Psalm 30, once used to inaugurate the Holy Temple, is used today to inaugurate our daily prayers, for the synagogue is a “Holy Temple in miniature” and our prayers take the place of the sacrifices. It is both a prayer for success and a declaration of thanksgiving.
מִזְמוֹר A Psalm,
שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּת הַבַּֽיִת a song for the inauguration of the Temple,
לְדָוִד: by Dovid.1Since it was Solomon who built the Temple, why is its inauguration attributed to Dovid? Rashi explains: Dovid composed the song which would be sung at the inauguration later, in Solomon’s days.
אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְהֹוָה I will exalt You, Adonoy,
כִּי דִלִּיתָֽנִי for You have upheld me,2Radak writes that the Hebrew word דִלִיתָנִי is an expression used to describe either a downtrodden or an uplifted state. The downtrodden state of the Jewish people is actually part of their uplifting says the Sfas Emes, as it is said, “when I was brought low, He delivered me” (Tehillim 116:6). “My downtrodden state was the cause of my salvation,” proclaims Dovid, just as when one lowers a bucket (דְלִי) into a well in order to bring up the water.
וְלֹא־שִׂמַּֽחְתָּ אֹיְבַי לִי: and not let my foes rejoice over me.
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי Adonoy, my God,
שִׁוַּֽעְתִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי: I cried out to You, and You healed me.
יְהֹוָה הֶעֱלִֽיתָ Adonoy, You have raised
מִן־שְׁאוֹל נַפְשִׁי my soul from the lower world.
חִיִּיתַֽנִי You have kept me alive,
מִיָּרְדִי־בוֹר: lest I descend to the Pit.
זַמְּרוּ לַיהֹוָה חֲסִידָיו Sing to Adonoy, [you,] His pious ones,
וְהוֹדוּ לְזֵֽכֶר קָדְשׁוֹ: and give thanks to His Holy Name.3The literal translation of זֵכֶר קָדְשׁו is His ‘holy remembrance,’ but it refers to His Name; for the titles we bestow upon Him are our means of remembering Him.—Radak
כִּי רֶֽגַע בְּאַפּוֹ For His anger lasts only a moment,4A moment is a measure of time. Hashem’s anger is limited to time (be it long or short) but Hashem’s favor is unlimited.—Sfas Emes
חַיִּים בִּרְצוֹנוֹ but there is [long] life, in His conciliation.
בָּעֶֽרֶב יָלִין בֶּֽכִי In the evening, one retires weeping,
וְלַבֹּֽקֶר רִנָּה: but in the morning there is [a cry of] joy!
וַאֲנִי אָמַֽרְתִּי בְשַׁלְוִי I said, in my serenity,
בַּל־אֶמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם: I would never be moved.
יְהֹוָה בִּרְצוֹנְךָ [But,] Adonoy, it was Your will [alone]
הֶעֱמַֽדְתָּה לְהַרְרִי that established my mountain
עֹז as a stronghold.
הִסְתַּֽרְתָּ פָנֶֽיךָ When You concealed Your Presence,
הָיִֽיתִי נִבְהָל: I was terrified.
אֵלֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא To You, Adonoy, I called,
וְאֶל־אֲדֹנָי אֶתְחַנָּן: and my Master I beseeched.
מַה־בֶּֽצַע What gain is there
בְּדָמִי in [the shedding of] my blood?
בְּרִדְתִּי אֶל שָֽׁחַת In my going down to destruction?
הֲיוֹדְךָ עָפָר Will the dust acknowledge You?
הֲיַגִּיד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ: Will it proclaim Your truth?
שְׁמַע יְהֹוָה וְחָנֵּֽנִי Hear [me] Adonoy, and be gracious to me,
יְהֹוָה הֱיֵה־עֹזֵר לִי: Adonoy, be a help to me.
חזן: הָפַֽכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי You have turned my mourning into dancing,
פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי You have loosened my sackcloth
וַתְּאַזְּרֵֽנִי שִׂמְחָה: and supported me with joy.
לְמַֽעַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ כָבוֹד In order that my soul5The literal translation of כָבוד is glory. Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz explained that the soul is called כָבוד because its only function is to give glory to Hashem. might sing to You
וְלֹא יִדֹּם and not be stilled,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי לְעוֹלָם אוֹדֶֽךָּ: Adonoy, my God, forever will I thank You.
קדיש יתום Mourner's Kaddish
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא Exalted and sanctified be His great Name
בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא in the world which He created
כִרְעוּתֵהּ according to His will;
וְיַמְלִיךְ מַלְכוּתֵהּ and may He rule His Kingdom
בְּחַיֵּיכוֹן וּבְיוֹמֵיכוֹן in your lifetime and in your days,
וּבְחַיֵּי and in the lifetime
דְכָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, of the entire House of Yisrael,
בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב speedily and in the near future—
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: and say Amein.
יְהֵא שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ May His great Name be blessed
לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא: forever and for all eternity.
יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח Blessed and praised,
וְיִתְפָּאַר וְיִתְרוֹמַם וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא glorified, and exalted and uplifted,
וְיִתְהַדָּר וְיִתְעַלֶּה וְיִתְהַלָּל honored and elevated and extolled
שְׁמֵהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא, בְּרִיךְ הוּא be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;
לְעֵֽלָּא וּלְעֵֽלָּא far above
מִכָּל בִּרְכָתָא וְשִׁירָתָא, all the blessings and hymns,
תֻּשְׁבְּחָתָא וְנֶחֱמָתָא, praises and consolations
דַּאֲמִירָן בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: which we utter in the world—and say Amein.
יְהֵא שְׁלָמָא רַבָּא מִן שְׁמַיָּא May there be abundant peace from heaven
וְחַיִּים and life
עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל for us and for all Yisrael,
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: —and say Amein.
עוֹשֶׂה הַשָּׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו He Who makes the peace in His high heavens
הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם may He, make peace
עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל for us and or all Yisrael,
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: and say, Amein.