27th of Cheshvan, November 25, 2008
When confronted with his own depression and sense of disconnection from G-D, the psalmist offers us his solution. "Then I pondered the days of antiquity, years of ancient times. I recalled the song of my lyre in a night such as this; I conversed with my heart and my mind began to brood (Psalm 77:6-7)." The psalmist revisits the days past, the years when he did feel supported and sustained by G-D. He recalls the song of his lyre, which he played in times of joy in days gone by. Music is a stimulus for memory and may act as a mood elevator. In recalling his previously happy moments and remembering the music played, he is able to transcend his current hopelessness and paralysis.
Copyright, 2008 Rachel Lerner