Rabbi David Blumenthal
Cross Currents (2002)
Anger is a powerful wave. It roars over us and carries us away, first forward and then backward. In its surge, we lose our balance and flounder. Anger is a storm, whipping through the air, raising dust, and pounding us with rain, bending that which is in its path to its will.
Anger distracts; it is a diversion from reality, an escape from what must be done. A fantasy that saps our energy and shames us, even to ourselves. Sometimes, anger brings clarity and sight, and sometimes it blinds us. In anger, we see the truth, and we lose sight of the truth.
Anger energizes us. It gets our blood going. It gives us the force to fight evil, to rebel against destiny. Anger gives us the intensity with which to create; it draws us out from the depths.
Anger and rage are inseparably a part of us. One who has experienced no anger, no rage, is not human. Such a person has no deep investment in life, no love to protect, no vulnerability.
There is so much anger in the world. There is the personal anger we feel for someone who has taken advantage of us, who has cheated us, or abused us. There is the national anger we feel for those who have attacked our nation and endangered our people. There is the political anger we feel against those private and public institutions which have exploited us, or ignored or neglected us. And there is the anger we feel toward God Who has mistreated us or, in neglect, has allowed others to mistreat us.
We spend a lot of time trying to deal with our anger. We repress it. We channel it. We sublimate it. We let it roll over us. We dream and fantasize about it. We feel ashamed of it, and we talk to friends and psychotherapists about it. But we do not pray it. We do not bring our anger to God, at least not enough.
However, as we look at the Book of Psalms, we see that anger is an integral part of the prayer life of the psalmist. Anger is a recurring theme -- all kinds of anger: personal, national, political, and even anger toward God. In fact, the anger in the psalms is so strong that it often takes the form of rage. Rage expressed, not repressed. Rage prayed, not excluded from the divine-human relationship. This is a mode of prayer that needs to be revitalized.
One cannot always be angry and full of rage, for anger does indeed distract and distort. It can disconnect us from life, as easily as it connects us to life. However, the proper prayer life includes moments of deep anger, as well as times of tranquility and serenity. It includes moments of rage, as well as times of reflection and meditation; moments of sadness, as well as times of joy and praise; moments of depression, as well as times of gratitude and exultation; "To dwell in the house of the Lord forever" together with "For how long, oh Lord, for how long shall the wicked rejoice"; "Every breath shall praise God" together with "Oh God, make them as tumbleweed, as straw before the wind." Psalms, precisely because they flow from the sheer variety of human life, contain the whole range of human emotions, feelings, and awarenesses -- all of them brought before God, all of them incorporated into a full and vital prayer life. One simply alternates, bringing first this and then that feeling before God, turning first this and then that emotion into prayer
(א) לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ (ב) כִּ֤י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּֽפִי־מִ֭רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֝תִּ֗י לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃ (ג) וְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם׃ (ד) תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃ (ה) וַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ (ו) הַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃ (ז) בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ (ח) יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃ (ט) יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתוֹמִ֑ים וְ֝אִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ (י) וְנ֤וֹעַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (יא) יְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נ֭וֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃ (יב) אַל־יְהִי־ל֭וֹ מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י ח֝וֹנֵ֗ן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃ (יג) יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃ (יד) יִזָּכֵ֤ר ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אֲ֭בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֝מּ֗וֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃ (טו) יִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ (טז) יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א זָכַר֮ עֲשׂ֪וֹת חָ֥סֶד וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ (יז) וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ וְֽלֹא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (יח) וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃ (יט) תְּהִי־ל֭וֹ כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶ֑ה וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח תָּמִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ (כ) זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (כא) וְאַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְה֘וִ֤ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲֽשֵׂה־אִ֭תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּי־ט֥וֹב חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ (כב) כִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָנֹ֑כִי וְ֝לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ (כג) כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ (כד) בִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ (כה) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃ (כו) עָ֭זְרֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ (כז) וְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָ֣דְךָ זֹּ֑את אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ (כח) יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ קָ֤מוּ ׀ וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח׃ (כט) יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שׂוֹטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה וְיַעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ (ל) א֘וֹדֶ֤ה יְהוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י וּבְת֖וֹךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ (לא) כִּֽי־יַ֭עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְי֑וֹן לְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
(1) For the leader. Of David. A psalm. O God of my praise, do not keep aloof, (2) for the wicked and the deceitful open their mouth against me; they speak to me with lying tongue. (3) They encircle me with words of hate; they attack me without cause. (4) They answer my love with accusation (5) They repay me with evil for good, with hatred for my love. (6) Appoint a wicked man over him; may an accuser stand at his right side; (7) may he be tried and convicted; may he be judged and found guilty. (8) May his days be few; may another take over his position. (9) May his children be orphans, his wife a widow. (10) May his children wander from their hovels, begging in search of [bread]. (11) May his creditor seize all his possessions; may strangers plunder his wealth. (12) May no one show him mercy; may none pity his orphans; (13) may his posterity be cut off; may their names be blotted out in the next generation. (14) May God be ever mindful of his father’s iniquity, and may the sin of his mother not be blotted out. (15) May the LORD be aware of them always and cause their names to be cut off from the earth, (16) because he was not minded to act kindly, and hounded to death the poor and needy man, one crushed in spirit. (17) He loved to curse—may a curse come upon him! He would not bless—may blessing be far from him! (18) May he be clothed in a curse like a garment, may it enter his body like water, his bones like oil. (19) Let it be like the cloak he wraps around him, like the belt he always wears. (20) May the LORD thus repay my accusers, all those who speak evil against me. (21) Now You, O God, my Lord, act on my behalf as befits Your name. Good and faithful as You are, save me. (22) For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me. (23) I fade away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like locusts. (24) My knees give way from fasting; my flesh is lean, has lost its fat. (25) I am the object of their scorn; when they see me, they shake their head. (26) Help me, O LORD, my God; save me in accord with Your faithfulness, (27) that men may know that it is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it. (28) Let them curse, but You bless; let them rise up, but come to grief, while Your servant rejoices. (29) My accusers shall be clothed in shame, wrapped in their disgrace as in a robe. (30) My mouth shall sing much praise to the LORD; I will acclaim Him in the midst of a throng, (31) because He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who would condemn him.