What is Wisdom? Psalm 72

ByTara Mizrachi

A Taste of Tehillim

תהילים ע״ב

(א) לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀ אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ תֵּ֑ן וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ לְבֶן־מֶֽלֶךְ׃ (ב) יָדִ֣ין עַמְּךָ֣ בְצֶ֑דֶק וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (ג) יִשְׂא֤וּ הָרִ֓ים שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם לָעָ֑ם וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ (ד) יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀ עֲ‍ֽנִיֵּי־עָ֗ם י֭וֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶבְי֑וֹן וִֽידַכֵּ֣א עוֹשֵֽׁק׃ (ה) יִֽירָא֥וּךָ עִם־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְלִפְנֵ֥י יָ֝רֵ֗חַ דּ֣וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃ (ו) יֵ֭רֵד כְּמָטָ֣ר עַל־גֵּ֑ז כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים זַרְזִ֥יף אָֽרֶץ׃ (ז) יִֽפְרַח־בְּיָמָ֥יו צַדִּ֑יק וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַד־בְּלִ֥י יָרֵֽחַ׃ (ח) וְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ (ט) לְ֭פָנָיו יִכְרְע֣וּ צִיִּ֑ים וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו עָפָ֥ר יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃ (י) מַלְכֵ֬י תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ וְ֭אִיִּים מִנְחָ֣ה יָשִׁ֑יבוּ מַלְכֵ֥י שְׁבָ֥א וּ֝סְבָ֗א אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃ (יא) וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֥וֹ כָל־מְלָכִ֑ים כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יַֽעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃ (יב) כִּֽי־יַ֭צִּיל אֶבְי֣וֹן מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝עָנִ֗י וְֽאֵין־עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃ (יג) יָ֭חֹס עַל־דַּ֣ל וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ (יד) מִתּ֣וֹךְ וּ֭מֵחָמָס יִגְאַ֣ל נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְיֵיקַ֖ר דָּמָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ (טו) וִיחִ֗י וְיִתֶּן־לוֹ֮ מִזְּהַ֪ב שְׁ֫בָ֥א וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל בַּעֲד֣וֹ תָמִ֑יד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם יְבָרֲכֶֽנְהֽוּ׃ (טז) יְהִ֤י פִסַּת־בַּ֨ר ׀ בָּאָרֶץ֮ בְּרֹ֪אשׁ הָ֫רִ֥ים יִרְעַ֣שׁ כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן פִּרְי֑וֹ וְיָצִ֥יצוּ מֵ֝עִ֗יר כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (יז) יְהִ֤י שְׁמ֨וֹ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם לִפְנֵי־שֶׁמֶשׁ֮ ינין [יִנּ֪וֹן] שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֑וֹ כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃ (יח) בָּר֤וּךְ ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֹשֵׂ֖ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת לְבַדּֽוֹ׃ (יט) וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀ שֵׁ֥ם כְּבוֹד֗וֹ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם וְיִמָּלֵ֣א כְ֭בוֹדוֹ אֶת־כֹּ֥ל הָאָ֗רֶץ אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃ (כ) כָּלּ֥וּ תְפִלּ֑וֹת דָּ֝וִ֗ד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

Psalms 72

(1) Of Solomon. O God, endow the king with Your judgments, the king’s son with Your righteousness; (2) that he may judge Your people rightly, Your lowly ones, justly. (3) Let the mountains produce well-being for the people, the hills, the reward of justice. (4) Let him champion the lowly among the people, deliver the needy folk, and crush those who wrong them. (5) Let them fear You as long as the sun shines, while the moon lasts, generations on end. (6) Let him be like rain that falls on a mown field, like a downpour of rain on the ground, (7) that the righteous may flourish in his time, and well-being abound, till the moon is no more. (8) Let him rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth. (9) Let desert-dwellers kneel before him, and his enemies lick the dust. (10) Let kings of Tarshish and the islands pay tribute, kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. (11) Let all kings bow to him, and all nations serve him. (12) For he saves the needy who cry out, the lowly who have no helper. (13) He cares about the poor and the needy; He brings the needy deliverance. (14) He redeems them from fraud and lawlessness; the shedding of their blood weighs heavily upon him. (15) So let him live, and receive gold of Sheba; let prayers for him be said always, blessings on him invoked at all times. (16) Let abundant grain be in the land, to the tops of the mountains; let his crops thrive like the forest of Lebanon; and let men sprout up in towns like country grass. (17) May his name be eternal; while the sun lasts, may his name endure; let men invoke his blessedness upon themselves; let all nations count him happy. (18) Blessed is the LORD God, God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things; (19) Blessed is His glorious name forever; His glory fills the whole world. Amen and Amen. (20) End of the prayers of David son of Jesse.

עברית

What do Psalms say about wisdom?

Psalm 72

“For Solomon:

Elokim Your judgment to the king give;

And your righteousness

to the son of the king.”

This is the last of the psalms by David, she explains. As he passes the yolk of leadership to his son, Solomon, he gives his son a blessing that the wisdom to judge be guided by God’s infinite wisdom.

With this, Solomon, whose name is derived from the same root as "peace," does reign. His kingship over Israel is notable for breaking all barriers. Great kindness toward the needy, and with that wealth beyond measure, the building of a Temple so beautiful, it was known far and wide. Its treasure and the Temple’s greatness were so vast that when conquered the marble and gold was used to build the Colosseum - the “jewel of Rome” and later quarried to build the Vatican. Its foundation stones were larger and heavier than the stones of the pyramids.

For King David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, through whom the timeless praises of God flowed - the most meaningful blessing he could give his son was the blessing of wisdom. And with the blessing of wisdom, all the many blessings of the time of Solomon's reign flowed.

Wisdom is a quality each of us is able to attain. The eternal wisdom of God is accessible to us since all wisdom ultimately comes from God, the source of all blessing. And so the last psalm of David ends thus:

“Blessed (the source of all blessing)

is the Lord God,

the God of Israel,

who alone performs wonders.

Blessed is His glorious name for ever,

And may the whole earth be filled

with His glory,

Amen, and Amen.

The prayers of David,

son of Jesse are concluded."

(excerpt from the book "Software for the Soul: Psalms for Everyone - discovering the inner meanings"

Click Here for the link.)