Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, February 21, 2025
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 25:8 – Part 11
Psalm 25:8 Good and upright is Adonai. Therefore He directs sinners in the way.
“Tov V’Yashar,” these are the first two Hebrew words as Psalm 25, verse 8 begins. They are accurately translated as “good and upright.” Adonai (YHVH) is good and upright (straightforward). This is simply and matter of factly stated, yet we should be shouting it from the rooftops.
Psalm 145:9 Adonai is good to all. He has compassion on all His creatures. Even better is our call to participate in spreading the word of His goodness. Psalm 145:3 Great is Adonai, and greatly to be praised—His greatness is unsearchable…. 6 They will speak of the might of Your awesome deeds, and I will proclaim Your greatness.
The Lord isn’t just good, in Him there is no unrighteousness, and nothing is good without Him.
Rabbi Trail: Moses wrote this next quoted verse in the Torah. Deuteronomy summarizes the story of the Exodus as told first by Moses in the Books of Exodus through Numbers. Deuteronomy, chapter 32, called “Ha’azinu,” meaning “(in) our ears.” It is a summary of the summary. Deuteronomy 32:4 The Rock—blameless is His work. Indeed, all His ways are just. God of faithfulness without iniquity, righteous and upright is He. End RT.
This takes us to the Torah (which we were just quoting), The Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch). The same Shoresh for “Torah” appears as “Yoreh” in our subject verse. “God instructs sinners. The Torah is the instruction upon which the entire rest of Scripture receives its meaning and context. With that in mind, Psalm 25, verse 8 is a restatement of verse 4. Psalm 25:4 Show me Your ways, Adonai. Teach me Your paths.
“Torah” means to aim correctly and hit the mark. The Hebrew word is used more than 80 times and about half of those times it is translated as “teach,” or something close. Even the word “teacher,” Moreh, is derived from “Yarah” (Yud-Resh-Hay), same as Torah. The object of life is to take our instruction from the Lord and become more like Him.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand (found in the Torah) so we might walk in them.
Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Fri 21-Feb-2025 23rd of Sh’vat, 5785
Ex 23:20-25 2 Ki 9 Ps 134-135 Jn 10 (2 Ti 1)