Tehillim 6 – How to Shame One’s Enemies

Tehillim 6 – How to Shame One’s Enemies

Tehillim 6:11 “Yevoshu veyibahalu me’od kol oyvai, yashuvu yevoshu raga” – (all my enemies will be utterly shamed and terrified; [and if] they return, they will be put to shame at once). David HaMelech wrote these words while he was ill. Here he prophesies about the time when his enemies will see that he has recovered: “They will be utterly shamed and terrified,” those who rejoiced at his downfall and hoped and waited for his death. “They will return and be put to shame at once” – when they see that their plans have not come to pass. Then they will return to him in peace, and they will be ashamed to stand before him. Rabbi Meir Alma, in his commentary on Tehillim, Meir Tehillot, offers another interpretation of this verse. This verse speaks of the advantage enjoyed by one who repents and returns to the Almighty over one who has not truly, sincerely, and completely returned, or has not returned at all. “All my enemies will be utterly shamed and terrified” – the enemies of the Almighty who have not returned to Him. “They will be utterly shamed and terrified” – in the World to Come. But if they “return, they will be put to shame at once.” The literal translation of these words is: “They will experience shame for a moment.” A person must experience shame for the sins he committed in the past. But a moment of shame in this world is better than intense shame in the World to Come. Rabbi Meir Alma also draws attention to two words in this verse: “will be shamed” – in Hebrew, this is one word, יבשו – “yevoshu” – and the second word, “will return” – in Hebrew, “yashuvu” – ישבו. These two Hebrew words are spelled almost identically; only the positions of the letters bet and shin are switched. This hints that every person has two paths before him: either to return, or later to experience shame in the future. Both words have a gematria of 318, equal to the gematria of the name of Abraham’s servant, Eliezer. In Hebrew, Eliezer – אליעזר – “G-d is my help” – and this means that G-d helps the person who decides to return. This pasuk is also connected with the month of Iyar. The Month of Iyar The first letters of the last four words of this pasuk, “oyvai, yashuvu, yevoshu, raga,” form the acronym of the word Iyar – אייר, the month of healing. The double repetition of the word “yevoshu” in this pasuk hints at the neutralization of the forces of evil. Kabbalah connects the hidden essence of Iyar with Shabbat – with the three Shabbat meals. Each one is preceded by the ritual of Kiddush, recited over a cup of wine. It is specifically through the ritual of Kiddush that the forces of evil, which emerge in the world during the month of Iyar , are cast down into the dust. This is hinted at by the verse: “All my enemies will be utterly shamed and terrified; [and if] they return, they will be put to shame at once.” The first letter of the word “oyvai” (“my enemies”) is alef; the first letter of the word “yashuvu” (“will repent”) is yud; the first letter of the word “yevoshu” (“their shame”) is yud; and the first letter of the word “raga” (“a moment”) is resh. Together, they form the word “Iyar” (alef, yud, yud, resh). The gematria of the word “Revayah” (“full,” “quenching one’s thirst”) is: resh (200) + vav (6) + yud (10) + hei (5) = 221. The gematria of the word “Iyar” is: alef (1) + yud (10) + yud (10) + resh (200) = 221. (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov; David’s Candle by Moshe Abramovich)