Tehillim 100 – Three Spiritual Laws of the Psalm of Thanksgiving

Three Spiritual Laws of the 100th Psalm of Thanksgiving

1. One who recites the 100th Psalm throughout his life will never need to recite Psalm 20! Psalm 100 is called the Psalm of Thanksgiving after its opening words: "Mizmor LeTodah". Rav Elimelech Biderman explained the importance of thanking the Almighty throughout one's life as follows: the Torah states: “And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years” (Genesis 23:1). Why are Sarah's years divided into one hundred, twenty, and seven? Rashi (zechuto yagen aleinu) writes that just as Sarah was free of sin at the age of 20, since Heaven does not judge a person before the age of 20, so too was she free of sin at the age of 100. He also explains that at the age of 20, Sarah was as beautiful as she had been at the age of 7. This is well known. Rav Biderman sees in this division into 100 and 20 a hint of another insight, far removed from the simple meaning of the Torah's text: “One who recites the hundredth Psalm throughout his life will not need to recite the twentieth!” A person who constantly has the 100th Psalm of gratitude to the Almighty in his heart will not need to sustain himself with the words of Psalm 20: “May the L-rd answer you on the day of distress.” 2. One who thanks the Almighty for the miracle of his salvation saves himself from other troubles. Rabbeinu Chida writes in his book “Dvash Le-Fi” that a person who thanks the Almighty for the miracle of his salvation saves himself from other troubles. This spiritual law was recorded by King David in Psalm 76: “When anger against a person turns into gratitude to You, You will restrain the remnant of anger.” (Tehillim 76:11) “You will restrain the remnant of anger”—that is, there will be no further troubles. 3. One who thanks the Almighty every day is as though he were bringing a thanksgiving offering in the Temple. Psalm 100 is recited daily in the weekday prayer service because this psalm contains a verse connected with the thanksgiving offering, which was brought in the Temple only on weekdays. The section of Torah studied on weekdays is halakhah. The first letters of the words in the verse “hariu la-Ad-nai kol ha-aretz” (shout joyfully to the Almighty throughout the earth) from Psalm 100 form the word “halakhah.” (Ben Ish Chai (halachot), “David's Candle” by R. M. Abramovich)