TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 102
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1A prayer of the lowly man when he is faint and pours forth his plea before Hashem.
אתְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי־יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ׃
2Hashem, hear my prayer; let my cry come before You.
ביְהֹוָה שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי וְשַׁוְעָתִי אֵלֶיךָ תָבוֹא׃
3Do not hide Your face from me in my time of trouble; turn Your ear to me; when I cry, answer me speedily.
גאַל־תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי בְּיוֹם צַר לִי הַטֵּה־אֵלַי אָזְנֶךָ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי׃
4For my days have vanished like smoke and my bones are charred like a hearth.
דכִּי־כָלוּ בְעָשָׁן יָמָי וְעַצְמוֹתַי כְּמוֹ־קֵד נִחָרוּ׃
5My body is stricken and withered like grass; too wasted to eat my food;
ההוּכָּה־כָעֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַשׁ לִבִּי כִּי־שָׁכַחְתִּי מֵאֲכֹל לַחְמִי׃
6on account of my vehement groaning my bones show through my skin.
ומִקּוֹל אַנְחָתִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי לִבְשָׂרִי׃
7I am like a great owl in the wilderness, an owl among the ruins.
זדָּמִיתִי לִקְאַת מִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי כְּכוֹס חֳרָבוֹת׃
8I lie awake; I am like a lone bird upon a roof.
חשָׁקַדְתִּי וָאֶהְיֶה כְּצִפּוֹר בּוֹדֵד עַל־גָּג׃
9All day long my enemies revile me; my deriders use my name to curse.
טכָּל־הַיּוֹם חֵרְפוּנִי אוֹיְבָי מְהוֹלָלַי בִּי נִשְׁבָּעוּ׃
10For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears,
יכִּי־אֵפֶר כַּלֶּחֶם אָכָלְתִּי וְשִׁקֻּוַי בִּבְכִי מָסָכְתִּי׃
11because of Your wrath and Your fury; for You have cast me far away.
יאמִפְּנֵי־זַעַמְךָ וְקִצְפֶּךָ כִּי נְשָׂאתַנִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי׃
12My days are like a lengthening shadow; I wither like grass.
יביָמַי כְּצֵל נָטוּי וַאֲנִי כָּעֵשֶׂב אִיבָשׁ׃
13But You, Hashem, are enthroned forever; Your fame endures throughout the ages.
יגוְאַתָּה יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וְזִכְרְךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר׃
14You will surely arise and take pity on Tzion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come.
ידאַתָּה תָקוּם תְּרַחֵם צִיּוֹן כִּי־עֵת לְחֶנְנָהּ כִּי־בָא מוֹעֵד׃
15Your servants take delight in its stones, and cherish its dust.
kee ra-TZU a-va-DE-kha et a-va-NE-ha v'-et a-fa-RAH y'-kho-NAY-nu
טוכִּי־רָצוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת־אֲבָנֶיהָ וְאֶת־עֲפָרָהּ יְחֹנֵנוּ׃
102:15 Your servants… cherish its dust
Verse 14 contains a promise from Hashem, repeated often in the Bible, to redeem His people. Many ask by what right do the Children of Israel deserve to be redeemed. This verse implies that the answer lies in their commitment to the Land of Israel; even if the Jewish people demonstrate insufficient commitment to Torah, as long as they love the dust and the stones of Israel, God will consider this sufficient to allow for the redemption. Many of the early twentieth-century Zionists may not have been religiously observant, but nevertheless, it was their love of the land which paved the way for the beginning of the flowering of the redemption.
16The nations will fear the name of Hashem, all the kings of the earth, Your glory.
טזוְיִירְאוּ גוֹיִם אֶת־שֵׁם יְהֹוָה וְכָל־מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ אֶת־כְּבוֹדֶךָ׃
17For Hashem has built Tzion; He has appeared in all His glory.
יזכִּי־בָנָה יְהֹוָה צִיּוֹן נִרְאָה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ׃
18He has turned to the prayer of the destitute and has not spurned their prayer.
יחפָּנָה אֶל־תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר וְלֹא־בָזָה אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָם׃
19May this be written down for a coming generation, that people yet to be created may praise Hashem.
יטתִּכָּתֶב זֹאת לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן וְעַם נִבְרָא יְהַלֶּל־יָהּ׃
20For He looks down from His holy height; Hashem beholds the earth from heaven
ככִּי־הִשְׁקִיף מִמְּרוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ יְהֹוָה מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶל־אֶרֶץ הִבִּיט׃
21to hear the groans of the prisoner, to release those condemned to death;
כאלִשְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר לְפַתֵּחַ בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה׃
22that the fame of Hashem may be recounted in Tzion, His praises in Yerushalayim,
כבלְסַפֵּר בְּצִיּוֹן שֵׁם יְהֹוָה וּתְהִלָּתוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
23when the nations gather together, the kingdoms, to serve Hashem.
כגבְּהִקָּבֵץ עַמִּים יַחְדָּו וּמַמְלָכוֹת לַעֲבֹד אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃
24He drained my strength in mid-course, He shortened my days.
כדעִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כחו [כֹּחִי] קִצַּר יָמָי׃
25I say, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, You whose years go on for generations on end.
כהאֹמַר אֵלִי אַל־תַּעֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִי יָמָי בְּדוֹר דּוֹרִים שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ׃
26Of old You established the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands.
כולְפָנִים הָאָרֶץ יָסַדְתָּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ שָׁמָיִם׃
27They shall perish, but You shall endure; they shall all wear out like a garment; You change them like clothing and they pass away.
כזהֵמָּה יֹאבֵדוּ וְאַתָּה תַעֲמֹד וְכֻלָּם כַּבֶּגֶד יִבְלוּ כַּלְּבוּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵם וְיַחֲלֹפוּ׃
28But You are the same, and Your years never end.
כחוְאַתָּה־הוּא וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ לֹא יִתָּמּוּ׃
29May the children of Your servants dwell securely and their offspring endure in Your presence.”
כטבְּנֵי־עֲבָדֶיךָ יִשְׁכּוֹנוּ וְזַרְעָם לְפָנֶיךָ יִכּוֹן׃
