(Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, based on the book Kedushat Levi)
Tehillim 150 — The Soul’s Return to the Body
Tehillim 150 — The Soul’s Return to the Body
Tehillim 150:6
— “Kol ha-neshamah — Hallelujah” — (let every soul praise G-d).
When we want to thank Hashem, we begin with the words: “Thank You for every breath.”
Why?
The Sages teach that we must praise the Creator for every breath.
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Hanina: “It (the soul) returns and renews the body’s vitality not only during sleep, but with every breath. Therefore, we too must praise the Almighty—the source of this vitality—for every breath a person takes; for each breath, one should praise the Holy One, blessed be He. What is the basis for this? ‘Let every soul praise the L-rd’ (Tehillim 150:6)—for every breath (neshimah). (Bereshit Rabbah 14:9)
It follows that with every breath, the soul attempts to leave a person and return to the L-rd who gave it. But Hashem, in His mercy, causes the soul to return to the body each time. Thus, every breath is a new life and a reason to bless the Creator—and to desire even more to serve Him.
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Tags: The Hidden Meaning of Tehillim, Neshama, Tehillim 150, Tehillim 150 – How Hashem Restores the Soul to the Body, the return of the soul to the body
