[Jewish] Psalm 23 as Roadmap for Teshuvah (Repentance) on Yom Kippu ....or any day and for anyone!

[Steven Nathan]

As Jews around the world observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the 
year, I would like to look at one of the most common texts of comfort in 
our tradition, Psalm 23, as a way to face the world in which we live 
moment to moment, and to help us in our task of Teshuvah (return or 
repentance). Though usually associated with funerals or the Yizkor 
(Memorial) service, Psalm 23 is a piece of biblical poetry that can 
speak to us in many different circumstances.

In his book The Lord is My Shepherd Rabbi Harold Kushner analyzes the 
psalm line by line. I would like instead to break it into passages and 
analyze each of them with an eye towards understanding what the author 
might have meant when writing these words, what the words mean to me, 
and how I believe they can help us in our work of Teshuvah. I begin with 
the familiar opening passage:

The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. God makes me to lie down in 
green pastures, God leads me beside the still waters, and God restores 
my soul. God guides me in straight paths for God's name's sake.

The pastoral image of the shepherd which sets the scene for the psalm 
was surely one of comfort for our ancestors. They were nomadic, pastoral 
people and they knew well that shepherds were dedicated to caring for 
their flock. Each sheep mattered. In fact, we read in a midrash that God 
chose Moses lead the people because he went after a single lamb in his 
flock that had gone astray. When God saw this, God knew that Moses was 
the right man to care for the people. After all, he cared for each 
individual sheep, just as God cared for each individual human being.

We are comforted by knowing that God cares for each of us. Yet, how can 
this manifest itself in our daily life? The next line provides an 
answer: I shall not want. But we all want, don't we? We all desire. We 
all crave. We all yearn. Yet that is not what the psalm is saying. For 
the actual Hebrew can more accurately be translated as "I shall lack 
nothing," or as Kushner simply states it ... "what more could I need?" 
Even if we may not have everything that we may want or need, in a more 
material sense, God's presence in one's life makes one feel blessed. Who 
could ask for anything more?

The pastoral imagery of the psalm continues as the reader is greeted by 
a scene of serenity and tranquility wherein we are led beside still, 
soothing, calming waters and where we can simply lie down on the soft 
grass and enjoy God's world. Of course, water is the source of life in 
so many ways. Water gives us life and sustains us even more than food. 
Yet, we know that water can also be destructive. Therefore, it is 
significant that the waters in the psalm are still waters. We all know 
how calming and serene it can be sitting by a lake and just watching the 
water. This is also what we can feel when we realize that we are in 
God's presence.

It is because of God's presence in my life that our soul is restored. 
Just as the Torah tells us (and we sing on Shabbat in V'shamru) 'shavat 
va'yinafash -- God rested and God's soul was renewed, so too our soul is 
revived and renewed with the realization of God's presence. The soul is 
what makes us different from the animal world. It is what provides us 
with the knowledge of good and evil; it enables us to make more and 
ethical decision. And if God is the source of the soul, then recognizing 
God's presence and allowing ourselves to be at one with God has the 
effect of restoring our soul, our connection to God, all of humanity and 
the universe.

If God has restored our soul, then of course we can only be led on 
straight paths. Right? Well, not exactly. For the Hebrew phrase maaglei 
tzedek does not really mean straight paths. A better translation would 
perhaps be 'round about paths that are straight, or righteous.' In other 
words, don't be tricked by your ego into thinking "God is with me, I can 
make no misstep or do no wrong. I can only walk the straight and narrow" 
For the ego is the adversary of the soul -- and God. The ego wants you 
to think that it's all about you. However, the reality is that our path 
in life is never straight or perfect. We veer off in different 
directions, sometimes even wreaking havoc when we do. Yet, we learn more 
about oneself and one's relationship to God through these circuitous 
routes. After all, the Israelites wandered in circles in the desert for 
40 years not because they didn't have a map, but because they needed the 
time to learn, grow, mature and experience life before they could enter 
the Promised Land. So too, we each need to take our circuitous routes in 
order to grow and learn so that we can each enter our Promised Land ... 
the place where we feel at home and in relationship with God. Of course, 
even once in the Promised Land, the people still rebelled, complained, 
and worshiped other gods. Yet, God was always with them. It is not so 
much that God intentionally leads us on these roundabout routes. Rather, 
they are simply a natural part of life's course, and God shepherds us 
along them, trying to help us find within ourselves the ability to 
return to the path of righteousness. We may only be on that path for a 
moment, and then veer off again, but God is always there guiding us and 
helping us to return.

