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IMPORTANT ISSUES

Did David Write Every Psalm in Tehillim?

Did David Write Every Psalm in Tehillim?

Part of Important Issues · 14:07

Explores Rabbi Elazar's view that all of Tehillim's songs trace back to David, the difference between personal and communal psalms, and why learning Torah needs both joy and seriousness.

Audio Transcript
All Psalms Praises Attributed to David

转谞讬讗, the 转谞讜 专讘谞谉 have learned. 专讘讬 诪讗讬专 讛讬讛 讗讜诪专, 专讘讬 诪讗讬专 used to say, 讻诇 砖讬专讜转 讜转砖讘讞讜转 讛讗诪讜专讜转 讘住驻专 转讛诇讬诐, all the praises that are said in 转讛诇讬诐, 讻讜诇诐 讚讜讚 讗诪专诐, all of them David said, even though some of them have other names, 转驻诇讛 诇诪砖讛 and 讬讚讜转讜谉 and 讗住祝, but they're all David. 砖谞讗诪专, it says at the end of 拽驻讬讟诇 注\"讘 it says, 讻诇讜 转驻诇讜转 讚讜讚 讘谉 讬砖讬. Which means at that point, the tefillot of David finished. 讗诇 转拽专讬 讻诇讜 讗诇讗 讻诇 讗诇讜. All of them, the pasuk is telling you that everything was said by David. 讜讛诇诇 讝讛 诪讬 讗诪专讜? Who said Hallel? 专讘讬 讬讜住讬 讗讜诪专, 专讘讬 讬讜住讬 says like this, 讗诇注讝专 讘谞讬 讗讜诪专, my son Elazar says, 诪砖讛 讜讬砖专讗诇 讗诪专讜讛讜, 诪砖讛 and the Yidden said it, 讘砖注讛 砖注诇讜 诪谉 讛讬诐, when they came out of the 讬诐 住讜祝, they said Hallel. Another was Yehoshua? No, Yehoshua certainly said. In addition. In what sense? What does it mean that he said all these? He didn't write them, he just said them? So, he read his own he read a book of Tehillim like we read? No, it means other people made them, but because certain things happened to him, so all of them he said, not just stam repeating what they said, he said it on his his situations. When he said he said it when they, the Hallel, my son says that he said it when they came out of the 讬诐. 讜讞诇讜拽讬谉 注诇讬讜 讞讘讬专讬讜, 讞诇讜拽讬谉 注诇讬讜, his friends argue with him, 诇讜诪专, saying, 砖讚讜讚 讗诪专诐, 讚讜讚 said it. If it's all started from David. 讜谞专讗讬谉 讚讘专讬讜 诪讚讘专讬讛诐, I think he's right more than them, because all the years, when the Yidden 砖讞讟 the 拽专讘谉 驻住讞, they said Hallel. Now, what happened till David?

Was Hallel Started Before David?

讗驻砖专 砖讞讟讜 讬砖专讗诇 讗转 驻住讞讬讛谉 讜谞讟诇讜 讗转 诇讜诇讘讬讛谉, 讬讬讚谉 砖讞讟 the 拽专讘谉 驻住讞, they took the 诇讜诇讘, 讜诇讗 讬讗诪专讜 砖讬专讛? and didn't say Hallel? You can't say Hallel started by David. It must be before. 讚讘专 讗讞专, another thing, 讛专讬 驻住诇讜 砖诇 诪讬讻讛 注讜诪讚 讘讘讻讬, 讜讬砖专讗诇 讗讜诪专讬诐 讗转 讛讛诇诇? In the time of David, they had this the the 驻住诇 诪讬讻讛. And when the 驻住诇 诪讬讻讛 was there, and the way Rashi learns it's a different pshat, the one pshat is in it, 讘讘讻讬 means the opposite, it means simcha. It's it's on top. How could you say shira? In the shira in the Hallel, I mean, you say, 讻诪讜讛诐 讬讛讬讜 注讜砖讬讛诐. You're cursing the people with that. It's something that's not common. Milah if you started before, so then you don't stop even if it's the time when it doesn't pass. But to start in the time of David when the 驻住诇 诪讬讻讛 was there, doesn't make sense. So, the bottom line, he says that it started with Moshe Rabbeinu. Did they have 拽专讘谉 驻住讞 all the way? Not in the 诪讚讘专, after the 诪讚讘专. That's what you mean, that all the way up until the Beis Hamikdash? Even though they didn't have the Beis Hamikdash, but they had Shiloh. They always had 拽专讘谉 驻住讞. Why didn't they destroy this, I mean this 驻住诇 诪讬讻讛? I mean the King David was there. Why couldn't he destroy it? And how many Yidden were worshipping it? A lot. Couldn't do it. Gemara didn't say it.

