TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 77

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1For the leader; on Yedutun. Of Asaf. A psalm.

אלַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־ידיתון [יְדוּתוּן] לְאָסָף מִזְמוֹר׃

2I cry aloud to Hashem; I cry to Hashem that He may give ear to me.

בקוֹלִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִים וְאֶצְעָקָה קוֹלִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִים וְהַאֲזִין אֵלָי׃

3In my time of distress I turn to Hashem, with my hand [uplifted]; [my eyes] flow all night without respite; I will not be comforted.

גבְּיוֹם צָרָתִי אֲדֹנָי דָּרָשְׁתִּי יָדִי לַיְלָה נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תָפוּג מֵאֲנָה הִנָּחֵם נַפְשִׁי׃

4I call Hashem to mind, I moan, I complain, my spirit fails. Selah.

דאֶזְכְּרָה אֱלֹהִים וְאֶהֱמָיָה אָשִׂיחָה וְתִתְעַטֵּף רוּחִי סֶלָה׃

5You have held my eyelids open; I am overwrought, I cannot speak.

האָחַזְתָּ שְׁמֻרוֹת עֵינָי נִפְעַמְתִּי וְלֹא אֲדַבֵּר׃

6My thoughts turn to days of old, to years long past.

וחִשַּׁבְתִּי יָמִים מִקֶּדֶם שְׁנוֹת עוֹלָמִים׃

7I recall at night their jibes at me; I commune with myself; my spirit inquires,

זאֶזְכְּרָה נְגִינָתִי בַּלָּיְלָה עִם־לְבָבִי אָשִׂיחָה וַיְחַפֵּשׂ רוּחִי׃

8“Will Hashem reject forever and never again show favor?

חהַלְעוֹלָמִים יִזְנַח אֲדֹנָי וְלֹא־יֹסִיף לִרְצוֹת עוֹד׃

9Has His faithfulness disappeared forever? Will His promise be unfulfilled for all time?

טהֶאָפֵס לָנֶצַח חַסְדּוֹ גָּמַר אֹמֶר לְדֹר וָדֹר׃

10Has Hashem forgotten how to pity? Has He in anger stifled His compassion?” Selah.

יהֲשָׁכַח חַנּוֹת אֵל אִם־קָפַץ בְּאַף רַחֲמָיו סֶלָה׃

11And I said, “It is my fault that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

יאוָאֹמַר חַלּוֹתִי הִיא שְׁנוֹת יְמִין עֶלְיוֹן׃

12I recall the deeds of Hashem; yes, I recall Your wonders of old;

יבאזכיר [אֶזְכּוֹר] מַעַלְלֵי־יָהּ כִּי־אֶזְכְּרָה מִקֶּדֶם פִּלְאֶךָ׃

13I recount all Your works; I speak of Your acts.

יגוְהָגִיתִי בְכָל־פָּעֳלֶךָ וּבַעֲלִילוֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה׃

14O Hashem, Your ways are holiness; what god is as great as Hashem?

ידאֱלֹהִים בַּקֹּדֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּךָ מִי־אֵל גָּדוֹל כֵּאלֹהִים׃

15You are the God who works wonders; You have manifested Your strength among the peoples.

טואַתָּה הָאֵל עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא הוֹדַעְתָּ בָעַמִּים עֻזֶּךָ׃

16By Your arm You redeemed Your people, the children of Yaakov and Yosef. Selah.

טזגָּאַלְתָּ בִּזְרוֹעַ עַמֶּךָ בְּנֵי־יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹסֵף סֶלָה׃

17The waters saw You, O Hashem, the waters saw You and were convulsed; the very deep quaked as well.

יזרָאוּךָ מַּיִם אֱ‍לֹהִים רָאוּךָ מַּיִם יָחִילוּ אַף יִרְגְּזוּ תְהֹמוֹת׃

18Clouds streamed water; the heavens rumbled; Your arrows flew about;

יחזֹרְמוּ מַיִם עָבוֹת קוֹל נָתְנוּ שְׁחָקִים אַף־חֲצָצֶיךָ יִתְהַלָּכוּ׃

19Your thunder rumbled like wheels; lightning lit up the world; the earth quaked and trembled.

KOL ra-am-KHA ba-gal-GAL hay-EE-ru v'-ra-KEEM tay-VAYL ra-g'-ZAH va-tir-ASH ha-A-retz

יטקוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל הֵאִירוּ בְרָקִים תֵּבֵל רָגְזָה וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ׃

 77:19   Your thunder rumbled like wheels

In our day-to-day lives, we rely on the predictable laws of nature, such as the rising and setting of the sun. In His great kindness, God wanted us to be able to regulate our lives, and therefore He gave us a system that we can depend on. But in spite of the apparently predictable laws of nature, in reality Hashem is orchestrating everything directly, behind the scenes. This can be demonstrated by His control over nature during the exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the sea. This is not only true about nature, but about everything that happens in this world. As much as we try to control our lives, our efforts are overshadowed by the divine will that invariably makes the final decision. There is no place where this truth is more apparent than in the Land of Israel. Hashem reminds us in Sefer Devarim (11:10), “For the land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come. There the grain you sowed had to be watered by your own labors, like a vegetable garden.” The fact that Eretz Yisrael is dependent upon the rainfall for its survival ensures that its citizens live with the constant reminder that they are dependent on God for their sustenance and livelihood.

20Your way was through the sea, Your path, through the mighty waters; Your tracks could not be seen.

כבַּיָּם דַּרְכֶּךָ ושביליך [וּשְׁבִילְךָ] בְּמַיִם רַבִּים וְעִקְּבוֹתֶיךָ לֹא נֹדָעוּ׃

21You led Your people like a flock in the care of Moshe and Aharon.

כאנָחִיתָ כַצֹּאן עַמֶּךָ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן׃