Why does God do this? We are told l'maan shmo, for the sake of God's 
name!" Does this mean the author believed that God does it because God 
wants to take credit! Is this all about showing others how powerful God 
is in the same way that the Ten Plagues were partly meant to show the 
Egyptians that God was in charge? No. Says Kushner. For that would be 
about God's pride, ego or hubris. Rather, the goal is to help human 
beings realize that ultimately the strength within us comes from God and 
not from somewhere else. As much as we may have theological issues with 
the Torah text, we are told that the ten plagues were meant to show not 
only the Egyptians, but the Israelites as well, that God is the ultimate 
power in the universe. It was important that the people knew that it was 
God, not Pharaoh, or even Moses, who freed the slaves. Kushner compares 
the struggle to free the African American slaves in the 19th century. 
Some opposed slavery because they believed it did not make economic 
sense to have slaves with the advent of new machinery and an improved 
economy. Yet, ultimately, the voices that were heard above all others 
called on the abolition of slavery using Biblical verses to prove that 
slavery of human beings was an affront to God. We can therefore view the 
emancipation of slaves, not as a human endeavor, but as the 
manifestation of the Divine will.

Yet, realizing that the strength enabling us to withstand adversity and 
change the world comes from God and not from us reminds us that we are 
powerless without God. However, as I have said before, powerlessness is 
not a negative attribute, it is simply a reality. We only have power to 
good if we connect with the ultimate Divine power source that is within 
each of us. If we do not tap into that source, then we ultimately lose 
our way and our ego takes us on a trip that is filled with chaos. This 
is the essence of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, and all of the 
other 12-step recovery programs. We also read of this all over our 
scriptures and commentaries. God is the power that makes salvation, 
freedom, joy and happiness possible. God is our rock, our strength and 
shelter. Without God, we are nothing.

Just as we are getting accustomed this beautiful, serene scene, although 
it's not without its bumps, twists and turns, the psalm seems to take a 
180-degree turn: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
death; I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and they staff 
they comfort me." Where did this dark valley and evil come from?

Do we really need to ask this question? We all know that in any moment 
we can suddenly find ourselves in a valley of deepest darkness, which is 
probably a more accurate translation of the phrase gai tzalmavet. Yet, 
the translators of the King James Bible hit on a powerful image with the 
phrase "shadow of death." For often what causes us to feel darkness and 
despair is the presence of death in our lives. Whether it is because a 
loved one has recently died, or because there has been a tragedy such as 
a horrific accident, a terrorist attack or a hurricane, we know that 
death is always there. However, the shadow of death hovering above us 
can also be the death of our sense of hope, the death of a cherished 
idea or dream that we thought might come to fruition, or the death of a 
relationship with another. The death can even be the death of the image 
of ourselves that we may have clung to for dear life, but which we now 
realize was an illusion, a trick of the ego once again. Therefore, we 
must let go and see what is real instead.

We all have known, and will continue to know, different types of loss 
and death. The shadow of darkness is real. Yet, when we are in the 
valley of the shadow of death, we must also remember that a shadow must 
be caused by the presence of light somewhere beyond. The realization of 
that light, which is the presence of God, gives us the ability to walk 
through the valley and emerge at the other end. If we do not recognize 
God's presence beyond the shadows, then we risk remaining in the valley 
of darkness, never again returning to life. We are able to emerge from 
the valley because we fear no evil, for God is with us. The psalmist 
does not say that there is no evil, for we know that evil exists. There 
are forces and people in the world who are bent on doing harm. There are 
forces within us, what our tradition calls the yetzer ha'ra, the 
inclination towards evil, that, spurred on by the ego, desire to 
sabotage our lives, doing evil to us and to those around us. Yet, we can 
ultimately face the evil forces within and around us for one simple 
reason -- God is with us. It is God's accompanying presence that allows 
us to face the demons, walk through the valley of shadows and ultimately 
emerge into the light. There may be moments during the journey when we 
become afraid, dejected or depressed. However, ultimately God ultimately 
enables us to transform that fear into fearlessness, strength and 
determination.

The staff is what the shepherd uses to guide his sheep and to help them 
get out of difficult places. The rod is what he uses to discipline the 
sheep when they are being stubborn or disobedient. The guidance and 
comfort of the staff is an image to which we can more readily relate. 
Yet, discipline is needed in life. The rod is a metaphor for the need to 
set boundaries and use discipline in our lives, lest we go off on 
circuitous paths that spiral downward into the valley never to come out 
again. God is not only the source of comfort and support, but just like 
a parent, God is the source of the boundaries, direction and discipline 
that we need in order to walk the path of life.

With love, compassion and mercy, as well as boundaries, limits and 
discipline, we can walk out of the valley of the shadow of death and 
back into life. When we emerge, we feel the light of God that was always 
there beyond the shadows and we can celebrate in that moment ...

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint 
my head with oil. My cup runneth over."

