Psalms for Difficult Times

Rabbis suggest Tehillim.20. If you do not choose to say it or other Tehillim then you do not. Saying Tehillim.is a positive Jewish thing to do. Reply

Thank you.

Blessing to you and your family to serve G-d as He wants and needs you all to do, while enjoying and encouraging each other. Reply

Why are you thinking to direct everyone to your understanding of G-d's words in the Torah? We never left His Torah to need to 'accept' it 'once again'. Our increasing depth of knowledge, has been creating a dynamic in our relationship with Hashem that is beautiful, which does not need to go in reverse. You may want a different relationship with G-d. Each person has their own unique individual connection with G-d.
'New Traditional Rabbinical Judaism'? The Aibishter designated rabbis and Rebbes to lead us. What do you see them replaced with as a preferable alternative?
Evil will be redeemed or eliminated when it is time for it to happen. That is only the beginning of what is needed to perfect this world to amenable the coming of Moshiach to happen. May it be speedily in our time. All people must accept ànd proclaim that G-d is One. No multiplicity, no false gods, no aberrant worship of deities. And people will be focused on others not themselves. All accomplishable. Reply

It is not think we, the covenant people who are again under attack by the nations today. God’s man Job gave His reason for what’s happening today.

Job 32:7-9, “I thought, “Let age speak;
Let advanced years declare wise things.”
But truly it is the spirit in men,
The breath of Shaddai, that gives them understanding.
It is not the aged who are wise,
The elders, who understand how to judge.”

Each person was given free will and understanding oh His Torah. Reply

Why are you thinking of directing everyone to your understanding of men's words not mentioned in God's written Torah?

Devarim 17:19-20, "Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere his God יהוה, to observe faithfully every word of this teaching as well as these laws.
Thus, he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel."

Did God not make it clear? Reply

You assert we never left His Torah or are required to accept it once again.

The Talmud, Eruvin 21b:8 says, " My son, be careful to fulfill the words of the Sages [soferim] even more than the words of the Torah. For the words of the Torah include positive and negative commandments, and even with regard to the negative commandments, the violation of many of them is punishable only by lashes. Whereas with respect to the words of the Sages, anyone who transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to receive the death penalty

If we never left the Torah when the rabbis say to follow the words of men and ignore God's commandments and laws. Good luck with that. Reply

The "reason" things are happening is due to the imminent arrival of Moshiach. The remaining darkness must be either redeemed (preferably) or eliminated.
Gentiles are getting closer to adopting the Torah and leaving any other book behind.
Gentiles are looking at Israel with understanding and appreciation.
We Jews are uniting instead of further dividing.
More mitzvahs are being done. Some are being performed by those who soe observant Jews are started to see or hear about. Within the Chabad community it is not as surprising. Joyful of course.
Tehillim chapters are being recited openly and abundantly.
All efforts that give us support from the Aibishter to our an end to evil. And it all improves this world for G-d.
You are presuming that reading the words gives one understanding? How are people to learn the layers of meaning hidden by G-d within the text without a guide? It is not beneficial to self interpret. Free will comes with responsibility. If one does not "know" ask. Reply

When have Covenant people not been under attack? The attacks they've suffered always prove they are Covenant people. They suffer, rise, and grow stronger. It's written. Reply

Seriously, more quoting? Wow. Self righteousness abounds in disturbing directions. There is depth of meaning within the simple words. Thinking that we have the answers, that we can tell others how to and what to is not the Torah way. Encouraging others, everyone, not only Jews, to live as the Holy One blessed be He tells all of us to do is appropriate, while we ourselves monitor our own thoughts, deeds and actions more strictly.

There is a teaching which perhaps you are familiar to judge others with compassion, though ourselves critically. Maybe that is something to be aware of. Reply

Thanks for the reply. Who are you presuming to learn layers of meaning hidden by the Creator without the guidance of aged men who haven't the vaguest idea of G-d's meanings?

