Chapter 91
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1. You who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Omnipotent:
2. I say of the Lord who is my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust,
3. that He will save you from the ensnaring trap, from the destructive pestilence.
4. He will cover you with His pinions and you will find refuge under His wings; His truth is a shield and an armor.
5. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day;
6. the pestilence that prowls in the darkness, nor the destruction that ravages at noon.
7. A thousand may fall at your [left] side, and ten thousand at your right, but it shall not reach you.
8. You need only look with your eyes, and you will see the retribution of the wicked.
9. Because you [have said,] "The Lord is my shelter," and you have made the Most High your haven,
10. no evil will befall you, no plague will come near your tent.
11. For He will instruct His angels in your behalf, to guard you in all your ways.
12. They will carry you in their hands, lest you injure your foot upon a rock.
13. You will tread upon the lion and the viper; you will trample upon the young lion and the serpent.
14. Because he desires Me, I will deliver him; I will fortify him, for he knows My Name.
15. When he calls on Me, I will answer him; I am with him in distress. I will deliver him and honor him.
16. I will satiate him with long life, and show him My deliverance.
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Latest Comments:
According to one scholar whom I consulted, the four periods here refer not to the seasons of the year but to the four exiles of the Jewish people and the people who oppressed us.
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Please help me to understand where the 4 seasons are eluded to and their respective ministering powers that we are supposed to avoid. Thank you.
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King David himself suffered from rejection, treason, and a host of other problems -- so the question becomes even stronger.
This is a question that probably has many answers from a number of approaches. Here is my thought:
Everything in the world is good. Sometimes we see the good, and at other times, it is hidden. Now, those of us who have the ability rise above the limitations of time and space see how “no evil descends from Above” and how even the things that appear to be unjust setbacks are really pure goodness.
For the rest of us, we have to just wait and see how this is so. Sometimes, a few years down the line we see how something that appeared to be bad was really good, and sometimes, we have to wait until we enter the World of Truth to see how this is so. But it is surely so.
Perhaps, King David was so acutely aware of how all the things that happened were for the best, that he was therefore able to look at situations where others saw evil and recognize the good and G-dly within.
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Thank you for your response. I must not have worded my question correctly, as it has (and always has been, by others) misunderstood. My question is not "why do good things....." Or "why do bad things...". It is how could King David have written such a psalm with concrete, in-this-world promises (If you do this, then that wonderful thing WILL happen to you, in THIS world).
The psalm is recited many times in prayer and at a funeral--It's obviously a pivotal psalm. To my way of reacting, it's very comforting, UNTIL YOU THINK ABOUT IT, and then it is FRUSTRATING and makes me feel condescended to, as this does not seem to fit the experiences in this world.
My question is not to G-d, it is to King David. Please respond.
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You are correct, these things should not happen. The Torah outlines a system: The righteous people should serve G-d, and He, in response, should protect them and make their lives good. So what went wrong? In a nutshell, the problem is that we are in a distorted reality called Galut (exile) where G-d's presence is not apparent as it should be, good things happen to bad people, and the righteous people suffer. I would suggest that you have a look at this wonderful article by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman where this issue is discussed in his inimitable style: Why Do Great Things Happen To Rotten People?
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My most puzzling psalm-It sounds like an absolute concrete promise for those with Emunah (faith) and Bitochen (trust), while we all know of righteous people who were not saved from illness and death.
Please help me understand this psalm.
Thank you
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