Psalm 85: A Prophetic Prayer

This prophetic prayer is David’s reminder to G-d: “don't forget, this darkness can't go on forever. You cannot be angry with us for eternity. You had promised us salvation, peace, truth and justice, and we will be waiting for it.”

David refers to a time when even those who appear to be righteous are in fact busy with folly and misconduct; forgetting the ways of G-d and in dire need for repentance (teshuva): “I will hear what the Lord has spoken, for G-d spoke peace to His people and to His righteous ones, and they will no longer go back to folly ways of behavior.” 

At that time, the divine essence of G-d will be revealed, not as the mythic entity many try to hold onto, but as truth, justice, peace and loving-kindness: “Loving-kindness and truth meet,

Justice and peace kiss.” This description also hides in it a prophetic notion of the meeting of two people who are destined to meet and work together to bring down these values into a broken world, desperate for more loving-kindness, truth, justice and peace. Redemption will belong to that “kiss.”

King David reminds us that salvation and repentance is not found in the studies hall, though those are needed; true teshuva, as individuals and as a people of G-d, is found in the land itself, and in the sky: “Truth from the land will grow, and justice from the sky will be seen.” This redemption will come from us being engaged with the land and what is happening in it and on it. Understating will come from walking side by side, all of the people of Israel, not isolating in different groups, caring each for their own. 

If we understand that study halls will not produce any fruits, that unity and helping one another, beyond our own community, that is what will bring us to teshuva; not being afraid of helping someone from a different community or a different religion; “the Lord will give His good, and our land will give its fruit.”

When we learn to do that, we will see that “justice before Him will walk, and it will lay before Him a path of His beats [actions].” We will see that the divine power of G-d is just, it is peace, it is loving-kindness kindness and it is truth. And it is only when we stop fearing our brothers and sisters that we will see the path of G-d unfolding, providing us the ways of G-d, a path towards divinity and the messianic times - the eternal Shabbat. As David said to G-d in His prayer “You wanted, G-d, that Your land know holy peace [Shabbat] in the repentance of Jacob.” For it is G-d’s desire to have us all enter an eternal Shabbat, an era of rest. 

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר׃

To the conductor, a song for the sons of Korach

רָצִ֣יתָ ה’ אַרְצֶ֑ךָ שַׁ֝֗בְתָּ שבות [שְׁבִ֣ית] יַעֲקֹֽב׃

You wanted, G-d, that Your land know holy peace [Shabbat] in the repentance of Jacob.

נָ֭שָׂאתָ עֲוֺ֣ן עַמֶּ֑ךָ כִּסִּ֖יתָ כָל־חַטָּאתָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃

You carried the wrongdoings of Your people,

You wholesomely covered over all of their sins.

אָסַ֥פְתָּ כָל־עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ מֵחֲר֥וֹן אַפֶּֽךָ׃

You collected the winds from all four directions,

You returned from responding with Your wrath.

שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ אֱלֹקי יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ וְהָפֵ֖ר כַּֽעַסְךָ֣ עִמָּֽנוּ׃

Return us, the Lord of our salvation,

And undo the anger You held against our people. 

הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם תֶּֽאֱנַף־בָּ֑נוּ תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ אַ֝פְּךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

Will You forever rebuke us?

Will You prolong Your anger from generation to generation?

הֲֽלֹא־אַ֭תָּה תָּשׁ֣וּב תְּחַיֵּ֑נוּ וְ֝עַמְּךָ֗ יִשְׂמְחוּ־בָֽךְ׃

For You will return us to life,

And Your people will rejoice in You.

הַרְאֵ֣נוּ ה’ חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝יֶשְׁעֲךָ֗ תִּתֶּן־לָֽנוּ׃

Show us, G-d, Your mercy,

And give us Your salvation.

אֶשְׁמְעָ֗ה מַה־יְדַבֵּר֮ הָאֵ֪ל ׀ ה’ כִּ֤י ׀ יְדַבֵּ֬ר שָׁל֗וֹם אֶל־עַמּ֥וֹ וְאֶל־חֲסִידָ֑יו וְֽאַל־יָשׁ֥וּבוּ לְכִסְלָֽה׃

I will hear what the Lord has spoken,

For G-d spoke peace to His people and to His righteous ones,

And they will no longer go back to folly ways of behavior. 

אַ֤ךְ ׀ קָר֣וֹב לִירֵאָ֣יו יִשְׁע֑וֹ לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן כָּב֣וֹד בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃

But close to those who fear Him, His salvation is waiting,

To be able to dwell His honor in our land.

חֶֽסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ׃

Loving-kindness and truth meet,

Justice and peace kiss.

אֱ֭מֶת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ תִּצְמָ֑ח וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק מִשָּׁמַ֥יִם נִשְׁקָֽף׃

Truth from the land will grow,

And justice from the sky will be seen.

גַּם־ה’ יִתֵּ֣ן הַטּ֑וֹב וְ֝אַרְצֵ֗נוּ תִּתֵּ֥ן יְבוּלָֽהּ׃

Also the Lord will give His good,

And our land will give its fruit.

צֶ֭דֶק לְפָנָ֣יו יְהַלֵּ֑ךְ וְיָשֵׂ֖ם לְדֶ֣רֶךְ פְּעָמָֽיו׃

Justice before Him will walk,

And it will lay before Him a path of His beats [actions].