(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר: (ב) מַה יְּדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ ה’ צְבָא־וֹת:
(1) For the musician, on the “gittis”, a mizmor by the sons of Korach. (2) How cherished are Your dwelling places, Hashem, Master of Legions.
NOTE: For a PDF of this mizmor, please click here. This will enable you to print out the entire text of the article. [Rev. 0]
Key Concepts of Mizmor 084 – My Soul Yearns
This mizmor is one of many in Tehillim that were designed to express the yearnings and tefillos (prayers) of the Jewish nation in a time of Galus (Exile). The singer refers to the heart, body, and soul of the nation, which represents the deepest yearnings of the people, longing to gain access once more to the Bais HaMikdash (Holy Temple in Yerushalayim). They reflect similar feelings experienced by King David during the time when he was a fugitive far from home in the Land of the Plishtim (see Mizmor 011). He desperately wanted to return to the one place in the world where he could be nearest to Hashem.
It was with this yearning that David subsequently sought to built the future Bais HaMikdash. When that privilege was denied him he worked with tireless devotion in laying the groundwork for the House of Hashem to be built by his son Shlomoh.
The thoughts articulated in the mizmor reflect the feelings and aspirations of Jews in Exile throughout history as they dedicate their tefillos to the coming Geulah (Redemption).
Historical Background
This is one of a series of mizmorim that were composed by the sons of Korach and passed down from generation to generation by their descendants (see Mizmor 042). Ultimately, these beautiful mizmorim were edited by King David and incorporated into the sefer Tehillim.
Exploring the Mizmor
PART 1. A SONG OF YEARNING. The mizmor begins with a song expressing the yearning that David felt towards the future dwelling place of Hashem and which Jews have felt throughout the centuries towards their study halls and places of prayer. This part of the mizmor ends with the famous verse “Ashrei” w
(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר: (ב) מַה יְּדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ ה’ צְבָא־וֹת: (ג) נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי לְחַצְרוֹת ה’ לִבִּי וּבְשָׂרִי יְרַנְּנוּ אֶל אֵל חָי: (ד) גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ ה’ צְבָא־וֹת מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹקָי:
(1) For the musician, on the “gittis”, a mizmor by the sons of Korach. (2) How cherished are Your dwelling places, Hashem, Master of Legions. (3) My soul yearns, indeed it faints from longing for the courtyards of Hashem. My heart and my flesh pray fervently to the living G-d. (4) Even the sparrow has found its home and the swallow a nest for herself to place her young. [But we are unable to bring our offerings] at Your altars Hashem, Master of Legions, my King and my G-d.
PART 2. TRANSLATING YEARNING INTO GROWTH. The second part of the mizmor begins with a declaration of gratitude and appreciation for being able to visualize how fine it will be to serve Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash when it is once more rebuilt. This sense of recognition gives us the strength to devote ourselves individually and as a community to moral and spiritual growth so that we will be worthy of overcoming the challenges of the Galus (Exile) and seeing the fulfillment of our dreams.
(ה) אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה: (ו) אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם: (ז) עֹבְרֵי בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא מַעְיָן יְשִׁיתוּהוּ גַּם בְּרָכוֹת יַעְטֶה מוֹרֶה: (ח) יֵלְכוּ מֵחַיִל אֶל חָיִל יֵרָאֶה אֶל אֱלֹקִים בְּצִיּוֹן:
(5) Fortunate are those who live in Your House, may they continue to praise You, Selah. (6) Fortunate is the man that finds his strength in You and [fortunate are all with] pathways [to You] in their hearts. (7) Wandering through the valley of weeping, they make it a place of springs as if the early rain had clothed it with blessings. (8) They advance from strength to strength to appear before G-d in Tzion.
PART 3. TRANSLATING YEARNING INTO TEFILLAH. The third part of the mizmor is a tefillah for the Geulah and the restoration of the Bais HaMikdash. The tefillah invokes the memory of David whose intense yearning was the precursor to the building of the First Bais HaMikdash. We ask Hashem to respond to that yearning and reward it by sending David’s anointed descendant to lead us to that goal once more.