Rabbi Elazar鈥檚 View: All Psalms Are David鈥檚

转谞讜 专讘谞谉, the 专讘谞谉 have learned, 专讘讬 讗诇注讝专, 专讘讬 讗诇注讝专 says, 讻诇 砖讬专讜转 讜转砖讘讞讜转 砖讗诪专 讚讜讚 讘住驻专 转讛诇讬诐, all the praises that 讚讜讚 said in 转讛诇讬诐, 讻谞讙讚 注爪诪讜 讗诪专诐, he all said it in his own situations. When things happened to him, he said, so he said this kapitel, that kapitel. All was said for his inyanim. 专讘讬 讬讛讜砖注 讗讜诪专, 专讘讬 讬讛讜砖注 says, 讻谞讙讚 爪讬讘讜专 讗诪专诐, he only said he said it lechatchilah for Klal Yisrael. Certain things happened, happened or will happen, and that's when he said each one is a praise for things that happened to other to Klal, but not for him. 讜讞讻诪讬诐 讗讜诪专讬诐, it's a mixture: 讬砖 诪讛谉 讻谞讙讚 注爪诪讜 讜讬砖 诪讛谉 讻谞讙讚 爪讬讘讜专. Makes sense. Some are like this, some are like that. Where do I saw you at? What line? It's in the middle of 住讬诪谉 谞\"讛. 谞\"讛? 谞\"讛, yeah. 谞\"讜 actually. No, it's the beginning of 谞\"讜. Yeah. So, you say some are like this, some are like this. 讻诇 讛讗诪讜专 讘诇砖讜谉 讬讞讬讚, 讻谞讙讚 注爪诪讜. Those that it says 讘诇砖讜谉 讬讞讬讚, singular, it means he be saying it for himself. 讜讗诪讜专 讘诇砖讜谉 专讘讬诐, those that are said in plural, 讻谞讙讚 爪讬讘讜专, that he said for the community, for 讻诇诇 讬砖专讗诇. Then he says a few more rules here.

Singular vs Plural: Personal vs Communal Psalms

When it says 谞爪讜讞 or the 谞讬讙讜谉, because sometimes it says 诇诪谞爪讞 诇讚讜讚, sometimes says 讘谞讙讬谞讜转, so it's 谞讬讙讜谉. So, all these are 诇注转讬讚 诇讘讗, are things that he said concerning the future, Mashiach will come. And Rashi says, where does Gemara get it from? Because it doesn't know where to get, that's how the 讞讻诪讬诐 knew that, it's a 拽讘诇讛, this was... 诪砖讻讬诇, whenever it says 诪砖讻讬诇, the word 诪砖讻讬诇 诇讚讜讚, 注诇 讬讚讬 转讜专讙诪谉, he said it through a 转讜专讙诪谉, through a person who was translated. But it says 诇讚讜讚 诪讝诪讜专, first, because sometimes it says 诇讚讜讚 诪讝诪讜专, sometimes 诪讝诪讜专 诇讚讜讚. When it says 诇讚讜讚 诪讝诪讜专: 诪诇诪讚 砖砖专转讛 注诇讬讜 砖讻讬谞讛 讜讗讞专 讻讱 讗诪专 砖讬专讛. 诇讚讜讚 诪讝诪讜专 means first is 讚讜讚, then is the 诪讝诪讜专. 诪讝诪讜专 is the song. So the 砖讻讬谞讛 was on him first, so he was ready to say something 讘谞讘讜讗讛, and then he sang. And 诪讝诪讜专 诇讚讜讚, but first says 诪讝诪讜专, then 诇讚讜讚: 诪诇诪讚 砖讗诪专 砖讬专讛 讜讗讞专 讻讱 砖专转讛 注诇讬讜 砖讻讬谞讛. First he said 砖讬专讛, and that brought the 砖讻讬谞讛. 诇诇诪讚, this teaches you, 砖讗讬谉 讛砖讻讬谞讛 砖讜专讛, 砖讻讬谞讛 does not rest, 诇讗 诪转讜讱 注爪诇讜转, not if you are lazy, 诇讗 诪转讜讱 注爪讘讜转, not if you're sad, 诇讗 诪转讜讱 砖讞讜拽, not if you're in a laughter situation, 讜诇讗 诪转讜讱 拽诇讜转 专讗砖, not if you're light-headed, 讜诇讗 诪转讜讱 讚讘专讬诐 讘讟诇讬诐, doesn't come from plain talk, 讗诇讗 诪转讜讱 讚讘专 砖诪讞讛 砖诇 诪爪讜讛. It comes from a 砖诪讞讛 砖诇 诪爪讜讛. So here we see like this. The other one where he had the Shechinah before, we know he had the Shechinah, he sang. Here we

