Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, June 29, 2024
Shabbat Shalom,

Chesed – Psalm 136
By David Harwood

Today I want to focus on Psalm 136. I’m including it at the bottom of this meditation. In Jewish tradition this psalm is called The Great Praise (Hallel ha-Gadol). It is repeated every Sabbath, during each major feast, and is part of the Passover seder.

Its point is this: God’s chesed-חֶסֶד is effective forever. It can always be relied upon. The effects of His chesed-חֶסֶד endure in accordance with Adonai‘s everlasting nature. How long does His chesed-חֶסֶד last? Forever, just like God.

Apparently, the genesis of this psalm can be traced to a specific occasion in Israel’s history. After the Ark of God was placed in the tent on Zion this line began the final three verses.

Give thanks to Adonai for He is good, for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34 TLV)

That verse became the foundation of Psalm 136. The celebration of God’s chesed-חֶסֶד is a foundational aspect of Israel’s praise throughout the millennia.

Rehearsing God’s actions in creation, and His intervention on behalf of Israel, Psalm 136 reiterates the refrain that God’s chesed-חֶסֶד is everlasting twenty-six times.

Praise (Give thanks to) Adonai, for He is good, for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever. (Psalm 136:1 TLV)

Let’s concentrate on the first few verses of this psalm.

In verse 1, the psalmist exhorted the congregation to be grateful, for Adonai is good.

What aspect of goodness did he highlight? His chesed-חֶסֶד. God’s everlasting chesed-חֶסֶד is the demonstration of His goodness. It is the foundational expression of who He is. All that follows in Psalm 136 illustrates His intervening love.

Next, Adonai is proclaimed to be the God of gods and Lord of lords. His existence is seen as an intervening mercy against both gods and lords which are the enemies of Israel and all humanity. These gods/lords were known to be over the nations who were adverse to God’s people because these gods are our God’s adversaries. Herein, Adonai steps into the cosmos to intervene on behalf of His people. Because He is God of gods and Lord of lords, He is triumphant and does chesed-חֶסֶד to His people.

The psalmist begins to brag:

Who alone did great wonders, for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever. (Psalm 136:4)

Seriously, who is like Him?

Then the psalm proceeds to speak about the ordering of Creation. He does great wonders. He made the heavens, established the land, and created the sun, moon and stars.

This may be seen as a victorious display of chesed-חֶסֶד. How? It is an intervening love against chaos and darkness. It is preparatory chesed-חֶסֶד done to benefit the goal of creation: humanity. From the psalmist’s point of view, it is intervening mercy on behalf of Israel. The Psalmist saw the sun that rules the day and the moon by night as God’s chesed-חֶסֶד on behalf of those He would create.

I’d like to elaborate.

He did all this as an act of war against the chaos. When we behold creation, we are seeing God’s intervening active love against spiritual forces which would empower and maintain disorder and nothingness. Creation is seen by the psalmist as the result of chesed-חֶסֶד.

Ultimately, this chesed-חֶסֶד will be overwhelmingly triumphant at the time of the Resurrection. How triumphant? As victorious as the sun, moon, and stars light up the darkness. Nature will be released from its groaning into the liberty of God’s glorified children. The resurrection of the righteous is not only His loving intervention against decay on behalf of His children. It also serves as God’s chesed-חֶסֶד towards animate and inanimate creation.

Along the same lines, God judged Egypt, liberated Israel and led them out. Then He split the sea and caused Israel to pass through it while the same waters that manifested His chesed-חֶסֶד swallowed up those who would thwart God’s mercy.

Israel experienced chesed-חֶסֶד in the wilderness wars against devilishly inspired Canaanite kings and parceled out their land to Israel. Seeing Israel’s need for intervening mercy, He remembered them and delivered them from those who would slaughter them.

All this is the chesed-חֶסֶד celebrated in this Psalm. Yet, it does not stop there. It does not end with His chesed-חֶסֶד to Israel. He sustains all creation.

All this is recalled to mind with the constant refrain:

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever.

What has God done for you? It’s chesed-חֶסֶד.

Psalm 136

Praise Adonai, for He is good,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever.

Praise the God of gods,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever.

Praise the Lord of lords,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who alone did great wonders,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who made the heavens by wisdom,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who spread the earth on the waters,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who made great lights, —

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever

the sun to rule by day,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

the moon and stars to rule by night,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who struck Egypt in their firstborn,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and led out Israel from among them,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

with a strong hand and outstretched arm,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who cut the Sea of Reeds into parts,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Reeds,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who led His people through the desert,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who struck down great kings,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and slew mighty kings,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and Og, king of Bashan,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and gave their land for an inheritance,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

an inheritance for Israel His servant, .

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever.

He remembered us in our lowly estate,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

and separated between us and He delivered us from our adversaries,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever,

who gives food to all flesh,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever.

raise the God of heaven,

for His chesed-חֶסֶד endures forever!

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
23 Sivan Shabbat 29-Jun-24
Parashat Shlach Numbers 15:27-41 Joshua 2:1-24