Psalm Project

Psalm 73

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“I was stupid, without knowledge.” (73:22)

The first and most important step towards becoming a wise and discerning person is to realize what you don’t know. “A shy person does not learn,” teaches Pirke Avot 2:6. It is only through acknowledging your limitations and asking questions that you gain knowledge. It takes courage to say that you don’t know the answer rather than stupidly bluffing your way down a blind alley. In the end, the long term benefit of gaining knowledge outweighs the short term embarrassment of admitting ignorance.

Psalm 72

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“May he judge Your people rightly.” (72:2)

In order to live in a civilized society, we agree to live by a set of rules and we have a system of justice to enforce those rules. The police enforce the law, the district attorneys prosecute alleged lawbreakers, and the courts provide a fair and level playing field for this drama to take place. However, the individual citizen is a puny, powerless, entity compared to the might of the State. We rely on our leaders at every level of government to create and maintain a culture in which those with power do not abuse their authority. When they lose our trust because they do not behave properly, civil order breaks down.

Psalm 71

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“In utero, I was dependent on You.” (71:6)

The Grand Canyon and the Himalayas may be majestic and breathtaking, but there is no greater miracle than that of the creation of life. Science can describe the way a zygote becomes an embryo and grows into a child, but that doesn’t take away the gratitude for the baby’s birth, as we watch the child, so long dependent on the mother for everything, take the first step towards becoming an independent person.

Psalm 70

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“As for me, I am afflicted and poor.” (70:6)

This verse reminds me of the teaching of Rabbi Simha of Bunem, that a person should carry a slip of paper in his left pocket reading, “You are dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27); and in his right pocket reading, “For my sake, the world was created” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). No matter how materially blessed we may (or may not) be, the left pocket reminds us that whatever we have is an undeserved gift that we should share with those less fortunate than ourselves. Even those who receive support from communal tzedakah funds have the obligation to give tzedakah.

Psalm 69

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“I am sinking into the slimy deep without a foothold.” (69:3)

I want, I need, give me … the unchecked ego makes demands, and we respond by behaving as if we are the center of everyone’s universe. Laziness, greed, envy, anger, pride, these moral deficiencies are all the result of an untamed ego. The bad behavior resulting from ego becomes habitual, it’s like quicksand into which one slowly sinks. The further one goes down the path of ego-driven habitual behavior, the harder it is to extract ourselves from the bad habits. The lesson – embrace humility as a central value and you will find that the demanding voice of the ego will fade to a whisper.