Composed to be sung in the Holy Temple, this psalm praises the glory of Jerusalem, a city that produces many great scholars, eminent personalities and persons of good deeds. It also speaks of the good that will occur in the Messianic age. A place where many Jews pray is the Kotel (Western Wall) in the Old City of Jerusalem. Although Jews can pray anywhere in the world because G-d is everywhere, G-d is experienced more intensively at the Kotel.
- Text Psalm 87
- Hebrew text of Psalm 87 – תהילים פז
- Listen to Psalm 87
- Explanation of Psalm 87 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 87
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Footnote
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 87
From the sons of Korah, a song with musical accompaniment, whose foundation is on the mountains of the Sanctuary. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the mansions of Jacob. Glorious things are said about you, the city of G-d, forever. I will remember Rahab and Babylon of my loved ones. See Philistia and Tire with Cush: “This one was born there.” And it will be said to Zion, “Man after man was born in her,” and He will establish it on high. [When] the Lord counts forever in the writing of the nations, [He will say] “This one was born there.” And both singers and flute players, all my bowels are occupied with you.
Hebrew text of Psalm 87 – תהילים פז
{a} Lebnei Korah, a psalm, a song of its foundation in the holy mountains:
{b} Jehovah loves the gates of Zion, from all the dwellings of Jacob: {c} Honored, the city of God is spoken of Selah: {4} I will tell Rahab and Babylon to know that the Philistine is here, and Zur with Cush will be born there:
{ E} And a man shall say to Zion, and a man shall be born in her, and he shall be exalted: {and} Jehovah shall tell in the writing of the nations that he shall be born there in Selah: ךְ:
Listen to Psalm 87
Listen to Psalm 87 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 87 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
According to Rabbi Rubin, the sight of the Western Temple Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem gives the Jewish heart spiritual energy every time. The old stones seem dignified and humble at the same time. They have seen the joy and sorrow of many Jews. The Kotel is quiet but alive. It has been heard so much and given so much power over the centuries.
Jews have always had a special relationship with this wall. They can open their hearts and throw away their burdensome baggage. Every Jew can feel strength here. He can express his problems here. Here the Jew feels at peace and his feelings are heightened. A Jew who opens his heart will never want to leave this place. He thanks HaShem for the comfort. He feels his heart swelling and is completely anchored in the Will of G-d.
When the time comes for the Jew to depart, the image of the Kotel will remain in his mind and guide the heart. This image can also be evoked in difficult times.
In Psalm 87, King David shows how much this holy place has to offer. It starts with a remarkable insight. Korah’s son Assaf had a prophetic vision when his father perished. Not only was his father swallowed up by the earth, but also the gates of the Temple when it was destroyed. At the end of the vision, the same gates are raised again to their former glory. Rabbi Rubin explains that this offers hope for Jews. No matter how far they have strayed from their roots, they will never be completely lost. HaShem brings the Jews back to Him. The Kotel reminds the Jews of this.
Every place on earth has a special purpose. In Jerusalem, the soul is breathed into new life here. According to Maimonides, Adam was created in this place. Therefore, all life comes from this.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 87
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 1
Of the sons of Korah, a song with musical accompaniment, whose foundation is on the mountains of the Holy Place.
whose foundation is upon the mountains of the Holiest : The foundation of this psalm; the psalmist founded it on the mountains of Zion and Jerusalem.
Verse 3
Glorious things are said about you, the city of G-d, forever.
Glorious things are said about you forever : You, Jerusalem words of glory were spoken about you from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. Now what are the words of glory? That you are the city of G-d forever.
Ver s 4
I will remember Rahab and Babylon of my loved ones. See Philistia and Tire with Cush: “This one was born there.”
I will remember Rahab and Babylon to my beloved : This also spake He concerning thee: I will remember Egypt and Babylon to my beloved, to bring them as a gift, as the matter is stated (Isaiah 66:20): And they shall all your brethren offer etc., an obeisance to the Lord.
See Philistia and Tire with Cush : They too, like Egypt and Babylon, will turn their attention to seeking out and remembering each one.
“This one was born there.” : This was of a family of those born in Zion, as the matter is stated (Isaiah 27:12): ,and ye shall be gathered one by one.,
Verse 5
And it will be said to Zion, “Man after man was born in her,” and He will establish it on high.
