#748: Tachanun (Part 18)

We explained, meant, not for Hashem to return, where did He go, that He needs to come back, but that the relationship with Hashem, David HaMelech, is longing.

As he's suffering from illness, infirmity, as he's suffering from the threats of his enemies, he's asking Hashem to restore the relationship from a place of punishment and harshness to a place of love and affection.

Shubh Hashem, return the relationship.

Chatzah nafshi, we said, why is it nafshi? If his body is what's suffering, his body is what's struggling, why is it nafshi? Chatzah means to release, to imprison.

Nafshi means the soul, because when the body is suffering, when the body is compromised, when we're physically challenged, our soul is encumbered.

It's unable to truly thrive and flourish.

It's unable to truly be able to express itself most fully.

And so therefore, David HaMelech's entire strategy, which we should follow and employ, is Hashem, please.

help me be healthy, help me be safe, because I can't serve you with my neshama, my nefesh, unless.

We last left off though, what is Hoshieni l'man chastecha? Save me, l'man chastecha, for the sake of your chesed.

Here the Koran says, save me for the sake of your loving kindness.

So the Meiri explains, kipshuto, the dovet is davening to Hashem to save him b'schus in the merit of the midav chesed, because he knows on his own he's made mistakes, Again, we don't say it about David.

David said it about himself.

He knows he's made mistakes.

So he feels his own merits, his own worthiness is not enough.

But why the word lema? What does lemaan mean? What does lema'an mean? If it's only in the skhus of the midah of chesed, in the merit of the quality, Hashem's quality of loving kindness, what is lema'an? What is lema'an? I thought maybe we could say lema'an means Hashem, that's your brand.

That's your image.

That's how you're known, is that you are the Hashem of chesed.

So l'man, so that your brand, your image, the way you want people to think about you can be accurate, so therefore save me.

L'man chasdecha, do it to advance the interest of your chesed, not only mitzad midiz chasdecha, not only an expression of your chesed, but also the more chesed you show, the more people will be drawn to you, so towards your brand, towards who you say you are, and then the capital goes on david continues and he says in death there is no mention of you in death there is no remembrance of you what show So it's a machlokas what sheol is.