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Learning From Psalms by Rabbi Yaakov BielerWhile Jewish liturgy very much emphasizes God’s various attributes, in the spirit of “imitateo Dei” (learning from God’s macro example to embody, as best we can, Godly behavior on our micro level), every so often biblical verses are quoted or Rabbinic interpolations cited that squarely place responsibility upon the pray-er to aspire to “raising his/her game” with respect to his ethics and values.
One such verse from the book of Psalms is recited every Sunday morning as the Psalm of the day, and on Monday and Thursday mornings, as well as Shabbat afternoons, when the beginning of the coming week’s Torah reading is presented publicly. The Sefer Torah is the most holy artifact in the Jewish tradition, and there is great pomp and circumstance when it is first removed from the Ark, and then again when it is brought back and secured within it. Psalm 24 is recited while the Tora is being returned, and verse 4 of that Psalm presents four qualities that the Psalmist feels that a developed spiritual personality should try as much as possible to consistently represent. In response to the previous verse’s rhetorical question, “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place?” four criteria are listed:
Psalms 24:4
1) He that hath clean hands,
and 2) a pure heart;
3) who hath not taken My Name in vain,
and 4) hath not sworn deceitfully.
Prior to taking the measure of the “gestalt” of these four elements, it is befitting to consider them individually:
(An individual who does not believe in God's existence, or at least has his doubts regarding whether there is a God, should still be able to take this standard to heart, in terms of what it might mean with regard to how s/he treats others. And as for someone who does believe in God, the manner in which he fulfills Commandments between man and God should positively impact the manner in which he relates to Commandments between man and man.)
There remains the question of why these particular four values/behaviors constitute for the Psalmist the quintessential description of someone who has become a truly spiritual personality. While there may be many different interpretations, what occurs to me is that they are all evidence of a kind of “mindfulness” which is very necessary in order to achieve a modicum of holiness. It is expected that 1) + 2) one pay attention to the state of his inner and outer reality, 3) that he evidences deep respect for everyone with whom he interacts, and 4) he pays great attention to what he says and how he says such things. Combining these four emphases seems to serve as a prescription for a more meaningful, spiritual existence for all.
Rabbi Jack Bieler was ordained at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University in 1974. He has been an administrator and faculty member of Orthodox Jewish day schools for over thirty years. He is a Jerusalem Fellow and has published and lectured widely on the philosophy of Modern Orthodox Jewish education. He has served as Rabbi of KMS since 1993.
Rabbi Bieler has been a Panelist for Jewish Values Online for several years, responding to questions. You can find his answers by visiting Jewish Values Online, selecting the ‘View all panelists’ link, and clicking his name. A link will appear with his bio to show all answers he has submitted.
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