Emuna Hour

What do you do when you're pinned down in a nasty crossfire? How does it feel when bombs are exploding all around you? What do you do when you look at your watch and calculate that your life expectancy is lesson than a minute? Such a picture is amazingly similar to King David's predicament when he wrote these Psalms.

The more a person gets to know the Almighty, the more he or she wants to praise His Name. All of creation knows its Creator and incessantly sings in reverence to Him. Hashem is the ultimate good, omniscient and invincible. He is also absolute truth and justice. Nothing escapes Him, neither the slightest good deed nor the schemes of sinister people. The more we trust in Him, the happier we are.

King David teaches that a humble individual is never lost or bewildered. The truly humble person merits Hashem's personal guidance. That way, he or she is always walking on the right path.

No one suffered the amount and severity of tribulations that King David did. Yet, he found solace in his unswerving trust in Hashem. In history's best-known Psalm, he shows us how to find the calming waters in a world of turbulent seas…

When an infantry squad is pinned down from massive enemy fire, it calls in air or artillery support. When an emergency in life pins us down, we can do even better and follow King David's advice. We call out for Divine support…

King David had one main preparation for battle – Psalm 18. And, when the battle was over, he had one mode of debriefing – Psalm 18. In fact, Psalm 18 was his secret weapon. It worked for King David and it can work for all of us.

What do you do when your heart is breaking? How do you cope when you feel all alone and no one understands what you're up against? Pick up King David's Psalms. King David dealt with the same challenges you deal with now. He has the right words for you, especially in Psalms 14 – 17.

The four highly dramatic Psalms 10, 11, 12 and 13 were King David's cries from the depth of his soul. He felt all alone. He couldn't understand why the evil people were succeeding on all sides and the righteous were downtrodden. His heart ached at the success of the tyrants at the expense of the meek and the helpless. He couldn't understand why Hashem seemed to be closing a blind eye to evil, crime and blasphemy. Then, when all seems lost, King David makes his comback. We can all relate to these four Psalms. Reciting them is a ticket to salvation.

King David teaches us how to live in security, both on a personal and national level. He also provides us with timeless advice for making our prayers much more powerful. These three Psalms are conducive for protecting ourselves against our enemies, both physical and spiritual.

After last week's introduction to the Book of Psalms, we now learn the first three Psalms. King David is a role model for all of us. His soul was a kaleidoscope of all of our souls. Therefore, as Rebbe Nachman teaches, each one of us can see ourselves in the Book of Psalms. They reflect our pain and struggles. The Psalms open our hearts and enable us to express ourselves from deep down inside.

As the "all inclusive" soul, King David's soul was a kaleidoscope of all our souls. His suffering was a compendium of all of our suffering. David's song, his Book of Psalms, is therefore our song, for every person on earth for posterity. No wonder that the Book of Psalms is by far history's greatest best-seller. These Psalms are capable of arousing the heart. So much so, that tears often well up in our eyes when we recite them. Those who say Psalms with sincerity can literally find themselves and their own circumstances within David's holy words. Here's why...

In Israel, there's no longer anyplace to hide. With missile attacks now reaching every area of the country, everyone is exposed to potential danger. Increasing threats of antisemitic violence overseas means that there's no escaping from the storm of stress and anxiety anywhere in today's world. Yet, there is one place where a person can find quiet within the storm. Open up Psalm 62...