Weekly Tefilah Focus

Deepening the Connection 1

We now begin a series dedicated to strengthening and deepening our connection with Hashem through...

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M’kimi mei’afar dal, mei’ashpos yarim evyon.

He (looks even to the lowest and) raises up the extremely poor from the dust, (and) He lifts up the destitute from the garbage dumps.

There are numerous opinions in the Gemara, in Maseches P’sachim, as to who authored these chapters of T’hilim (113-118), which comprise what we refer to as “Hallel.” It has been suggested that there is really no dispute in the Gemara. The basic framework was established by the early Prophets and later enhanced by successive generations. Eventually, David HaMelech organized these chapters into the final form we have today in T’hilim (T’shuvah MeiAhavah, Vol. II, responsum 264).

Ashrei yoshvei veisecha, od y’hallelucha, selah.

Fortunate/praiseworthy are those who can sit in Hashem’s house by directing their minds to Hashem/Torah/chesed/mitzvos wherever they are (except bathrooms and the like). Those who consistently thank Hashem for the goodness in their lives will be fortunate to feel that they are continuously dwelling in the House of Hashem.

Someich Hashem l’chol ha’noflim, v’zokeif l’chol ha’k’fufim.

Hashem supports those who are falling – this means that Hashem supports those who are in a downward spiral, falling time and again. Hashem supports everyone, regardless of how far or how often he or she is falling.