David HaMelech says: “The sound of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous... Open for me the gates of righteousness, I will enter them and thank G-d” (T’hilim 118:15, 19). The word “ohel” [“tent”] signifies a non-permanent dwelling. A “bayis” [house] is a permanent dwelling. Rabbi Frand explains that the reason there is rejoicing and salvation, enjoyment and contentment, in the lives of the righteous is that their existence in this world is like that of a tent – temporary. In this world, we have work to do and mitzvos that must be performed. But our physical surroundings are only temporary dwellings – tents.
There is a famous story about the Chofetz Chaim. A visitor saw that the Chofetz Chaim had no furniture in his house and asked him for the reason. The Chofetz Chaim, in turn, asked the traveler, “Where is your furniture?” The traveler, surprised by the question, replied, “What do you mean, I’m only passing through.” The Chofetz Chaim responded, “Yes. I, too, am also only passing through.”
David HaMelech teaches us that if a person’s perspective of this world is that it is only in the category of a “tent” – a place where he lives temporarily while he is “passing through” – then there will always be sounds of rejoicing and salvation in his dwelling.
Our sages teach us that the more a person accomplishes in the realm of learning Torah, the more he realizes the extent of that which he does not know. The primary joy and the wish of the righteous are for the gates of righteousness to be opened for them. As David HaMelech explains, “Open for me the gates of righteousness – I will enter them and thank G-d” (T’hilim 118:19). The tzadik is aware that he has not yet entered the gates of holiness and is only standing by the entrance to the King. In his submission to Hashem and in his great humility, the tzadik beseeches and shouts: “Open for me the gates of righteousness, I will enter them and thank G-d.” Blessed is the one who merits coming into the gates of holiness!
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Yonasan ben Sigalit
David ben Sarah
Yaakov ben Simchah
Eliyahu ben Margalit
Yitzchak ben Mazal
Yitzchak Chaim ben Sarah
Yosef ben Nosrat
Moshe ben Mazal
Mordechai ben Chanah
Shlomo ben Miriam
Yosef ben Renee
Nesanel ben Miriam
Ariel ben Sarah
Fredel bas Hendil
Rachel Leah bas Esther
Adele bas Sarah
Ava bas Ilana Esther
Sonia bas Rachel
Tovah Yocheved bas Esther Bukas
Ruchama Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Ora bas Naomi
Miriam bas Rivkah
Elka Rachel bas Sarah Malkah
Lielle Devorah bas Esther
Blume bas Esthel Rivkah
Tziporah bas Fruma
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
