TEHILLIM TIDBITS SUNDAY
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TEHILLIM TIDBITS SUNDAY
The first Passuk of the Tehillim Shel Yom, the Psalm recited by the Leviim in the Temple on this first day of the week describes the relationship of the creation to her Creator.
לה” הארץ ומלואה תבל ויושבי בה
The universe, with all its inhabitants, creatures, richness and hugeness belongs to Hashem.
The first day of the week, Yom Rishon, parallels the first of the seven Sefirot, which is Chesed. We understand that Hashem had no need to create anything. A fundamental teaching in Torah, which we sing daily in the poem Adon Olam, is that God is eternal, and exactly the same before creation as after creation. He is complete, and is the only completeness that exists. He is the Only that exists. Yet, it is His desire, His Ratzon, to create a universe and to bestow Himself to that creation.
We are His creations. Inherent in creation is the secret of free choice. In order to make this life a fair game, created beings have to have the free choice to shape their lives. We are therefore in this matrix of existence which virtually hides God’s Presence. It’s our choice to search for Him, or to believe in our own independence.
The first day of the week has the energy of Chesed, which flows almost unrestricted and unbounded. Chesed is described as unconditional love, an almost infinite and reasonless outpouring of giving. Chesed energy is unjudgemental. It resists restraint. To balance this, we need to remember that all we see, all we own, all of our thoughts, talents, hopes and plans are all rooted and connected and enlivened only by Hashem. we begin the week with many plans and schedules, but have to keep in mind who is the Master Planner, and to Whose Divine plan we must be loyal to.
When I lived in New York, Sunday was the day to unwind a bit, to catch up on housework, visit with family, shop. Only towards the end of the day would the ‘reality’ of the upcoming work week begin to annoyingly invade my relaxed thoughts and push me to begin preparing for work. This relaxed Chesed energy is a blessing, and carries in it an inherent Chesed Elyon as Hashem eases us into His workweek.
Clearly Hashem has higher expectations of me here in Israel, where the week begins on Sunday. And that too is a Chesed, and Sunday is a day not lost to silliness.
Have a loving and enjoyably productive Yom Rishon
