In honor of Israel’s 75th birthday, Israel365 is excited to launch a new series of essays that will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew Bible!
Excerpted from Rabbi Akiva Gersh’s forthcoming book, 75 Hebrew Words You Need to Understand the Bible, these essays illuminate the connection between related Hebrew words, revealing Biblical secrets only accessible through Hebrew.
Enjoy the series – and happy 75th birthday to the State of Israel!
שֶ××Ö·×
SHEVACH
SHEH-VACH
PRAISE
×××Ø ××××Ø ×ש×× ×עש×× ×××××Ø×Ŗ×× ×××××.
×××× ××Ŗ ×××× ×× ×××× ×©××××× ×× ×××××.
Throughout the Book of Psalms, King David uses the Hebrew word shevach, āpraise,ā to express his love for God and his longing to draw closer to Him. Praising God is of such importance that every Jewish prayer service ends with a prayer of praise that begins with the words āIt is upon us to praise the Master of all.ā Praising God helps us recognize His greatness and reminds us that He provides us with life.
This is why the Jewish morning prayer service begins with a selection of Psalms referred to as āVerses of Praise.ā Reciting the powerful words that King David used to praise God opens up our hearts and our souls to do the same, helping us begin each day with open eyes to see Godās wonders in the world around us and Godās providence in our lives. We are greatly indebted to King David for writing the Book of Psalms, which is most fundamentally a book of praise, so that we can always find the words we need to praise God.
āExtol God, all you nations, praise Him, all you peoplesā (Psalms 117:1). King David describes a future reality in which the entire world, with its great diversity of peoples and nations, praises God. How will we achieve this ideal state? The Psalm continues: āFor His love for us is great and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Hallelujah!ā (Psalms 117:2). When humanity realizes how much God loves us and that God is the source of truth, conveyed to us through the Bible, all of mankind will be moved to praise Him.