(ט) ה’ אֱלֹקִים צְבָא־וֹת שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה: (י) מָגִנֵּנוּ רְאֵה אֱלֹקִים וְהַבֵּט פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ: (יא) כִּי טוֹב יוֹם בַּחֲצֵרֶיךָ מֵאָלֶף בָּחַרְתִּי הִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּבֵית אֱלֹקַי מִדּוּר בְּאָהֳלֵי רֶשַׁע: (יב) כִּי שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן ה’ אֱלֹקִים חֵן וְכָבוֹד יִתֵּן ה’ לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים: (יג) ה’ צְבָא־וֹת אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ:
(9) Hashem, G-d, Master of Legions, hear my prayer. Listen, O G-d of Yaakov, Selah. (10) O G-d, our shield, see and look at the face of [David,] Your anointed one. (11) For a day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand [elsewhere]. I would rather sit upon the threshold of my G-d’s house than dwell [in comfort] in the tents of lawlessness. (12) For Hashem is a sun and G-d is a shield. Hashem bestows favor and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk in moral integrity. (13) Hashem, Master of Legions, fortunate is the man who trusts in You.
Learning the Mizmor
PART 1. A SONG OF YEARNING.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית
לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר:
לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר:
This song was prepared for the musician — לַמְנַצֵּחַ – who will perform it on the instrument called “gittis” — עַל הַגִּתִּית . It is a mizmor composed by the sons of Korach — לִבְנֵי קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר . The gittis was a unique musical instrument fabricated in the city of Gass in the land of the Plishtim.
(ב) מַה יְּדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ
ה’ צְבָ־אוֹת:
ה’ צְבָ־אוֹת:
How cherished are Your dwelling places in Yerushalayim — מַה יְּדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ ! It is in Your places of holiness that I can feel especially close to You, Hashem, Master of the Legions — ה’ צְבָא־וֹת of Heavenly angels! Although You are attended by sublime beings in Heaven, You have shown a special concern for your holy precincts in the lowly world of mankind.
(ג) נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי לְחַצְרוֹת ה’
My soul yearns, indeed it faints from longing — נִכְסְפָה וְגַם כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי for the courtyards of Hashem — לְחַצְרוֹת ה’ , the holy precincts of the Bais HaMikdash.
לִבִּי וּבְשָׂרִי יְרַנְּנוּ אֶל אֵ־ל חָי:
My heart and my flesh — לִבִּי וּבְשָׂרִי pray fervently to the living G-d — יְרַנְּנוּ אֶל אֵ־ל חָי to makes this dream come true. All my faculties are involved: My heart is the intellect residing in my soul and my flesh is my power of speech which expresses that which is in my heart.
(ד) גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת
וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ
וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ
Even the sparrow has found its home in the ruins of the Bais HaMikdash — גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת and the swallow has made herself a nest — וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ to place her young — אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ . Correspondingly, each soul builds its own “nest” in the House of G-d because there is assigned to each individual his own special task of devotion and upward striving in accordance with the particular nature of his personality.
אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ ה‘ צְבָא־וֹת מַלְכִּי וֵאֱלֹקֵי:
But we are unable to bring our offerings at Your altars — אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ , Hashem, Master of Legions, my King and my G-d — ה’ צְבָא־וֹת מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹקָי .
PART 2. TRANSLATING YEARNING INTO GROWTH.
(ה) אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ
Fortunate — אַשְׁרֵי are those who will see the Bais HaMikdash rebuilt and who will be allowed to live in the environs of Your House — יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ to be close to You and know You.
עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה:
And even if it is only in a replica of that House, where they are permitted to serve You with Torah and Tefillah, may they continue to praise You in gratitude and devotion all the days of their lives, Selah — עוֹד יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה .
(ו) אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ
מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם:
מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם:
Fortunate is the man, wherever he may be, who finds his strength in You — אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם עוֹז לוֹ בָךְ . It is from You that He draws the strength to overcome the challenges to moral, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Fortunate are all who cherish in their hearts the pathways leading up towards You — מְסִלּוֹת בִּלְבָבָם .
(ז) עֹבְרֵי בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא
מַעְיָן יְשִׁיתוּהוּ
גַּם בְּרָכוֹת יַעְטֶה מוֹרֶה:
מַעְיָן יְשִׁיתוּהוּ
גַּם בְּרָכוֹת יַעְטֶה מוֹרֶה:
Wandering through the valley of weeping — עֹבְרֵי בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא , they are strengthened by their suffering and transform their tears into fresh water, making it a place of springs — מַעְיָן יְשִׁיתוּהוּ , as if the early rain had clothed it with blessings — גַּם בְּרָכוֹת יַעְטֶה מוֹרֶה .
