Tehillim 80 and the Mystery of the Central Letter of the Entire Book of Tehillim

Tehillim 80 and the Mystery of the Central Letter of the Entire Book of Tehillim

Tehillim 80:14 יְכַרְסְמֶ֣נָּֽה חֲזִ֣יר מִיָּ֑עַר וְזִ֖יז שָׂדַ֣י יִרְעֶֽנָּה “Yekharesmenah chazir miya'ar, veziz sadai yir'enah” – (The boar from the forest gnaws at it, and the wild animal of the field feeds on it. G-d of Hosts.) In Daniel's well-known prophecy, each of the kingdoms that would rule over the people of Israel is compared to a “beast”: the first to a lion, the second to a bear, and the third to a leopard (Daniel 7:4–6). But the name of the “fourth beast” is not given; it is merely described as “terrifying and exceedingly mighty.” And throughout Scripture, this “beast” is never mentioned by name. Yet one Psalm contains a hint that this beast represents Rome: “The boar from the forest (chazir mi-ya'ar) gnaws at it”—that is, at the vine symbolizing the people of Israel (Tehillim 80:14). The Mekubalim who counted all the letters in the Torah note that the letter “ע” (ayin) in the word “מיער” – mi-ya'ar (from the forest) in this chapter of Tehillim is the midpoint of the entire Book of Tehillim—its central letter (Kiddushin 30a). And it is written in an unusual form—as though it were “suspended” above the line [see photo]. Without it, only three letters remain in the word, forming “רמי” (Romi—Rome). In Sefer Bereishit (Vayishlach), the descendants of Esav are listed, including: “The chief of Magdiel and the chief of Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom…” Now, the name Iram עירם consists of the same letters as the word “mi-ya'ar” (מיער)—and this is the same “boar from the forest” of Rome. Regarding the future downfall of the empire descended from Esav, the Torah says: “And Edom shall be vanquished, and Seir shall be vanquished by his enemies (that is, by the people of Israel), while Israel shall triumph. A descendant of Yaakov shall rule, and he shall destroy the survivors of the city” (Bamidbar 24:18–19). The word מעיר “me'ir” (from the city) consists of the same letters as “mi-ya'ar” (“from the forest”), which hints at Rome, the capital of the “fourth kingdom,” founded by the descendants of Esav, the “boar from the forest.”   (Rabbeinu Bachya on Bereishit 36:39)