The Book of Psalms: King David’s Struggles and Wisdom for Survival In a Post- COVID World.

In the Torah, G-d speaks to humankind. In the Book of Psalms, we see the reverse: humankind speaks to G-d. In every generation, human beings find it comforting and relieving to express their wide range of feelings: from pain, anguish, loss and sorrow to gratitude, wonder and awe. We express these emotions through prayers, poems and song. The Book of Psalms encapsulates that full expression of human emotion. Although the Hebrew title “Tehillim” comes from the word “Tehilla,” meaning praise, the Book of Psalms also contains prayers that reflect the suffering of the individual and of the people of Israel. In addition, it offers prayers of gratitude, ethics, instructions on character development and expressions of awe toward the greatness of creation. In this course, we will focus on and analyze a selection of these wonderful poems, find parallels with our own lives today, and consider what relevance they may have to this day and age.