Poetry and Prayer: A Daily Journey Through the Psalms

A word central to biblical ethics is at the heart of this psalm.

Psalm 142 inspires us to contrast two very different texts about caves.

A comparison between prayer and a rite in the Temple illuminates both.

A verb in Psalm 140 has a parallel and a very different context in the sh’ma.

In Psalm 139, David ponders the omniscience and omnipresence of the Almighty.

David speaks of praising God with a "whole heart." What does that mean?

Psalm 136 may play a special role in the Passover Seder.

Psalm 135 references the different groups of people who will come to the Temple, joined in praise of God.

A Hebrew phrase has opened the last 15 psalms.  What does it mean?

How is the famous verse that opens Psalm 133 linked with the other verses contained in it?

Psalm 132 describes David’s search for the site of the future Temple.

Psalm 131’s themes of humility and trust reflect the essence of David's spiritual life.

A famous phrase opens Psalm 130. What does it mean?

An allusion to part of the plot from the Book of Ruth may be found in our psalm.

A wedding tradition allows us to more deeply understand Psalm 128.

Psalm 127 joins the themes of the Temple and spiritual posterity.

The topography of the land around Jerusalem is transformed into a sublime symbol in this psalm.

The miraculous endurance of the Jewish people is the subject of Psalm 124.

Psalm 123 is a striking contrast to Psalm 122, teaching us about the different emotions reflected in the psalms in their entirety.

Psalm 122 gives us David’s vision of Jerusalem.

Some modern commentators persuasively argue that this famous psalm is originally about a journey.

Psalm 120 introduces the "Songs of Ascent" and has a seemingly jarring conclusion.

Psalm 119 concludes with a surprising ending.

The psalm describes in an intriguing way how one can be near to God in this world.

A beautiful phrase about the luminous nature of the word of God could have a dual meaning.

The psalms describe the Torah as belonging to God, yet Jewish liturgy depicts the Torah as being given. How are these representations to be reconciled?

A fascinating verse describes how the Torah guides everyday life.

A story of a Jew from early America relates to a term for certain commandments in our psalm.

The distinct names for certain commandments teach us about the larger symphony that is a life inspired by the Torah.

The first section of the longest psalm reflects the complexity of the Torah and the way study sustains Jews throughout the generations.