In Psalm 74, the psalmist makes a puzzling request: "Do not deliver the life
of Your turtledove to the wild beast. Do not forget the life of
Your poor (v. 19)." To whom is the psalmist referring?
The Da’at Mikra explains that the "turtledove" is a reference to the
children of Israel, while the "wild beast" alludes to their enemies.
The psalmist asks that Hashem not allow the wild beast to destroy the
turtledove, that the wicked not be permitted to eliminate the Jewish
nation. The psalmist elaborates further by asking that G-D not
forget the life of His poor. The poor of Hashem are the children
of Israel, who are afflicted. We need Hashem to attend to our
lives, to the minutiae that constitute our daily struggle. With
Hashem’s attention and sustenance, we can and will survive.
19th of Tishrei, October 18, 2008
When in distress, we are comforted by the fact that G-D has
promised that He will sustain us through the ages and redeem us. In fact, we frequently remind Hashem of the
covenant that He has made with us: "Look upon Your covenant, for the dark places
of the earth are filled with habitations of violence (v. 20)." The very fact of worldwide violence and
widespread corruption necessitates Hashem’s active intervention. When the earth is replete with evil, only
G-D can effectively intervene. Humans
are limited by the sheer scope and prevalence of wickedness. The psalmist therefore appeals to G-D asking
that He review His covenant, remembering that which He has promised to His
nation. In addition, he requests that
Hashem look upon the members of the covenant, seeing us as individuals in need
of His assistance. At this time, we too
address G-D; we seek the fulfillment of His covenant and the realization of our
redemption.
Important Numbers
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