Each person is responsible for their paths during each short lifetime, and following the teachings of men has led them astray from their Creator, who allows wars, holocausts, pogroms, and antisemtism. The Rebbe Schneerson knows the truth now. Reply

Thank You have your own ideas. Mine are different. 'Old men' sounds disparaging and unappreciative of being able to hear wisdom from elders. Not all elders are wise and not all youth are without wisdom. No hard and fast rules. Hashem provides knowledge and wisdom as He sees fit. The Rebbe always knew the truth. You do not need to superimpose your will on anyone else, especially presuming it's God's will. That which we do not understand has value. That which we do not believe and accept has value. If for nothing else it is part of our journey to the truth. Only one truth. G-d. God's Torah.
G-d created evil so that it can redeemed with light. The redemption of evil and hopefully limited situations when it refuses to be redeemed and is eliminated is all part of G-d's plan for improving - perfecting this world for Him, His Divine Essence forever. In order for evil to be redeemed it must be identified.
Is it possible to have "free will" and not have things like wars, etc? Reply

Your reply is compelling. You assert that Hashem provides knowledge and wisdom as He sees fit, and that the Rebbe always knew the truth. But must we accept that claim without scrutiny? Is it not possible that presuming to know God's will—especially through the lens of another human being—risks superimposing one’s own will under the guise of divine authority?
Let us examine the evidence you offer.
Psalms 51 pleads:
“Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin, for I recognize my transgressions and am ever conscious of my sin. Against You alone have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are just in Your sentence and right in Your judgment. Indeed, I was born with iniquity; with sin, my mother conceived me. Indeed, you desire truth about that which is hidden; teach me wisdom about secret things.”
Later, it continues:
“Do not cast me out of Your presence or take Your holy spirit away from me. Let me again rejoice in Your help; let a vigorous spirit sustain me. Reply

No. Won't ook at that Tehillim to confirm your assertion.
Of course people have to use their brains to decide. People who knew or listen(ed) to the Rebbe find his teachings useful. Did everyone follow his advice? No. That's known as personal discernment. There are a multitude of stories from people who didn't then later, years, even decades later, came to follow the advice.
No 'holy spirit'. That's a mistranslation . Not acceptable. Reply

'Covenant people'? You mean Jews, since we are the only ones G-d made a covenant with?
Attacks mean that there is hatred, anger, jealousy, etc in the world that must be redeemed by light. We do suffer, rise and get stronger and one day it will stop. Us being attacked does not orive we have a covenant. It proves that others do not accept the reality of it. Us being Jews means that we have a covenant with Hashem. Not the actions of other people. If that were the case we would need to be attacked well into the world to come. That is not happening. Reply

The covenant people were promised by God that on entering Canaan, a land of peace, milk, and honey, not undergo attacks to this day.

The answer may be in Devarim 31:16-18, "יהוה said to Moses: You are soon to lie with your ancestors. This people will thereupon go astray after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them. Then My anger will flare up against them, and I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them. They shall be ready prey; and many evils and troubles shall befall them. And they shall say on that day, “Surely it is because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us.”

Yes, to this day. Reply

Truth. The covenant began with our being chosen to receive and share G-d and His Torah with the world. Unfortunately the concept of being "chosen" upsets people who do not understand it. Hence the anger, animosity, antagonism and hostility. It has all been meant to happen as people learn the truth. About G-d, about His Torah of truth, about our role in G-d's plan for improving this world for Him. Once people realize that our "rewards" for all of it is limited they calm down. And when they realize that every single person has an individual, unique part that is vital to the plan they calm down. When they do not listen problems happen.
The current war is a matter of inheritance. They believe that if their is not a single Jew remaining on earth heaven forbid they will inherit Israel. Will not happen. G-d will not allow it as it says in the Torah that we will always exist. That cannot be rewritten. Since they are determined to override G-d's Will they must be stopped. Reply

I do not seek to teach or have self-righteousness to those who refuse to study and learn for themselves. You might benefit from reflecting on your own words; perhaps you are attempting to judge others to reinforce your understanding of unappointed men who created a new Traditional Rabbinical Judaism. God gave each person the ability to monitor their thoughts, deeds, and actions.

