Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 15:3 – Part 3
Psalm 15:3 who does not slander with his tongue, does not wrong his neighbor, and does not disgrace his friend,
Go ahead, catch the context of Psalm 15 by reading all 5 verses. My late mother-in-law, Millie Manno, z”l, (may her memory be for a blessing) is known for having often said, “What are you gonna do?” Psalm 15 starts with two questions, “Who is going to live in God’s neighborhood?” (Dwell in His tent), and “Who will meet with God on His holy mountain?” The Scriptures give three positive answers in verse two. Psalm 15:2 The one who walks with integrity, who does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart. This is followed by three negative answers in verse three. Psalm 15:3 who does not slander with his tongue, does not wrong his neighbor, and does not disgrace his friend. Let’s go deeper on these three.
There are both positive (thou shalt) and negative (thou shalt not) commandments. The first thing we are told to avoid is “slander with the tongue.” The Hebrew word translated as “slander” has the Shoresh “Ragal,” meaning “foot or leg.” Maybe we should “keep our foot out of our mouths. It is actually mostly connected to “walking around as a spy.” Of course, as we learned yesterday, “Holech” means “the way of walking.” Similarly, this word means “legging it out” but in a surreptitious manner.
The kingdom of God seeks the best in people. The opposition wants to twist a good report into an evil report. The Hebrew phrase is “Lashon Hara” (an evil tongue). Psalm 34:13 Who is the one who delights in life, and loves to see good days? 14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking treachery. 15 Depart from evil and do good. Seek shalom and pursue it.
Rabbi Trail: These verses from Psalm 34 are repeated in 1 Peter 3:10-12, which is where I first saw them (years ago when reading 1 Peter for the first time). Of course, I recognized these same verses from the concluding paragraph of the Amidah (the central Jewish liturgical prayer, a silent devotion that is prayed while standing). I couldn’t figure out how the rabbis, who wrote the Amidah, got these verses from 1 Peter. Years later, I realized both 1 Peter and the rabbis who wrote the Amidah got them from Psalm 34. End RT.
The point here is, “Thou shalt not spy on your neighbor and then tell about it.” The second “thou shalt not” is similar, “Don’t wrong (do evil to) your neighbor (companion or friend).” Similarly, the third admonition is phrased beautifully in the Hebrew. “Don’t ‘lift up’ against one who is close to you.” The connotation is not to exalt yourself above one who is near.
The commandment is in the Torah. Leviticus 19:18b …but love your neighbor as yourself. I am Adonai. How we do that can be defined as, “Seeking the benefit and welfare of others above that of self.” This is consistent with Paul’s writings… 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not brag, it is not puffed up.
Tomorrow we will close out our study of Psalm 15. In the last two verses, there are seven short statements. Five are positive statements for those who want to add to God’s kingdom, one is a negative (thou shalt not) and one is just a promised result for the one who is seeking God. In Hebrew we say “Ad Machar,” meaning “until tomorrow,” Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
25 Tamuz Wednesday 31-Jul-24
Numbers 32:20-33:49 Ezekiel 21 Nehemiah 8 Luke 16 Colossians 1:1-14