The Lord Is Your Shadow
“The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.”—Psalm 121:5
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.”—Psalm 121:5
Psalm 121 is essentially a prayer for protection. Even
today, it is often recited by Jews before they embark upon any kind of
dangerous journey.
In the opening verse, the psalmist asks, “Where does my help come from?” (verse 1).
The rest of the verses reassure us that “My help comes from the LORD” (verse 2)
Who “will watch over your coming and going both now and
forevermore” (verse 8).
The Lord is our Savior and Protector Who is always by our
side.
In verse 5, the psalmist writes “the LORD is your shade at your right hand.”
Most Sages understand this verse to mean that God is like our
shadow – wherever we go, He goes.
We are accompanied throughout life with the ultimate
bodyguard – He neither sleeps nor slumbers (verse
4).
And nothing can hurt us while He is with us (verse 7).
However, there is one Sage who saw a whole
new meaning in this verse. He taught that just as our shadow mimics our
actions, so too, does God copy what we do.
If I move my right hand, my shadow does the same. If I go
backward, my shadow has to follow.
So too, does God follow our lead. If we are kind and
merciful toward others, then God will treat us with kindness. But if we are
judgmental and cruel, then God will follow our lead and judge us harshly as
well.
I have a
friend with unbelievably kind children. They are tolerant of difficult people
and calm in the face of offensive people.
His whole family
is known for being exceptionally gentle and compassionate. When my children
were still young, I asked my friend the
secret to raising such sweet children.
He said that it was quite simple. He just told his children
often – as often as they would fight with each other – that God would treat
them how they treated others.
This message stuck with them for a lifetime.
This idea is both empowering and sobering. It should cause
us to pause and reflect upon how we treat the people in our lives.
Are we as kind as we would like God to be with us?
Are we as forgiving as we would hope God would be of us?
What we extend to others comes right back to us. So we had better be careful.
It may not seem intuitive, but the most selfish thing
that we can do is to be unselfish toward
others.
The greatest kindness that we can do for ourselves is to be
profusely kind to everyone else!
With prayers for shalom, peace,
My Help Comes from the Lord
Psalm 121 English Standard Version (ESV)
A Song of Ascents.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all
evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President
Holy Land Moments
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