לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
For the leader; with instrumental music. A maskil of David.
הַאֲזִ֣ינָה אֱ֭לֹקים תְּפִלָּתִ֑י וְאַל־תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃
Give ear, O G-d, to my prayer;
do not ignore my plea;
הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
pay heed to me and answer me.
I am tossed about, complaining and moaning
מִקּ֤וֹל אוֹיֵ֗ב מִ֭פְּנֵי עָקַ֣ת רָשָׁ֑ע כִּֽי־יָמִ֥יטוּ עָלַ֥י אָ֝֗וֶן וּבְאַ֥ף יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃
at the clamor of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked;
for they bring evil upon me
and furiously harass me.
לִ֭בִּי יָחִ֣יל בְּקִרְבִּ֑י וְאֵימ֥וֹת מָ֝֗וֶת נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃
My heart is convulsed within me;
terrors of death assail me.
יִרְאָ֣ה וָ֭רַעַד יָ֣בֹא בִ֑י וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
Fear and trembling invade me;
I am clothed with horror.
וָאֹמַ֗ר מִֽי־יִתֶּן־לִ֣י אֵ֭בֶר כַּיּוֹנָ֗ה אָע֥וּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃
I said,
“O that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and find rest;
הִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
surely, I would flee far off;
I would lodge in the wilderness; selah
אָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃
I would soon find me a refuge
from the sweeping wind,
from the tempest.”
בַּלַּ֣ע אֲ֭-דֹנָי פַּלַּ֣ג לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם כִּֽי־רָאִ֨יתִי חָמָ֖ס וְרִ֣יב בָּעִֽיר׃
O L-rd, confound their speech, confuse it!
For I see lawlessness and strife in the city;
יוֹמָ֤ם וָלַ֗יְלָה יְסוֹבְבֻ֥הָ עַל־חוֹמֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאָ֖וֶן וְעָמָ֣ל בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
day and night they make their rounds on its walls;
evil and mischief are inside it.
הַוּ֥וֹת בְּקִרְבָּ֑הּ וְֽלֹא־יָמִ֥ישׁ מֵ֝רְחֹבָ֗הּ תֹּ֣ךְ וּמִרְמָֽה׃
Malice is within it;
fraud and deceit never leave its square.
כִּ֤י לֹֽא־אוֹיֵ֥ב יְחָֽרְפֵ֗נִי וְאֶ֫שָּׂ֥א לֹא־מְ֭שַׂנְאִי עָלַ֣י הִגְדִּ֑יל וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
It is not an enemy who reviles me
—I could bear that;
it is not my foe who vaunts himself against me
—I could hide from him;
וְאַתָּ֣ה אֱנ֣וֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּ֑י אַ֝לּוּפִ֗י וּמְיֻדָּעִֽי׃
but it is you, my equal,
my companion, my friend;
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַ֭חְדָּו נַמְתִּ֣יק ס֑וֹד בְּבֵ֥ית אֱ֝לֹקים נְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּרָֽגֶשׁ׃
sweet was our fellowship;
we walked together in G-d’s house.
(ישימות) [יַשִּׁ֤י מָ֨וֶת ׀] עָלֵ֗ימוֹ יֵרְד֣וּ שְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים כִּֽי־רָע֖וֹת בִּמְגוּרָ֣ם בְּקִרְבָּֽם׃
Let Him incite death against them;
may they go down alive into Sheol!
For where they dwell,
there evil is.
אֲ֭נִי אֶל־אֱלֹקים אֶקְרָ֑א וַ֝אֲ֭נִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וַ֝ד’ יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃ יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
As for me, I call to G-d;
the L-rd will deliver me.
עֶ֤רֶב וָבֹ֣קֶר וְ֭צׇהֳרַיִם אָשִׂ֣יחָה וְאֶֽהֱמֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע קוֹלִֽי׃
Evening, morning, and noon,
I complain and moan,
and He hears my voice.