Shechinah and the Power of Song

see that be'emet the Shechinah was not on him. When he said mizmor, the Shechinah came. What does that prove? That singing, being happy is a way to bring the Shechinah. It's another level of Shechinah. Shechinah was on him, but he had a even a greater level. No, no. He had Shechinah all his life, that's something else. We're talking about in this 注谞讬谉. And then the Gemara brings another re'ayah that if you have simchah, that could bring along the Shechinah, 砖谞讗诪专 it says, 讜注转讛 拽讞讜 诇讬 诪谞讙谉, bring me a singer, 讜讛讬讛 讻谞讙谉 讛诪谞讙谉 讜转讛讬 注诇讬讜 讬讚 讛壮. When the singer was singing, then the the the hand of Hashem came, which means Shechinah comes. Yeah, by Shaul? Shaul, yeah, no, not Shaul. No, it's not Shaul. Elisha? Elisha. Elisha, yeah, it's much later. So when he sang, this brought the Shechinah, because simchah brings along Shechinah. That's what it says in Yerushalmi, then that Yonah HaNavi got his 谞讘讜讗讛 from 砖诪讞讛, 砖诪讞转 讘讬转 讛砖讜讗讘讛. 讜砖讗讘转诐 诪讬诐 讘砖砖讜谉, 诪砖诐 砖讜讗讘讬诐 专讜讞 讛拽讜讚砖. It's all because simchah brings. A ma'aseh with the Alter Rebbe, also. He didn't want to say Chassidus, at the end they got somebody to sing, to play a an instrument outside the door, and then the Alter Rebbe came out. He said a ma'amar, I think, on this pasuk. It's a ma'amar on 讜注转讛 拽讞讜 诇讬 诪谞讙谉 讜讛讬讛 讻谞讙谉 讛诪谞讙谉 讜转讛讬 注诇讬讜 讬讚 讛壮. Did they put the Tehillim to music, David HaMelech? Did he actually? Yeah, on a harp. He did? Oh, I just didn't know that. Meaning that There was even trap there. There's trap. To the Tehillim? Yeah, we don't know the trop, but there's trop to it. A lot of, quite a lot of Tehillim are about teshuva, about he talking about Shaul chasing him, and Bat Sheva, look how many are about Bat Sheva, and that's simcha? He said that with simcha? Yeah, he was doing teshuva. Teshuva is 诪转讜讱 砖诪讞讛. The greatest 转砖讜讘讛 注讬诇讗讛 is 诪转讜讱 砖诪讞讛.