(ח) יֵלְכוּ מֵחַיִל אֶל חָיִל
יֵרָאֶה אֶל אֱלֹקִים בְּצִיּוֹן:
יֵרָאֶה אֶל אֱלֹקִים בְּצִיּוֹן:
They advance from strength to strength — יֵלְכוּ מֵחַיִל אֶל חָיִל , climbing through progressive levels of character development and Torah learning. Each of them is motivated by the knowledge that he will appear before G-d in Tzion — יֵרָאֶה אֶל אֱלֹקִים בְּצִיּוֹן , a blessed place of spiritual and intellectual clarity.
PART 3. TRANSLATING YEARNING INTO TEFILLAH.
(ט) ה‘ אֱלֹקִים צְבָא־וֹת שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי
הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹקֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה:
הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹקֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה:
Hashem, G-d, Master of Legions, hear my prayer — ה’ אֱלֹקִים צְבָא־וֹת שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי , bring the Geulah and make my yearnings into a reality so that I will be among those who live in Your house. Listen, O G-d of Yaakov, Selah — הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹקֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה .
(י) מָגִנֵּנוּ רְאֵה אֱלֹקִים
וְהַבֵּט פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ:
וְהַבֵּט פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ:
You Who are our shield, O G-d, see our plight — מָגִנֵּנוּ רְאֵה אֱלֹקִים . Look at the face of David, Your anointed one — וְהַבֵּט פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ , see his efforts to build Your House and so bring the Geulah.
(יא) כִּי טוֹב יוֹם בַּחֲצֵרֶיךָ מֵאָלֶף
בָּחַרְתִּי הִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּבֵית אֱלֹקֵי
מִדּוּר בְּאָהֳלֵי רֶשַׁע:
בָּחַרְתִּי הִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּבֵית אֱלֹקֵי
מִדּוּר בְּאָהֳלֵי רֶשַׁע:
My soul yearns to dwell in Your House for a single day of life in Your courtyards is better than a thousand days elsewhere — כִּי טוֹב יוֹם בַּחֲצֵרֶיךָ מֵאָלֶף . I would rather sit as a beggar upon the threshold of my G-d’s house — בָּחַרְתִּי הִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּבֵית אֱלֹקַי than dwell in comfort in the tents of lawlessness — מִדּוּר בְּאָהֳלֵי רֶשַׁע .
(יב) כִּי שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן ה‘ אֱלֹקִים
חֵן וְכָבוֹד יִתֵּן ה‘
לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים:
חֵן וְכָבוֹד יִתֵּן ה‘
לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים:
For Hashem is like a benevolent sun that grants light in the darkness of Exile and the G-d of justice is a shield to protect us — אֱלֹקִים כִּי שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן ה’ . Hashem bestows favor and honor — חֵן וְכָבוֹד יִתֵּן ה’ . He does not withhold His good from those who walk in moral integrity — לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים .
(יג) ה‘ צְבָא־וֹת
אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ:
אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ:
Hashem, Master of Legions — ה’ צְבָא־וֹת , fortunate is the man who trusts in You — אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ and does give up hope in the coming Geulah, for he will not be deprived of all that is good.
Sources
The primary sources used in the interpretation of the verses in this mizmor are listed below.
א – רד”ק, מצודות
ב – רש”י, אבן יחייא
ג – רש”י, אבן עזרא, רד”ק, המאירי
ד- רד”ק, רשר”ה
ה – רש”י, רד”ק, בן רמוך, נר לרגלי
ו – מצודות, מלבי”ם, המאירי
ז – רשר”ה
ח – מלבי”ם, המאירי, בן רמוך, רשר”ה, נר לרגלי
ט – רש”י, רד”ק, מלבי”ם, בן רמוך
י – רש”י, רד”ק, נר לרגלי
יא – רש”י, אבן עזרא, רד”ק, מלבי”ם
יב – רשר”ה
יג – אבן עזרא, רד”ק