This week’s study is from Tehillim / Psalms 42:1-11, we will briefly discuss the Kabbalistically concept of the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah and its connection to the Yetzer ha’rah and Yetzer ha’tov. The Psalm opens saying א לַמְנַצֵּחַ מַשְֹכִּיל לִבְנֵי-קֹרַח: For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. (NASB) It appears that the sons of Korah are the authors of this Psalm. The Psalmist continues saying ב כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג עַל-אֲפִיקֵי-מָיִם כֵּן נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרֹג אֵלֶיךָ אֱלֹהִים: ג צָמְאָה נַפְשִׁי | לֵאלֹהִים לְאֵל חָי מָתַי אָבוֹא וְאֵרָאֶה פְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים: 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? (NASB) The emotional response of the desire (longing) to draw near to the Lord is paralleled to the deer that needs water. The stream of water is the location of the most danger but is also the source of life. ד הָיְתָה-לִּי דִמְעָתִי לֶחֶם יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה בֶּאֱמֹר אֵלַי כָּל-הַיּוֹם אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ: 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ (NASB) The son of Korah notes that he used to lead the procession to the house of God with praise (42:4). The Psalmist’s soul is in despair and remembers the Lord from the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon and from Mount Mizar (42:5-6). He says ח תְּהוֹם אֶל-תְּהוֹם קוֹרֵא לְקוֹל צִנּוֹרֶיךָ כָּל-מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ: ט יוֹמָם | יְצַוֶּה יְהֹוָה | חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה [שִׁירוֹ] עִמִּי תְּפִלָּה לְאֵל חַיָּי: 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 42:8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. (NASB) What does it mean that “deep calls to deep?” Read More here: Tehillim 42-Part1