And it will be said to Zion, “Man after man was born in her” : And when they bring them in tribute to the Lord, it will be said to Zion about everyone, “This is [one] of those who are exiled from you” or ‘of their generations’. Another explanation: The psalmist says: I will call my people and my loved ones the greatness of Egypt and Babylon, whose greatness they now see. See Philistia and Tire with Cush, because they are near Rahab and Babylon, all nations exalt them [the Israelites] and say of them, ‘This one was born there’, in Egypt or Babylon.,
And it will be said to Zion : “Man na, etc.” : And this praise which is now [addressed] to Rahab and Babylon will be transferred to Zion, and in connection therewith they will say, “So and so and so and so were born in her.”
and He will establish it on high : And the Holy One, blessed be He, will establish it above all cities.
Verse 6
[When] the Lord counts forever in the scripture of the nations, [He will say] “This one was born there.”
[When] the Lord counts forever in the writing of the nations, [He will say] “This one is, etc.” : This is a transposed verse, and סלה refers forever, which is said at the end, to the beginning: when the Lord counts forever in the writing of the nations. That means that in the future, when the Holy One, is blessed He, enrolling the nations for an abomination, He will number the Israelites who are assimilated among them and those who were forced [to leave Judaism] among them and those from among them and [He will] say: ,This one was born of those of Zion,, and He will choose them for Himself. This is what Isaiah says (66:21): ,And of them also I will take for priests and for Levites., Of the nations that bring them in tribute, I will those who have been assimilated among them. And among them there will be priests and Levites who will be unrecognized, but they will be revealed to Me, says the Lord. Now where did He say it? (Deuteronomy 29:28) ,The secret things are of the Lord our God.,
Verse 7
And both singers and pipers, all my bowels are concerned with you.
And both singers and flute players : in this regard.
with you : With your salvation.
as flute players : Hebrew כחללים, an expression of (Judges 21:21) בַּמְחֹלוֹת, musical instruments.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
The Kotel was built by King Solomon in the year 826 before the beginning of the common era. He wanted to have a central place where Jews could pray to G-d. G-d answered his prayers and gave Solomon permission to build the Temple that became G-d’s home. Despite the Temple being destroyed twice, the Shechina never left the Western Wall.
The Western Wall is not part of the Holy Temple. It is the retaining wall of the Temple Mount and was built by King Herod the Great. The wall was not destroyed by the Romans and is still standing after two thousand years. The bottom seven layers of stones date from the time of the Romans. The next part consists of four smaller stones from the Byzantine period. The layer above was built during Muslim rule and the top layer was added in the 19th century, financed by Sir Moses Montefiore.
Because the Temple Mount, according to Jewish law, cannot be entered by Jews in a state of ritual impurity, the western wall is the closest possible point to the ‘gate to heaven’. By the way, there are Jews who do go up to the Temple Mount to pray there. But this is a small minority. 1 Non-Jews are allowed to visit the Temple Mount.
In the 16th century, Suleiman the Magnificent gave Jews the exclusive right to pray at the Western Wall. This remained so until 1947. The British banned Jews from blowing the shofar at this location from 1930 onwards.
Between 1948 and 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem was in the hands of Jordan. In 1967, the Israeli army liberated the Old City and with it the Temple Mount. Israel made a large square in front of the Western Wall. Only 187 feet of the wall is visible. The wall is actually 500 meters long. However, the northern part is hidden behind buildings of the Muslim quarter. Furthermore, seventeen layers of stones are buried underground. This is because the city has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The entire wall can be seen through underground tunnels.
When Jews visit the Kotel after an absence of thirty days, they tear their (old) garments as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and say: Our holy house, our glory, where our parents praised you, is consumed by fire, and everything we hold dear is destroyed (Isaiah 64:10). Garments are not torn on Shabbat, Jewish holidays, Friday afternoons or Rosh Chodesh.
The space in front of the Western Wall is a large open-air synagogue. It is divided into a men’s and women’s section. Jewish men can place phylacteries there. It is a custom to write supplications on a note and put them between the stones .
Many Jewish boys and girls have their bar or bat mitzvah at the Western Wall. Many IDF soldiers are sworn in at the wall after basic training.
Finally, it is important to mention that Jews can pray anywhere because G-d is everywhere. But in some places, such as the Kotel, Jews experience G-d closer. The same applies to certain times and certain situations.
Footnote
1 It is unclear where exactly the Holy of Holies of the Temple was located. Only the High Priest is allowed there. This will only be chosen when the Third Temple is back in place. So all Jews are ritually impure to enter the Temple Mount today, as long as the Temple has not been rebuilt, because they may then enter the site of the Holy of Holies.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.