The book of Job, God's trusted human, may have provided that for which you seek. Job 32:7-9 says, "Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite said to Job, I thought, 'Let age speak; Let advanced years declare wise things.” But truly, it is the spirit in men, The breath of Shaddai, that gives them understanding. It is not the aged who are wise, The elders, who understand how to judge."

God gifts us at first breath, free will, and the ability to understand and be responsible for our paths during each life. Reply

Your dismissiveness of our sages and others is disquieting. They are not 'elders'. They are men who the Divine chose to give extra information, to share with us. You want to ignore it in favor of your own ideas is your choice. Your disparagement of who they are though is not acceptable. Especially on this site. Do not understand why you are here except possibly to throw mud. Enjoy yourself though it is not necessary to do at the expense of our learning, knowledge, history and traditions.
The Jewish people are Judaism, which began with the Aibishter blessed be He when He chose us to receive His holy Torah of truth when also He also imparted additional information through His Oral Torah. That tradition of sharing through verbal teaching continues to this day. Reply

There are layers of meaning in the Torah. That is what the 'words of men's system. If you or others do not accept that truth that is what it is. People quote the Rambam or the Ramban, who were men to my understanding, though other dates like the Baal Shem Tov or the Rebbes, our modern stages, are somehow not to be trusted. The Torah was never meant to be taken strictly as written. When we study the text we realize that little of it makes sense. It has to have added context even beyond the Oral Torah. G-d is not simple so it follows that His teachings in the Torah are not simple. No need for people to try to limit other people who want to learn more that G-d has provided to us. Or to get hostile that people want more. Everyone connects to the Aibishter in their own unique, individual way. No judgements from others are acceptable since we all have an intimate one-on-one with Him, beyond the scope of others. During Elul we can get even closer. Again no one else's business. Reply

Yes. A blessing to be sure. Reply

Continuation: I will teach transgressors Your ways, that sinners may return to You.” Was the reference to God or men?
And Psalm 94 declares:
“The LORD knows the designs of men to be futile. Happy is the man whom You discipline, O LORD, the man You instruct in Your teaching to give him tranquility in times of misfortune until a pit be dug for the wicked.”
These verses speak directly to Hashem—His judgment, His instruction, His spirit. They do not mention sages, scribes, or Rebbes. So we must ask: when the psalmist says, “You desire truth about that which is hidden”, is he appealing to divine revelation or to rabbinic interpretation? When he pleads, “teach me wisdom about secret things”, is he invoking the authority of a human teacher—or the direct guidance of the Divine?

And what of the Rebbe who claimed to know the truth? Was his certainty a reflection of divine insight—or of human conviction? Did Hashem ever declare that this Rebbe’s understanding was synonymous with His own will? Reply

Your focus is Tehillim verses. We look at the entire Torah, instead of developing tunnel vision. You can find a verse or two to validate any point you want to make since the Torah is timeless. It is not to be for personal use to throw at people.
You want me or anyone to say that the Rebbe had no value? Not happening except from Chabad detractors. That becomes a stilted point of view. You could counter that my POV favors the Rebbe. Guilty. Joyfully so.
Scribes simply maintained the text, no more contributions. Sages and Rebbe's don't need to be violated by Hashem. Him giving them special insight is all that is "required".
You want your POV to be more acceptable than the insight from the humble Rebbe whose scope of knowledge and wisdom far surpassed most people. Not happening. You keep trying though.
Studying the text for meaning takes at least a lifetime. Wisdom of our sages is to be respected. All of the wisdom has not been shared. People are "fed" insight as we can handle it. Reply

