[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] Psalm for Thursday: Psalm 81, vs. 1-2

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל-הַגִּתִּית לְאָסָף. הַרְנִינוּ, לֵאלֹהִים עוּזֵּנוּ; הָרִיעוּ, לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב
For the Leader; upon the Gittith. [A Psalm] of Asaph. Sing aloud unto
God our strength; shout unto the God of Jacob.
[Note: Gittith is an instrument of unknown origin. Asaph, though here
the name of the author or group of authors, comes from the verb for "to
gather"]
Each day we must sing from our hearts. We must make each word, each
breath, each utterance a song to God. Everything that comes out of our
mouths should be for the betterment of the world and not its detriment.

We are commanded in verse 2 to sing to the God of our strength. This
reminds us that we must temper our inner strength and power with joy
and compassion. Singing our strength keeps up in balance. But we must
also shout to the God of Jacob.

When our ancestor was simply Jacob, he was a spoiled, conniving young
man who stole the birthright and blessing from his brother Esau and
then ran for his life. Only when his name was changed to Israel after
wrestling with a Divine being, was he ready to be a leader. Yet, even
once he was Israel, he remained Jacob. Both names and both identities
remained. Perhas we shout to the God of Jacob to awaken the more
duplicitous parts of ourselves, the Jacob within us, for we must
acknowledge that part in order to keep it in check. We must acknowledge
the Jacob within in order to be Israel, the one who struggles with the
Divine (and prevails).

So these simple words seem filled with dichotomies and challenges.
Singing to our strength and power, shouting out and awakening the
trickster, the deceitful one, within us. But life is filled with
dichotomies, contradictions and challenges. We must always seek to find
balance while acknowledging the complexities of who we are. It is
through finding this sense of balance that we are able to be present in
the moment. Present in our lives. Perhaps that is why this is a psalm
of Asaph, the gatherer. We must gather together all the pieces, all the
emotions, all the feelings, all the contradictions in order to be truly
whole and present.

One more thing....all of this takes place while being accompanied by an
instrument called the Gittith. What that instrument was really does not
matters. What matters is that we remember that, even though this is all
challenging, if we relax into the moment and are present we can here
the music that accompanies us. The music that reminds us that, even in
the difficult moments, even when we are struggling, joy, beauty and
harmony can be found.

--
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 4/22/2010 10:53:00 AM
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