Therefore, as we emerge from the valley a table is set for us. God has 
prepared a celebratory banquet! But who are the guests at the table? Our 
enemies, so says the psalmist. This is a strange way to celebrate! At 
this point, I need to say that Max told me that this is the key verse 
for him in the psalm. If you want to know why, you'll need to ask him. 
And I suggest that you do.

Kushner gives many possible interpretations of this verse. He cites 
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, who imagines sitting at a banquet table 
with all those whom he feels had done him wrong through the years. 
However, rather than rebuking them, he thanks them each for what they 
have taught him about himself. In coming to terms with what caused him 
to resent or feel anger towards each person he has been able to come to 
terms with an aspect of himself that he can now try to change. What a 
beautiful image of teshuvah, even if it might seem a difficult one to 
actualize.

However, Kushner sees this image more as a metaphor for acknowledging 
that some people who we thought would help us on our journey have 
actually let us down. He derives this interpretation by translating the 
phrase as "You prepare a table for me, facing my enemies." In Kushner's 
vision, we are seated around the banquet table looking squarely in the 
faces of those people to whom we turned for comfort, but who were not 
there for us. Perhaps they could not be there, perhaps they did not know 
what to do, perhaps they underestimated our pain, or perhaps they were 
just not capable of helping. Realizing this, we can view them no longer 
as enemies, but have compassion for them as the imperfect, fallible 
human beings they, and we, all are. For even though our disappointment 
in them is real, we know that God was and is always there. That is what 
matters.

I think we can also view the enemies with whom we sit at this table as 
the enemies within each of us: self-doubt, insecurity, self-loathing, 
jealousy, hatred, and all the various tools the ego uses to separate us 
from God and other human beings and focus only on the imagined 'self.' 
By sitting down and looking straight at them, we realize that they have 
no power, for God is with us. God is not the source of these feelings. 
The ego is. God is the source of love, strength, compassion, mercy and 
unity. And God can ultimately defeat the ego every time.

Realizing this, our enemies dissolve before our eyes and we are left -- 
not alone -- but sitting at the table with God, realizing that we have 
been anointed. In ancient times, when a king or queen ascended the 
throne he or she was anointed with oil on the forehead. The word 
mashiach, or messiah, means "the anointed one." Sitting at the table 
with God, realizing that each of us is anointed, we acknowledge our 
unique, special nature. Each of us is chosen by God to sit at God's 
table. Each of us has the ability to be a messiah. In other words, we 
each have the ability to play a role in bringing peace, harmony, 
tranquility and unity to our world. We can each make a difference in the 
world. If not, our existence would be superfluous. Because of this "our 
cups runneth over." We are filled with so much joy and love that we are 
bursting at the seams. We cannot believe how blessed we are. Not because 
we are better than anyone is, but because we have come to realize that 
each individual is a child a God, a part of God. We each have the 
potential to experience this feeling. Our joy is so great that it 
overflows and reaches out towards all of creation. For this, we are 
exceedingly grateful for all that God has given us. Kushner reminds the 
reader that gratitude and thanks are part of reciprocal relationship. 
For in order to be grateful for receiving someone, in this case God, 
must also be giving. In our relationships with other human beings, we 
must also emulate this reciprocal relationship. We must view life as a 
gift, even in the difficult moment. Yet, it is so easy to live life with 
a sense of entitlement. Often our society encourages us to do so. We 
think we deserve to get all the good things in life, and so we feel no 
gratitude for what we have. This is another trick of the ego, which is 
again trying to put "me" at the center, instead of God. If we feel 
entitled, we ignore the blessings of life and complain bitterly whenever 
things don't happen as we think they should. Alternatively, the ego 
tricks us into believing that we are self-sufficient, so that everything 
we have comes from us and nothing else matters. If we live life this way 
we cannot receive the gift of life, nor can we pass on that gift to 
others in our lives. We instead live our lives jealous, frustrated, 
bitter and ultimately cut off from others and from God.

Instead, in each moment, we must do our best to be grateful for the gift 
of life. As psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote, "Gratitude [in a mature 
human being] is the ability to appreciate again and again, freshly and 
naively the basic good of life with awe, pleasure and wonder and even 
ecstasy." It is recognizing that our cup does run over, and 
acknowledging God for being the source of life' abundance, even when 
things are not as "perfect" as we think they "should" be.

