On Monday morning, August 28, Rebbetzin Shira Smiles shared the last of a series of shiurim on P’sukei D’Zimrah. She focused on the last perek and shared many valuable lessons and insights.
First, she reviewed the meaning of the first few p’sukim. I praise Him in the higher realms. I praise Him for His strength, for His kindness. I praise Him with shofar and instruments. I praise Him with my whole soul. I praise Him with my whole soul. Why do we repeat the word “Hallelukah” with each verse, and why do we repeat the last line twice?
She shared that the most beautiful musical instrument is your own soul. We sing the most beautiful song. “Our whole life is about singing our unique song to Hashem!” She added that “You need your own song to find your path to serve Hashem.”
She quoted Rav Shimon Schwab, who taught that the Hallelukahs give us the ability to place Hashem in His ultimate sanctuary. Each of us builds a sanctuary to Hashem. We have aspirations to lead our lives so we will be able to say that our souls are that sanctuary for Hashem – that place from where we will praise Him.
We need every part of us to be a conduit to Hashem. Elul is about dedicating our entire life to Hashem. Our goal is to live life mindfully in Hashem’s presence at all times. In this perek, when we say “praise Him for His mighty acts and for His abundant greatness,” this refers to his midah of judgment (mighty acts) and his midah of kindness (greatness).
Each of the instruments detailed in this perek evokes certain emotions of the neshamah. The neshamah has various emotions. The idea is to serve Hashem with a composite of all that I am. All of my emotions have the ability to connect to Hashem. So, the totality of the soul praises Hashem.
The five-stringed instruments, which are enumerated, refer to different stages of the word. The repetition of the last verse, according to the Tur, is the completion of Sefer T’hilim. It’s like the final knot on a seam that tightens it. We conclude this section of the prayers.
The ten p’sukim in this perek correspond to ten s’firos and the Ten Commandments and the ten people who wrote Sefer T’hilim.
Hashem is above the natural order, and we praise Hashem above the natural order. Hashem renews creation every day. Everything is a neis. There is no difference between miracles and nature, as everything is the will of Hashem. It is an illusion to think there is something called nature. Nothing accidental happens in this world. She pointed out that “You would be amazed at how much hashgachah pratis there is if you open your eyes!”
She taught that Hashem puts everyone exactly where he or she needs to be. “I praise Hashem whether his hashgachah is openly manifested to me or not.” Praise His mighty acts, his g’vurah (judgment) and His gadlus (kindness). I praise Hashem for the challenges and the kindnesses. This is the climax of T’hilim. “Both of these ways that Hashem interacts with me are for my good.” What appears to us as the midah of mercy and what appears as the midah of judgment are both good. Even if I feel Hashem is far from me, this is coming from a place of love.
When challenges happen, they are there to push us further so we can become greater. Hashem knows that we can go further. Those wake-up calls are a form of chesed, not a form of punishment.
She then shared a story told by the Chazon Ish that taught the important lesson of not giving up. We are just messengers of Hashem. He never gives up on us, so we can never give up on ourselves. Hashem believes in us, and He is pushing us further because He knows we can do it.
She reiterated that we have to understand that there is no bad coming from Above. It’s all part of a picture to make us the best we can be. It’s about how we perceive things in life. Appreciation helps with this. We have to ask ourselves, “Spiritually, where am I headed?”
She spoke about the various instruments mentioned in this perek. One expresses simchah and one is sad, and another is a yearning type. The instruments in this perek are there to awaken us to love, to awe, and to humility. The point of the instruments is to awaken my soul. Am I present in my service of Hashem? “You have to serve Hashem with your musical instruments that are in you.” When we recite this, we think that all of me will praise Hashem in all situations, even if I don’t understand those situations.
The P’sukei D’Zimrah are a map to love Hashem in all aspects.
The repetition of the last line is saying that all of klal Yisrael as a unit are able to praise Hashem.
Through Midreshet Adina, Shira Smiles offers these enlightening series of classes. The community is grateful to Midreshet Adina for these inspiring classes!
By Susie Garber