Learning Requires Simcha and Seriousness

讗诪专 专讘 讬讛讜讚讛, 专讘 讬讛讜讚讛 said, 讗诪专 专讘, in the name of 专讘, 讜讻谉 诇讚讘专 讛诇讻讛. Also for a 讚讘专 讛诇讻讛, if you want to reach a 讚讘专 讛诇讻讛, you have to be b'simcha. If you're sad, it doesn't, mind won't work. Simcha shel mitzvah makes you possible to come up with the proper right decision. 讗诪专 专讘 谞讞诪谉, Rav Nachman said, 讜讻谉 诇讞诇讜诐 讟讜讘. Before you go to sleep and you want to have a good dream, go to sleep 诪转讜讱 砖诪讞讛. Saying 拽专讬讗转 砖诪注, 转讗拽讬, it says certain things that sound not so simchadik, then he said, 转砖诪讬注谞讬 砖砖讜谉 讜砖诪讞讛. They say in a 诇讘 谞砖讘专. Fragt the Gemara, how do you tell me that for a 讚讘专 讛诇讻讛, for learning, you have to have simcha? It's not so. 讜讛讗诪专 专讘 讙讬讚诇 讗诪专 专讘, 专讘 讙讬讚诇 in the name of 专讘, 讻诇 转诇诪讬讚 讞讻诐 讛讬讜砖讘 诇驻谞讬 专讘讜, any 转诇诪讬讚 讞讻诐 that sits in front of his 专讘讬, 讜讗讬谉 砖驻转讜转讬讜 谞讜讟驻讜转 诪讜专, and his lips are not giving out bitterness, which means they're very sad, not not we're sad, they're very serious, they should be burned, 砖谞讗诪专, it says, 砖驻转讜转讬讜 砖讜砖谞讬诐 谞讜讟驻讜转 诪讜专 注讜讘专, 讗诇 转拽专讬 砖讜砖谞讬诐 讗诇讗 砖砖讜谞讬诐, 讗诇 转拽专讬 诪讜专 注讜讘专 讗诇讗 诪专. So we darshen the 驻住讜拽, 砖讜砖谞讬诐 is roses, but 砖砖讜谞讬诐 is those that learn, and it says when you learn, you have to have 诪专. 诪专 means bitter, which means you have to be serious. So here we said that in order to learn, you have to have simcha. So the Gemara says, 诇讗 拽砖讬讗, it's not a kashya. 讛讗 讘专讘讛 讛讗 讘转诇诪讬讚讗. Depends, the Rebbe or the talmidim. That the Rebbe has to be simcha in order to give a good shiur. The talmidim, they have to sit with derech eretz, they have to sit with proper bitul, with proper, you know, seriousness. 讗讬讘注讬转 讗讬诪讗, or you could say, 讛讗 讜讛讗 讘专讘讛. Both we're talking about the 专讘讬. 讜诇讗 拽砖讬讗, it's no 拽砖讬讗. 讛讗 诪拽诪讬 讚谞驻转讞, one is before you start. Before you start, you have to be 讘砖诪讞讛. 讘转专 讚谞驻转讞, the other one is when you start. When you start already, when you start learning, you got to be serious. You got to spring quick to learning, serious. But before you start, you got to be happy. 讻讬 讛讗 讚专讘讛, the girsa here is Rabbah, in 转谞讬讗 it says 专讘讗, 讻讬 讛讜讛 讘注讬 诇诪讬驻转讞 诇砖诪注转讗, when he wanted to start giving a shiur, 讗诪专 讘专讬砖讗 诪讬诇转讗 讚讘讚讬讞讜转讗. He would say first a like a People would taytsh it as a joke. He didn't make jokes, he said like a a vortel or something that's, you know, brings simcha, 讜讘讚讞讬 专讘谞谉, and the 讞讻诪讬诐 laughed, they got in a good mood, 讜讛讚专 讬转讬讘 讘讗讬诪转讗 讜驻住拽 诇砖诪注转讗. Then they sat down with 讗讬诪讛 and 讬专讗讛, then they started learning. So when they started learning already was with seriousness, but before they started learning, that's where you have to be happy. They confused Rabbah and Rava also? Huh? Often in the in the Gemara? Rabbah and Rava are often confused? Yes, different girsa'ot, yeah. You ever heard good ones? Story of a Rebbe with a joke. You heard it? Story of a Rebbe with a joke, the Rebbe made a joke? It's just a guy who lived in Crown Heights who used to occasionally go to the Rebbe, but once when he was by a farbrengen, the Rebbe stopped in the middle and said like a, A vortel. A vortel. He was beside himself, he couldn't believe, chas v'shalom. Said he'll never go to the Rebbe again. Years later, he was at the table, there was a baal teshuvah there, so he mentioned that he was from Crown Heights. He says, \"I was in Crown Heights, I went to the rabbi's farbrengen, and my friend brought me there. I wasn't religious or anything, and I was very taken by the whole thing, but it bothered me everybody seemed to be so serious and so this. But then the Rebbe said something and I saw that\" \"People start laughing?\" \"that took me, and that's how to become a baal teshuvah.\" The guy heard this story right there at the table and he went I don't know if he said, but he went like 770, went to the Rebbe's room. And that that's a maaseh. So he was on Living Torah, no? It could I know, I saw saw this somewhere, I read it. COL had every week a Motzaei Shabbos live live here, someone I saw the summary. He said he knew the person that it happened. Okay. I don't remember where I heard it. Anyway, but the truth is all these 讜注专讟诇注讱 that these people say falls under the category of 砖讬讞转 讞讜诇讬谉 砖诇 转诇诪讬讚讬 讞讻诪讬诐 爪专讬讻讛 诇讬诪讜讚. It's not, it sounds like a 讜注专讟诇, it's not. The

