I'm feeling down in the mine

Need some whiskey, maybe some wine

A social lubricant

I'm not a replicant

Wanting to make this song mine

Wasting my fucking time

I've never been down in a mine

I'm an LA lawyer

Who will not embroider

Having trouble making this rhyme

Thousand feet down, safety first

Earplugs and hard hat, immersed

In songs you want fearless

Not earless or cheerless

You certainly should be well-versed

Is it enough to be an attorney?

Contentious but fulfilling journey

You're helping your clients

Become stars that are giant

But stress sends you out in a gurney

I look to the mountains for help

Sit silent, the card I've been dealt

My guardian's in slumber

Or said "Take a number"

At least that's the way that I've felt

I'm feeling a little bit guilty

Dirty, a little bit silty

This Psalm is prestigious

I feel sacreligious

Guess that's the way that God built me

Copyright 2021 Shep Rosenman

Exodus 14:10: When the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea, "they cried out to the Lord."

1 Samuel 1:10-11: Hannah prays to God for a child, pouring out her soul before the Lord.

Jonah 2:1-2: From inside the fish, Jonah prays to God for deliverance.

Bava Batra 16a: "A prisoner cannot free himself from jail."

Berakhot 32b: "Rabbi Eleazar said: Prayer is greater than good deeds."

Yevamot 64a: "Rabbi Isaac said: Why were our ancestors barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to hear the prayer of the righteous."

Midrash Tehillim 4:3: "When a person is in distress, let them not cry out to Michael or to Gabriel, but let them cry out to Me, and I will answer them immediately."

Rambam (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Taaniyot 1:1-3: Discusses the biblical commandment to cry out to God in times of communal distress.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on Exodus 13:16: Explains that the purpose of many mitzvot is to remind us to turn to God.

Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 433: Elaborates on the mitzvah of prayer as a means of turning to God for all our needs.

Nefesh HaChaim 2:11: Explains how prayer connects the physical and spiritual realms.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan I:9: Teaches about the importance of hitbodedut - personal, spontaneous prayer.

Chofetz Chaim, Shem Olam, Sha'ar Chizuk HaTorah, Ch. 12: Stresses the importance of turning to God in both good times and bad.

Rav Kook - http://www.ravkooktorah.org/PSALM-20.htm

We may draw close to God in two ways. The first path is to approach God through the universal ideals that connect every human soul to its Maker. We may refer to this path as calling in the “name of the God of Abraham and Isaac.” This is a universal path by which all peoples relate to God. It is the Mountain and the Field, the spiritual paths of Abraham and Isaac, accessible to all. The second path is to call “in the name of Jacob’s God.” This means to base our relationship to God on His special covenant with the Jewish people....The universal connection of every human soul to God is a real connection, but it is of a more abstract nature. Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi termed this intellectual service as worshipping “the God of Aristotle.” It lacks the warmth needed to kindle the emotions and gain closeness to God — a sense of connection that is essential in times of trouble. Unlike the more dispassionate intellect, awakening our feelings of love and awe will have a greater impact on our actions, as our emotions are closer to our physical side....But the psalmist counseled that we grasp, not the upper branches, but the massive trunk. We should hold on to that which is closest to us, that which most directly appeals to our heart and soul. This is “the name of Jacob’s God”: our connection to God as belonging to the Jewish people, as recipients of God's Torah....We should firmly grasp the thickest part of the tree, our ties to the God of Jacob. Then we will have a better grip on the branches above — our universal aspirations — as well as the roots below — mitzvot grounded in the physical realm.