פָּ֘דָ֤ה בְשָׁל֣וֹם נַ֭פְשִׁי מִקְּרׇב־לִ֑י כִּֽי־בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים הָי֥וּ עִמָּדִֽי׃
He redeems me unharmed
from the battle against me;
it is as though many are on my side.-a
יִשְׁמַ֤ע ׀ אֵ֨ל ׀ וְֽיַעֲנֵם֮ וְיֹ֤שֵׁ֥ב קֶ֗דֶם סֶ֥֫לָה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵ֣ין חֲלִיפ֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ וְלֹ֖א יָרְא֣וּ אֱלֹקים׃
G-d who has reigned from the first,
who will have no successor,
hears and humbles those who have no fear of G-d. Selah.
שָׁלַ֣ח יָ֭דָיו בִּשְׁלֹמָ֗יו חִלֵּ֥ל בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃
He harmed his ally,
he broke his pact;
חָלְק֤וּ ׀ מַחְמָאֹ֣ת פִּיו֮ וּֽקְרָב־לִ֫בּ֥וֹ רַכּ֖וּ דְבָרָ֥יו מִשֶּׁ֗מֶן וְהֵ֣מָּה פְתִחֽוֹת׃
his talk was smoother than butter,
yet his mind was on war;
his words were more soothing than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.
הַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ עַל־יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ יְהָבְךָ֮ וְה֢וּא יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לְעוֹלָ֥ם מ֗וֹט לַצַּדִּֽיק׃
Cast your burden on the L-rd and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous man collapse.
וְאַתָּ֤ה אֱלֹקים ׀ תּוֹרִדֵ֬ם ׀ לִבְאֵ֬ר שַׁ֗חַת אַנְשֵׁ֤י דָמִ֣ים וּ֭מִרְמָה לֹא־יֶחֱצ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶבְטַח־בָּֽךְ׃ {פ}
For You, O G-d, will bring them down to the nethermost Pit—
those murderous, treacherous men;
they shall not live out half their days;
but I trust in You.
Inspiration
“Give ear, O G-d, to my prayer”, this is a powerful start to a Psalm that is plea to Hashem but also and acknowledgement of having trust in His faithfulness. It declares a hope forever in Hashem when faced with grieve and strife it says “As for me, I call to G-d; the L-rd will deliver me”. What continues to allowing thriving is the faithfulness in Hashem in action and in prayer, “Evening, morning, and noon, I complain and moan, and He hears my voice”. Rashi’s commentary explains that if together is in the Torah and in the House of G-d, Hashem will bear our burden (I Kings 8:27) and it is through the many who pray; “He redeems me unharmed from the battle against me; it is as though many are on my side,” and “He will never let the righteous man collapse”.
This inspires a recipe that is hearty and filling in reflection of how our hearts to should be filled always with faithfulness in the good of Hashem, Blessed be He.
Recipe
Lamb Stew
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless lamb chunks, trimmed
Optional: Substitute lamb for beef or meat of your choosing, or leave the meat out and double the vegetables
2 to 3 onions, sliced
Tips: Yellow onions bring a stronger flavor to the stock for a lighter onion flavor use white onions
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and sliced
Tips: Replace turnips with parsnips or yucca
2 to 3 large baking potatoes or sweet potatoes, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme minced, ground, or powder
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
Instructions:
Place a large stovetop pot on medium heat, heat vegetable oil
Add lamb and brown on all sides
Remove brown lamb from pot, set aside
In the same pan make alternative layers of onions, carrots, turnips, lamb and potatoes
Sprinkle salt and pepper, thyme, and half parsley on each layer
Add vegetable stock and cover until meat is tender 1 ½ to 2 hours
Check pan periodically adding additional vegetable stock as needed
Serve and garnish with remaining parsley
By Kimberley
Sources
Johnson, M. M. (1999). The Irish heritage cookbook. Chronicle Books (CA).
Psalms 55:1. (n.d.). Sefaria: a Living Library of Jewish Texts Online.
Tehillim (Psalms) – Chapter 55. (n.d.).
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