Tehillim 27 – What a Person Can Rely On

Tehillim 27 – What a Person Can Rely On

Tehillim 27:3 “Im takum alai milchamah, bazot ani vote'ach” – (If they wage war against me, I place my trust in this (be-zot)). “Be-zot”—“in this”—refers to the Torah, as it is said: “and this is the Torah”. It is well known that when the Temple stood, atonement for sins was achieved through sacrifices offered by the Kohanim. But today, every Jew can be like a Kohen who brings about atonement. What should a person who has sinned do when he now regrets his actions and wishes to rectify what he has done? One who knows that he is capable of fasting should not neglect it. This is hinted at in three words: קול (voice), צום (fasting), ממון (money); the numerical value of each of these three words is the same: 136. The sum of all three—קול – צום – ממון—has the same gematria as the word זאת – “this”: 408. As King David said: “In this I place my trust.” In the Torah (voice)—the voice of Yaakov; in repentance (fasting) and acts of kindness (tzedakah)—I place my trust. (“Ahavat Chaim” – Chacham Rav Menachem Menashe, Vayikra, Tzav)