Rebbe Maharash鈥檚 Glaykhvertelekh and Humor

Rebbe Maharash used to say a lot of times like, what do you call it, 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇注讱. In Yiddish a 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇 means So I figured that? No no, I don't mean that, no. 住转诐 讘讻诇诇 used to say, and he said once, 讗讬讱 讛讗讘 讗讬谉 诪讬讬谉 诇注讘谉 谞讬砖讟 讙注讝讗讙讟 拽讬讬谉 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇. What is 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇注讱 are not a 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇, the 讜讜注诇讟 专注讚讟, it's like a He said once, \"住壮讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 拽专讜诪注专注 讝讗讱 讜讜讬 讗 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇? 住壮讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 讙诇讬讬讻注专注 讝讗讱 讜讜讬 讗 拽专讜诪注 诇讬讬讟注专? 住壮讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 讙讗谞爪注专注 讝讗讱 讜讜讬 讗 爪讜讘专讗讻注谞注 讛讗专抓?\" It's all from the Rebbe Maharash's 讜注专讟诇注讱. But he said, \"讗讬讱 讛讗讘 讗讬谉 诪讬讬谉 诇注讘谉 谞讬砖讟 讙注讝讗讙讟 拽讬讬谉 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇.\" And he constantly used to say. It was also from the Ropshitzer. The Ropshitzer everything was on 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇注讱. The Naftali of Ropshitz used to say 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇, everything had such depth to it that you have to understand, but that's how he would talk, he would say like a joke or something. He thought, In letter in literally, 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇 means a straight word, but it doesn't mean that. It's like, 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇 means it's a 讜注专讟诇 which is a joke, which is not real. So the Rebbe Maharash used to say such 讜注专讟诇注讱, but he said that in my life I never said a 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇. And 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇, he said, \"Is there nothing more crooked than a 讙诇讬讬讻讜讜注专讟诇?\" than a straight word. Not like a broken Not like a ladder? Same thing in other, there's nothing more straight than a crooked ladder, there's nothing more whole than a broken heart. Nothing more to say about that. You have nothing word 住壮讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 讙讗谞爪注专注 讝讗讱 讜讜讬 讗 爪讜讘专讗讻注谞注 讛讗专抓. The Rebbe once in a farbrengen had a whole 讗专讬讻讜转 诪讛 讝讛 the pshat in 讚注专 讜讜讗专讟. What is the pshat? Why did he say 住壮讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 讙讗谞爪注专注 讝讗讱 讜讜讬 讗 爪讜讘专讗讻注谞注 讛讗专抓, 诇讘 谞砖讘专 讜谞讚讻讛. What is a gantz? Where's that fact a gantz? Well, explained by korbanot, there's a din of tamim, it has to be temimut. And by 拽专讘谉 讞讟讗转, there's a din that the korban is pasul if it's not 砖讘 诪讬讚讬注转讜, say, if you don't do teshuvah. Doing teshuvah is a broken heart and that's 转诪讬诪讜转, that's called 转诪讬诐. Gemara 讘谞讙诇讛. Anyway. Oh yeah.

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