There’s a young man I know who had it rough as a teenager. At 14 he was kicked out of yeshiva and took on behaviors that damaged both body and soul. He was in a really bad place. His parents guided him to a unique yeshiva for boys with similar struggles. His rebbeim took a real interest in him and cared for him. By the time he graduated high school, he was reconnected to Torah and mitzvos. He then went to a yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael for similar boys to help him continue his positive development. The next year he went into a higher-level yeshiva. Last year, on zos Chanukah (the eighth day), he entered a very challenging Torah contest in his yeshiva. Usually, the contest winner is a long-time student. There were over 150 young men competing, and he won! When he answered the last question successfully, all the boys started cheering and broke into song. They lifted him on their shoulders and danced around the yeshiva. On zos Chanukah, out of all the boys in the yeshiva, he won the contest. That was a Chanukah miracle!
At the end of Shacharis every day of Chanukah, an extra chapter of Tehillim is added (Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis l’David), since it discusses the dedication of the Beis Hamikdash, which was re-dedicated on Chanukah. It’s interesting that the opening line mentions the dedication and inauguration of the Beis Hamikdash, but the rest seemingly has nothing to do with the inauguration. Rather, it focuses on Dovid’s different troubles when Hashem saved him: “Hashem has lifted me from the depths…I was sick and You healed me…Hashem, You lifted me from the dungeon…I went to sleep crying and awoke with joy…Hashem You transformed my lament into dancing.”
Besides Chanukah, we say this chapter every morning as the introduction to Pesukei d’Zimra. What is unique about this chapter of Tehillim to introduce our morning prayers?
Rav Shimshon Pincus explains that a person’s life is filled with ups and downs. David Hamelech had many troubles and challenges: He was shunned by his older brothers; his father-in-law and son wanted him killed and his sons attempted to usurp the kingdom from him. He had inner struggles as well, like the episode with Bas Sheva, when he sent her husband to the front lines of battle. With all of these issues burdening him, many people wonder how David was able to persevere in a positive way? What gave him the strength??
This chapter of Tehillim is the secret of David and the Jewish nation. David looked at each day as a new start. Each day was a new inauguration of the Beis Hamikdash, another opportunity. The young man I spoke about at the beginning started from a point of physical and moral failure, but through his daily efforts was able to elevate himself to be a learning star of his yeshiva. Like David, he thought, “Today is a chance to dedicate myself and my actions to Hashem.” We start each day with the Mizmor l’David tefillah, giving us the message that although we might have messed up yesterday in a major way, today we can dedicate ourselves anew to Hashem.
Shlomo Hamelech says that a tzaddik (righteous person) falls seven times and gets up. The simple lesson of this teaching is that both the tzaddik and the rasha (evil person) have failures! However, the rasha stays down in his state of failure, while the tzaddik picks himself up and moves on in a positive way. Still, Rav Hutner provides a more specific lesson: The tzaddik rises directly as a result of his fall. The fall was the cause for his rising! Consistently getting back up after a failure is what helped him develop into a better person.
Therefore, David wrote this chapter of Tehillim on the dedication of the Beis Hamikdash, with an eye toward an individual’s ups and downs. He knew that he and klal Yisrael would not remain in the perfect state they achieved at the time of the dedication. As we recite Mizmor Shir before Shacharis every day, plus before and after Shacharis on Chanukah, let us use this recitation as a new opportunity to dedicate ourselves to Hashem, even stronger than before.
Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch, where he leads a multi-level Gemara-learning program. PTI has attracted adult Jews of all ages from all over northern New Jersey for its learning programs. Fees are not charged but any contributions are always welcome. Beyond PTI, Rabbi Bodenheim conducts a weekly beis midrash program with chavrusa learning in Livingston plus a monthly group in West Caldwell. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com.