The psalm ends with the verses, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow 
me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord 
forever." Coming to the realization that God is my light, my source of 
strength, and the one of all being that connects everything in the 
universe, I know that I can continue on my path. While on the path, I 
must remember that it is not a path on which I run to chase after 
happiness, riches, wealth or any of the other "goodies" in the world. 
For goodness, or the yetzer ha'tov, is always following, or more 
accurately translated, pursuing us. No matter where we go, we only need 
to look over our shoulders and all the good things are right there 
waiting for us, as a gift from God. However, if we are always chasing 
after things, it's impossible to notice, and so many people spend their 
entire lives missing the opportunity, missing the point, missing life. 
For to chase after the "good things" is again the work of the ego and 
the yetzer ha'ra, the evil inclination. However, it is not only 
goodness, that is pursuing us, but it is hesed, as well. Translated as 
mercy, the word hesed really means unending loving kindness, or as 
Kushner translates it, "unearned love." We don't have to do anything to 
receive hesed. We just need to pay attention and realize it's there and 
it will come right to us. That is one of God's greatest gifts, and what 
ultimately has the potential to provide each of us with strength. With 
goodness and hesed pursuing us wherever we go we have the ability to 
truly rejoice in each moment. When we do this, then we also realize that 
we "live in the house of the Lord." What a gift! We are living in God's 
house! Of course, this can be comforting or it can make one paranoid. 
After all, if you're living in God's house then God can see everything 
you do! However, it is the tension between comfort and a little bit of 
fear and trepidation that provides the balance we need in order to live 
in God's house. Not fear of punishment or "being caught," but fear of 
what it means to believe that there is a power greater that is always 
with us. However, it is this belief that can also provide comfort, for 
you don't have to worry about confessing your sins to God, because God 
already knows them. That is because God is always with us and within us, 
for God is a part of us. That is what dwelling in God's house means to 
me. It does not mean that God literally watches us each moment, but 
rather, that the God within is aware of everything we do; so when we do 
something to help others and our world, we can feel the pride within 
that comes not from the ego, but from God. When I do something that is 
harmful to others or myself if I am truly aware in that moment, I can 
feel the pain and disappointment within. However, it is not a judgmental 
feeling, for judgment is another trick of the ego. Rather, it is the 
godly part of us having compassion and love -- rachamim and hesed -- for 
us and helping us to see what we could have done differently. 
Ultimately, this is constructive and comforting and not berating or 
self-loathing. For dwelling in the house of the Lord means dwelling in a 
place of love, mercy, compassion and support. It is not about "big 
brother" watching over us every minute. Rather, it is about our eternal 
parent being with us for support at every moment, even as we exercise 
the free will that God has given us, which is perhaps the greatest 
Divine gift that we receive.

Thus ends the psalm, reminding us that the goal in life is to dwell in 
God's house forever. The psalmist states the same goal in Psalm 27, the 
Psalm for the Season of Repentance: One thing do I ask from God; that I 
may dwell in the House of the Eternal all the days of my life." That's 
it. In addition, Psalm 23 provides a path for us to reach this goal. It 
is a path of gratitude, of being present, of acknowledging God's 
presence and God's power in our life, and ultimately, acknowledging 
human powerlessness. As I've stated numerous times before, powerlessness 
is where we seem to be stuck. The American ethos teaches that each of us 
is a unique and powerful individual who can accomplish anything if we 
just put our minds to it, put our noses to the grindstone, and so on. 
The psalmist is not disagreeing with this. It is just saying that this 
power does not cone from us, but from God working through us. And this 
message the psalmist is giving us applies to Teshuvah as well as to the 
entire way we live our lives. For Teshuvah involves returning to God and 
acknowledging God's presence and power, and then turning back to our 
friends, our family, our community and ourselves in order to seek 
forgiveness, knowing that God is with us during each step of this 
difficult process. That is what makes it all possible.

In addition, if we choose to act in ways that prevents us from "dwelling 
in God's house" then become disconnected from God and the world. By 
doing teshuvah, we can turn around and walk through the door of God's 
house and be welcomed with open arms. To do so is to reach the place of 
atonement, which comes from the Latin meaning to be at one, or in unity. 
To achieve atonement, or "at-one-ment," means to be at one with God, and 
that means at one with self, humanity and the universe. Being at one is 
the ultimate goal of the journey described in the psalm, as well as the 
ultimate goal of the journey we travel on Yom Kippur. May we each do our 
best as we travel on the path, step-by-step, moment by moment, 
individually and as a community so that we may all appreciate the gift 
of our life and our world, and dwell together in God's house for many 
years to come.

L'shanah tovah - a good year and
G'mar hatimah tovah - may you be inscribed for goodness,

SPN
-- 

Steven P. Nathan

Campus Rabbi

Hampshire 
College                                                           

Office of Spiritual Life -- Box SA

Amherst, MA 01002

 

Phone: (413) 559-5282

Fax: (413) 559-5663

snathan at hampshire.edu

 

/"The more deeply immersed I became in the thinking of the prophets, the 
more powerfully it became clear to me what the lives of the prophets 
sought to convey: that morally speaking there is no limit to the concern 
one must feel for the suffering of human beings. /

/ /

/"It also became clear to me that in regard to cruelties committed in 
the name of a free society, some are guilty, all are responsible."/

/ /

-Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

 

 

 

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