Sunday, January 1, 2012

41st Psalm

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For the weekly PsalmChallenge that Robert Geiss in Athens challenges us with, here is my illustrated Psalm 41.


1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Blessed is he who considers the poor! The LORD delivers him in the day of trouble;
2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; thou dost not give him up to the will of his enemies.


3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness thou healest all his infirmities.
4 As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against thee!"

5 My enemies say of me in malice: "When will he die, and his name perish?"

6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers mischief; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8 They say, "A deadly thing has fastened upon him; he will not rise again from where he lies."
9 Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But do thou, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may requite them! 11 By this I know that thou art pleased with me, in that my enemy has not triumphed over me. 12 But thou hast upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in thy presence for ever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. .
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This week I used the Revised Standard Version translation.
The Hebrew original and a different English translation are here.
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In Jewish usage the Book of Psalms is divided, after the analogy of the Pentateuch, into five books, each closing with a doxology or benediction.

In his study of Psalm 41 Rabbi Segal says this:
"The last verse is widely understood to conclude the first book of Psalms. Each of the first four books ends with such a doxology (statement of praise). . . .
'Amen' (last verse) is a term of confirmation ('verily, truly').
Although it appears elsewhere in the Bible, in Psalms it is found exclusively in the doxologies that end the first four books (Psalms 41, 72, 89, and 106)."
PHOTOS:
1. An old synagogue door with an arrow pointing to the slot through which you can give anonymous charity (tsdaka).
2. An old photo (exhibited at the new Shaare Zedek) shows windows of the old Shaare Zedek hospital on Jaffa Road covered by wooden beams for protection against the constant shelling during the War of Independence, 1948.
3. A nameless grave in Tel Aviv's historic Trumpeldor cemetery. The marker says only "Po nikbar galmud" meaning something like "Here lies someone who had no one."
During Turkish times (i.e. before 1917) a plague killed so many that no one knew all the names of the dead.
4. Kneading dough for a monastery's daily bread.
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19 comments:

  1. Great illustration!
    I love the special doors.

    My best wishes to you for 2012 Dina:-)

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  2. So interesting and well illustrated!
    Happy Holidays, dear Dina!
    About valenki: they are perfect, natural wool, dense felted boots. They can stand snow without rubber sole (I was wearing them for several hours in winter snow wood at -3-8C with no problem and felt warm and dry).

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  3. «Louis» thanks you for pointing out to him that he posted the wrong Psalm today. He will post Psalm 41 next Sunday, then get back to the correct sequence with Psalm 43 the following Sunday>.

    Happy New Year!

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  4. Thank you for this great door very much. The last pictures fits wonderful; so far, I've never made bread on me own.

    (As I read Psalm 42 and 43 belong together, I wonder whether they should as well be brought together next week?)

    Please have a kind new year ahead.

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  5. Oh, Dina, you can publish an illustrated Psalms! Thank you for explaining the origin of Sylvester for New Year. The Germans use it too. It is a small world and I'm glad you are a part of it!

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  6. Great hospital photos! The 1948 photos show what patients in the old Shaare Zedek hospital must have felt like, sort-of-protected against the war outside. Those old photos are national treasures.

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  7. Blessed be the Lord. Amen and Amen!

    Just now I'm reading Jerusalem, a Biography by Simon Montefiore...wow, what a bloody yet glorious history, and I'm only up to the Emperor Constantine! Lots of bosom friends betraying friends...

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  8. Your Psalm posts are always so interesting and uplifting, Dina.
    Have a Serene and Joyful 2012!

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  9. You have chosen the right pictures fotr this beautiful post!

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  10. I came to your blog through another linklist and was suprised to find a picture of a well known to me kitchen with the dough for the sunday bread on the first page!! :)
    I continued to read some of your post and for sure will do so in the future :)

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  11. Love these photos today. They work with your text.

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  12. Friends, thanks for your encouraging comments.

    Paz, that is amazing! Who, where are you? Did we ever work together?

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  13. Beautiful Dina! Your photos are very well chosen. I am sorry I didn't join the Psalm Challenge this time.

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  14. Dina your illustrations for Psalm 41 are perfect! I like all of them, especially the kneading of the bread!
    Wishing for you the happiest of New Years!

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  15. Dina - Yes, I find it quite amazing as well! Good that you had the dough picture first page when I find this blog!
    I don't think we have met though, but I think I heard of you. Right now I am somewhere else in Europe but hopefully I will be there quite some time this year, so if you happen to come I will reveal myself in person ;) :)
    All the best to you in 2012 and maybe until some day in the kitchen ;)

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  16. hello beautiful Dina, how I love this masterpeice, your heart rending photos.the door of the synagogue sealed shut but we know we can open it with our hearts.-the kneeding of the bread of life - how we shape our lives and it could be in a religious way. etc.
    you said that when I offered a prayer at midnight mass for jerusalem hills daily photo that you felt honoured and I said that your posts are often exalting.... and yes.....and all I was doing was replying to them, well no I didn't say that haha. but I am saying it now.

    Happy New Year again beautiful Dina.
    love and light
    shalom

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  17. Dina, «Louis» was hoping you would add this to Monday Doorways!
    ;-D

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