In this psalm of prayers and supplications, the psalmist bitterly mourns the destruction of the temple from the depths of his heart, and speaks of the many blessings that will be realized in its restoration. Happy is he who trusts that it will be rebuilt and does not despair in the face of this long exile. Rabbi Rubin says that Jews walk with pain in their souls when they are far away from Torah life. Jews should focus on the spiritual and not the material. Then their hearts are full and the stories of the Torah lead to righteousness.
- Text Psalm 84
- Hebrew text of Psalm 84 – תהילים פד
- Listen to Psalm 84
- Explanation of Psalm 84 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 84
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 84
For the conductor of the sons of Korah, a song. How beloved are Your abodes, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, it longs for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh pray fervently to the living G-d. Even a bird found a home and swallowed her nest, where she placed her chicks on Your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my G-d.
….Behold our shield, O G‑d, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For one day in Your court is better than a thousand; I chose to sit on the threshold of My G-d’s house rather than dwell in tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; He will not withhold good from those who walk sincerely. O Lord of hosts, happy is the man who trusts in You.
Hebrew text of Psalm 84 – תהילים פד
{a} To triumph over the Gittite for the sons of Korah, a psalm:
{b} What are the friendships of your dwellings, O Lord of hosts: {c} My soul has been ennobled, and my soul has been consumed in the courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh. Let us fly to the living God: {4} Also a bird of prey is found in a house, and a sparrow has a nest for her, whose chicks have drunk From your altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God:
{e} Blessed are the dwellers in your house, and let them walk in peace. K Habak’a from the source of Yeshituhu also blessed Yaeta Morah: {8} They will
go from army to army, fearing God in Zion: {9} Jehovah, God of hosts, hear my prayer, listen, God of Jacob Selah: {1} Protect us, see God, and look upon the face of your Messiah: {1} And when in your courts he is tamed by my choice, he is gathered in the house of my God from the tents of the wicked.
God is gracious and honorable, Jehovah will grant, He will not withhold good from those who walk innocently:
Listen to Psalm 84
Listen to Psalm 84 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 84 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
The soul of man constantly yearns for its Source but feels lost in an ocean of insignificance caused by materialism. However, the soul can gain spiritual heights by listening to stories that offer insight. Stories penetrate to the heart of man and offer the opportunity to cut through the noise of materialism.
One such story concerns two great Hasidic leaders: Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Reb Baruch of Medzibuz. The first had an unbridled passion for all that was holy. He was therefore restless and constantly danced and swayed during his discussion with HaShem. The latter was very determined and extremely dignified in his service to HaShem. He had himself completely under control.
Reb Yitzchak wanted to visit Reb Baruch. But the latter feared that Yitzchak would not be able to control himself. Yet he gave in after promising that he would behave himself. Yitzchak did this on the condition that no one asked him anything that could make his heart soar spiritually.
The visit took place on Shabbat with fish served during the meal. Sweet and sour fish were served . When the waiter asked Reb Yitzchak which fish he liked, he replied that he only likes HaShem. He started dancing and the fish flew through the air and landed on Reb Baruch’s tallit. The servants wanted to wash the tallit, but Reb Baruch did not want that. “I want to wear the tallit colored with a Yid’s love for Hashem,” he explained. The stains remained in the tallit that was passed down from one generation of Hasidic leaders to the next. The spots symbolized how a Jew should feel about love for HaShem.
King David writes about such feelings of longing in Psalm 84. Rabbi Rubin says that Jews walk with pain in their souls when they are far away from Torah life. However, the sacred stories give strength and hope. Jews need HaShem because without a bond with Him they are nothing. David writes that even birds know where their home is, where they need to be. Jews should focus on the spiritual and not the material. Then their hearts are full and the stories lead to justice. The stories are a foretaste of heaven while the Jews are here on earth. They go well with the Psalms.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 84
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 2
How beloved are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts!
How beloved are Your abodes : How loved and dear are Your abodes!
