Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, January 17, 2025

Shalom,

Psalms

Psalm 23:3 – Part 4

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.

What to write?  Writing anything in a meaningful devotional on the most familiar text of the Bible is no small challenge.  Yet after much prayer, I’m persuaded to spread the devotional on verse 3 into two days (today and tomorrow).  Let’s follow the placement of the “Etnachta.”

Rabbi Trail:  You may recall (because I’ve explained this before) that almost every verse of the Hebrew Scriptures (probably 90%) have a cantorial mark that looks like a point up wishbone, called an “Etnachta.”  It indicates a pause (like our comma or period in English).  It divides the two thoughts of a verse in a way that depends on its placement.  In the TLV translation it shows up as a period after only the first two Hebrew words of the verse.  End RT.

In Hebrew transliteration the two words are “Nafshi Y’shovav.”  Meaning “My Nefesh (soul) He will return (physically, emotionally and spiritually) to Himself.  Wow, let’s dig into this.  We translate “Nefesh” as soul (not really a good equivalent, for which there is none in English), but that is just our English effort to describe something the Bible says is much more.  A Nefesh is that part of a person that allow him/her or even animals to feel something.

We feel on three levels, physically, emotionally and spiritually, but they are all felt in and by our Nefesh.  Note: Nefesh is not to be confused with Ruach (also called Neshama), which is the breath (or wind) of life that God puts in each of us.  Genesis 2:7 Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life— (Nish’mat Chayim) so the man became a living being.

In context, it is the Lord who does the restoring (returning).  ‘Further instruction: Please take a moment to read Psalm 100 now.  We lost something when Adam and Eve fell into sin.  What was lost was their relationship with the Lord (physically, emotionally and spiritually), and that is what will be restored.

Physically, He draws us near to Him.  Psalm 145:18 Adonai is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Emotionally, He changes our feelings.  John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full.  And finally, God returns our spirit to His Spirit.

Romans 8:16 The Ruach Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 17 And if children, also heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah—if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

There you have it!  A complete restoration of Nefesh, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Now that’s Shalom, shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)

Fri 17-Jan-2025 17th of Tevet, 5785

Ex 4:18-31 2 Sa 22 Ps 95-96 Lk 14 (Gal 4)