Amen. Reply

There are many references to events in the Torah and Tanakh. Fortunately you do not decide what they mean. G-d does blessed be He. Which He shared and continues to share with our rabbis and rebbes. He is our guide to doing His will in perfecting this world for Him. Each person has their role, their individual unique and necessary mission.
Thankfully there are no stipulations in our covenant with Hashem. It is always and forever ours.
You might concern yourself with your relationship with G-d. Each person is encouraged to have as close a relationship as possible. Reply

The meanings of God’s Torah remain with each person and not with those who presume to know Hashem’ and Torah. Job 32:7-9 gives the answer to your supposition.

“ I thought, “Let age speak;
Let advanced years declare wise things.” But truly it is the spirit in men,The breath of Shaddai, that gives them understanding. It is not the aged who are wise,
The elders, who understand how to judge.” Reply

I agree. I once read: "Do your best to keep this day..." This is with me, I told myself. Every "No," I kept, on Sunday. Later, a shock shook my soul, but I saw a new message: "on the last day of the week." From then on, I discovered that there was a chosen people. Without straying, they on their side and I on mine, I follow them, because the generations that the chosen people have of knowing the Most High, my generations have of not knowing Him. I know that He sees me. Reply

No, you are incorrect. You have mistranslated parts of the verses of Job, besides even misunderstanding their basic meaning. If you read the chapter rather than selecting text for your own purposes you would see your error.
Our first teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu shared G-d's Torah and Oral Torah that was given to him directly from G-d. That established a system that Hashem wants us to follow. Learn from those with whom the Aibishter shared Himself. He established the "chain" of knowledge He wanted followed. We common people cannot decide G-d's laws for ourselves as it serves us individually. That idea goes against the Torah which means instructions. G-d did not share Himself with each individual on Mount Sinai, did He? He did not say "here I am" to each person, did He?
Age does not give wisdom any more than youth does. Wisdom comes from learning, even what G-d wants to know from our experiences. Reply

You infer, "I am incorrect. You suggest that I have mistranslated parts of the Job verses, and in doing so, you have even misunderstood their basic meaning. Where does Moshe provide God's reference to humans' Oral Torah in His written Torah?

One reference in the Traditional Oral Torah is Eruvin 21 b:8, Rava expounded, "My son, be careful to fulfill the words of the Sages [soferim] even more than the words of the Torah. For the words of the Torah include positive and negative commandments, and even with regard to the negative commandments, the violation of many of them is punishable only by lashes. Whereas with respect to the words of the Sages, anyone who transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to receive the death penalty..."

Every human being is responsible for their chosen paths during each lifetime,

Reply

You selectively learn and cite. Is that how Jews are to learn, share and teach the Torah? Of course each person is responsible. Does that mean they can feign ignorance? Twist the teachings to accommodate their thoughts, deeds or actions? The teachings of the sages was Torah. There is no separation despite your chosen view.
It was abhorrent to decide on a 'death penalty'. A community that had one such pronouncement was considered "bloodthirsty". Only G-d decides whose life is taken. They gave to have the opportunity to do teshuva and return to the Almighty. Reply

You assert that I selectively learn and cite, but is that how we are to learn, share, and teach Torah? Is it possible that the rabbis and sages may have knowingly twisted and contorted their meanings to conform to their understandings?

One of many unusual rabbinical sayings. Avodah Zarah 3b:7, "Rav says: There are twelve hours in the day. During the first three, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and engages in Torah study. "

Rabbi, whose separation is despite everyone's chosen view? Reply

You do not need to 'follow' us. G-d. His Torah. G-d does not have 'sides'. That is for everyone to use as a guide. Each in our own way. Jews can help provide enlightenment about the layers of meaning within the Torah. That does not mean following us though.
Each of us has our own unique, individual, "no one can do it but you", each is necessary, mission. All of our contributions toward improving this world for G-d are vital. Can't happen without all of us. Reply