Tefillah 020

31:
The next three psalms in P^esuké d^eZimra are Psalm 33, Psalm 92 and Psalm 93. You may recall that Psalm 34 was the second in this series of psalms that are added to the service of Sabbaths and Festivals. Interestingly enough, in the Sefaradi form of service Psalm 33 – rather logically – precedes psalm 34 at the beginning of the series, after psalm 19. [See Tefillah 017.]

32:
Psalm 33 [Sim Shalom page 93; Va'ani Tefillati page 45] is a psalm in which the poet seems to wander from subject to subject until he finally reaches his main theme. Firstly he invokes God with music and song; then he celebrates the Deity as the source of justice; next he lauds God as the Master of Creation and the Lord of Nature; now God is described as the Lord of history, whose plans alone are the ultimate blueprint of man's historical development; and now God is lauded as being possessed of complete omniscience:

It is only now that the psalmist warms to his main theme: God is the ultimate source of national salvation. Kings are not saved by the size of their armies or their strength and power. It is vain to rely on horses [sophisticated weaponry] because the nation will not be saved by the hugeness of its armed forces. It is God who looks after those who seek His favour:

33:
The next psalm is Psalm 92 [Sim Shalom page 94; Va'ani Tefillati page 46]. This psalm has a heading: "A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath Day." According to the Mishnah [Ta'anit 7:4] Psalm 92 was sung in the Bet Mikdash by the Levitical choir during the service on Sabbaths. However, the later sages often interpreted the term 'Sabbath' to include all days of statutory rest and religious celebration. That is probably why Psalm 92 is included in P^esuké d^eZimra on festivals even when they do not fall on Shabbat. Like the previous psalm, Psalm 92 begins with an invocation to song and music:

However, very soon the psalmist changes to a very different theme. He ponders how it can be that 'brutish men' and 'fools' cannot appreciate the gifts of the divine. Such people, he says, are a source of wrongdoers; such people bring sin into the world. (What an incredibly simple thesis!) But, sings the poet, God will crush all my wicked enemies and then

It is not easy to see a connection between the introductory verses of this psalm and its continuation and conclusion. It is even more difficult to understand why this psalm bears the superscription "A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath Day." What can be the logical connection between Shabbat and the routing of evil and the ultimate triumph of the righteous? Perhaps this is why the sages sought to transfer the application of the term 'Shabbat' in this context to the future age. After stating that the special psalm for Saturday is "A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath Day", the mishnah to which we referred earlier [Tamid 7:4] adds a rider:

– the day when the righteous will see their ultimate vindication.

34:
Psalm 92 is followed by Psalm 93 [Sim Shalom page 95; Va'ani Tefillati page 47]. In that same mishnah that we have just quoted [Tamid 7:4] Psalm 93 is identified as the special psalm for Fridays. In order to understand why it has been tacked on to Psalm 92 in many places in there service where they are read on Sabbaths and festivals we must consider the ancient ritual of Eretz-Israel.

The ritual of Eretz-Israel became defunct long before the Kabbalists of Safed introduced Kabbalat Shabbat into the ritual of Erev Shabbat [see Shabbat 015 for a very brief resumé.] But even in the ritual of Eretz-Israel we find the evening service on Shabbat and festivals preceeded by a special psalm (or psalms). This special psalm was always introduced by the singing of Psalm 93. However, because Shabbat was so special the psalm for Shabbat (Psalm 92, of course) was sung before Psalm 93. Thus the habit grew that Psalm 92 was followed by Psalm 93 – and so it remains in our rituals to this day.

To be continued.