Verse 3
My soul longs, yes, it longs for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh pray fervently to the living G-d.
desires : Hebrew נכספה wishes.
yearns : Hebrew כלתה, desires, as (II Samuel 13:39): ,And [the soul of] King David desired (ותכל) to go to Absalom.,
to the courts of the Lord : for they are destroyed, and he saith this of the captivity.
my heart and my flesh pray fervently : They pray for this.
Verse 4
Even a bird found a house and swallowed its nest, where it placed its chicks on Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my G-d.
Even a bird found a home : In its ruins the birds have nested. According to Midrash Aggadah (Midrash Psalm 84:2), it speaks of [the Temple] when it is built, and the bird is the nation of Israel.
Verse 5
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will praise You forever.
Blessed is he who will merit to dwell in Your house, and yet they will praise You in their midst.
Verse 6
Blessed is the man who has strength in You, in whose heart are the highways. who
has power in You : Who has made You the strength of his trust.
in whose heart are the highways : Who in his heart remembers the pavement of his ways, to make his way straight.
Verse 7
Transgressors in the valley of Vienna make it a fountain; also with blessings they wrap [their] Teacher.
Transgressors in the Valley of Weeping : Those who transgress Your law, behold, they are in the depths of Gehinnom with weeping and wailing.
make it a fountain : with the tears of their eyes.
also with blessings they wrap [their] Teacher : They bless and thank His name, saying, “He has judged us fairly, and His judgment is true.” (Another explanation: Shem Ephraim) And the one who taught us to follow the right path covers us with blessings, but we disobeyed him.
Verse 8
They go from host to host; he will appear to G-d in Zion.
They go from host to host : Those mentioned above, who dwell in Your house, in whose hearts are the highways.
from host to host : From the study hall to the synagogue, and their host and host will appear to the Holy One, blessed be He, in Zion.
Verse 9
O Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer; bend Your ear, O God of Jacob, forever.
listen to my prayer : to build Your house.
Verse 10
Behold our shield, O G-d, and look upon the face of Your anointed.
our shield : That is the temple that protects us.
look at the face : David Your anointed, and consider his deeds of kindness and his toil, whereby he toiled and labored in his building.
Verse 11
For one day in Your court is better than a thousand; I chose to sit on the threshold of My G-d’s house rather than dwell in tents of wickedness.
For one day is better : To live one [day] in Your court and to die the next [is better than] to live a thousand years elsewhere.
I chose to sit on the threshold : Hebrew הסתופף, to usually sit on the threshold and at the doorpost.
instead of dwelling in the tents of wickedness : instead of dwelling quietly in the tents of wicked Esau, to cleave to them.
Verse 12
For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; He will not withhold good from those who walk sincerely.
For a sun and a shield : שמש can be interpreted according to its plain meaning, but Midrashic Psalms interprets it as an expression of the points of the wall.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
Rabbi Rubin gives an example of a story, as described above. Judaism has endless stories. According to the Torah, the Torah itself is also presented in the form of a story, where the Zohar (book on Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism) explains that one should not only look at the story, but especially at the deeper meaning. King Solomon, spoke in parables. This is a method of conveying a deep point. That’s why these parables exist. In this way people are able to connect with the Essence of G-d.
The Midrash, which appears frequently in the Talmud, also contains many stories (aggada). It is, according to the Zohar, the gateway to contact the author of the Torah. The aggada is said to contain most of the secrets of the Torah. To immediately understand the secrets of the Torah you must have love and wisdom in your heart. Those who have only love but no wisdom will discover the truth step by step. But those who do not have love and wisdom in their hearts will not understand the secrets.
According to the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, the Torah is not about reality, but the Torah creates reality. Things first exist in Torah and then emerge into the created world. The world is the backdrop to G-d ‘s story. G-d communicates with the world through the Torah. It is up to man to understand and follow G-d’s hints. And what applies to the Torah also applies to the Midrash. The stories speak from a higher level of reality. Even if man does not understand the stories, it still has the truth.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.