְאֲמָרוּ, דַּהֲוָה שְׁרֵא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא עֲלֵיהּ דְּדָוִד, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר שִׁירָתָא, וּבְגִין כָּך, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּרָזֵי דְחָכְמְתָא אִתְאֲמָרוּ.

David Evil Evil Inclination Gehenom (Hell) Hands Hell (Gehenom) Other Side

277. Rabbi Elazar continued with the verse, "You did push me hard that I might fall: but Hashem helped me" (Tehilim 118:13). HE SAID, IT IS WRITTEN, "You did push me," when it should have been written, 'they did push me.' Why is it written, "You did push me," AS IT WAS NOT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO PUSHED HIM, BUT HIS ENEMIES? HE ANSWERS, This is the Other Side, which always pushes man in an effort to turn him away from the Holy One, blessed be He. It is the Evil Inclination, the constant companion of man, to which David addressed the words, "You did push me hard that I might fall," because, with all the troubles that came upon him, it almost caused him to turn him from the Holy One, blessed be He. Concerning this, David said, "You did push me hard that I might fall" into Gehenom, "but Hashem helped me" by not delivering me into your hands.

277. פְּתַח ר' אֶלְעָזָר וַאֲמַר, דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפֹּל וַה' עֲזָרָנִי, דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי, דָּחֹה דָחוּנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי. אֶלָּא, דָּא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ תָּדִיר, וּבָעֵי לְדַחְיָיא לֵיהּ, וּלְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ, מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְדָא הוּא יצה"ר, דְּאִשְׁתַּכַּח לְגַבֵּיהּ בַּר נָשׁ תָּדִיר, וּלְקִבְלֵיהּ אַהֲדַר דָּוִד וַאֲמַר, דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפּוֹל, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה אִשְׁתַּדַּל לְגַבֵּיהּ, בְּכָל אִינוּן עַקְתִין, לְאַסְטָאָה לֵיהּ מֵעִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וַעֲלֵיהּ אֲמַר דָּוִד, דָּחֹה דְחִיתַנִי לִנְפּוֹל, בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם. וַה' עֲזָרָנִי, דְּלָא אִתְמַסַּרְנָא בִּידָךְ.

Amen Righteous World to Come, The

278. It is incumbent on man to guard against it, so it does not obtain mastery over him. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, will guard him in all his ways, as it is written, "Then shall you walk in your way safely, and your foot shall not stumble" (Mishlei 3:23), and "When you go, your steps shall not be confined" (Mishlei 4:12). It is also written, "But the path of just men is like the gleam of sunlight, it shines ever more brightly until the height of noonday" (Mishlei 4:18). Rabbi Yehuda said, Happy are Yisrael, for the Holy One, blessed be He, keeps them in this world and in the World to Come, as it is written, "Your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever" (Yeshayah 60:21).

278. וְע"ד אִית לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט עֲלֵיהּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּדֵין נָטֵיר לֵיהּ בְּכָל אָרְחוֹי. דִּכְתִיב אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַרְכֶּךָ וְרַגְלֶךָ לֹא תִגּוֹף בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵׁל. וּכְתִיב וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם, אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטֵיר לוֹן, בְּעַלְמָא דֵין, וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, דִּכְתִיב וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ.