Rabbi Roodyn

ט) אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי אַל תַּט בְּאַף עַבְדֶּךָ עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ אַל תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל תַּעַזְבֵנִי אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׁעִי

Do not hide Your presence from me; do not turn Your servant away with anger. You were my help; do not forsake me and do not abandon me, O G-d of my salvation.

For any  relationship to flourish, both parties need to be committed to its success and actively engaged in investing in making things work.

In this pasuk, David asks that there should be no obstacles in the way of his relationship with Hashem. He begs Hashem not to conceal His face from him and also asks this his own shortcomings should not be the source of any Divine distancing. This two-way process is the oxygen that fuels man’s relationship with the Creator.

Furthermore, David points out that Hashem has a track record of always being there to help him attain achievements that were beyond his own ability. David is the greatest king we have ever had, a man whose, piety and wisdom coupled with military prowess and leadership abilities will never been matched until the arrival of Moshiach. Instead of the arrogance that we would expect of a monarch of his caliber, David’s humility is exceptional. He is well aware of his achievements and is humble enough to exclaim that without Hashem, none of them would have ever been possible.

As we reflect on the year that has just gone by, as we reflect on our successes and achievements, we would do well to emulate David Hamelech. Once we realise that our talents, abilities and achievements are a gift from Hashem, we are able to restore harmony to the relationship between ourselves and our Creator. It is our own arrogance that leads us to forget Hashem, belittling His involvement in our lives.

These ideas are reflected in the immortal words of the Ramban in his famous ethical letter to his son.

‘’Once you have distanced yourself from anger, the quality of humility will enter your heart. This radiant quality is the finest of all admirable traits… Through humility you will also come to fear Hashem… When you think about all these things, you will come to fear Hashem who created you, and you will protect yourself from sinning and therefore be happy with whatever happens to you.’’