BS”D

Psalm 67—The Menorah Psalm

RABBI AVRAHAM SUTTON

Liluy Nishmas
Yosef ben Shlomo

Psalm 67 is called the “Menorah Psalm” because it is perfectly symmetrical and fits perfectly into the form of a 7-Branched Menorah.

After its four- word superscript (verse 1), whose 20 letters serve as the “flames” of the Menorah, the psalm contains seven verses with a total of 49 words.

The first and last verses (the outer “branches” of the Menorah) contain seven words respectively (7 + 7 = 14). The second and second-to-last verses/branches contain six words each (6 + 6 = 12). The third and third-to-last verses/branches not only contain six words each, but are identical (6 + 6 = 12). The fourth verse/branch is exactly midway between the two extremities. It contains eleven words, bringing the total number of words in verses 2-8 to 49. This middle verse also happens to contain 49 letters.

תהילים ס"ז

לַמְנַצֵּח בִּנְגִינֹת מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר. (ב) אֱלֹהִים יְחָנֵּנוּ וִיבָרְכֵנוּ יָאֵר פָּנָיו אִתָּנוּ סֶלָה. (ג) לָדַעַת בָּאָרֶץ דַּרְכֶּךָ בְּכָל גּוֹיִם יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ. (ד) יוֹדוּךָ עַמִּים אֱלֹהִים יוֹדוּךָ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם. יִשְׂמְחוּ וִירַנְּנוּ לְאֻמִּים כִּי תִשְׁפֹּט עַמִּים מִישׁוֹר וּלְאֻמִּים בָּאָרֶץ תַּנְחֵם סֶלָה. (ו) יוֹדוּךָ עַמִּים אֱלֹהִים יוֹדוּךָ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם. (ז) אֶרֶץ נָתְנָה יְבוּלָהּ יְבָרְכֵנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ. (ח) יְבָרְכֵנוּ אֱלֹהִים וְיִירְאוּ אֹתוֹ כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ.

ANA BEKOACH

Psalm 67 & Ana BeKoach

We have a tradition that saying Psalm 67 seven times a day with Ana BeKoach amplifies the revelation of the Divine Presence in the world.

• Start by saying the complete psalm once,

• followed immediately by the first line of Ana BeKoach.

• Continuing saying the complete psalm six more times, each time immediately followed by one line of Ana BeKoach.

• After the seventh time, conclude with Barukh Shem.

• Following this, say it one more time, but this time interspersed with the words of Ana BaKoach. Start by saying verses 1-2 of the psalm, followed by the first line of Ana BeKoach.

• Now say verse 3 of the psalm followed by the second line of Ana BeKoach (Kabel);

• then verse 4 with the third line (Na);

• then verse 5 with the fourth line (Barekhem);

• then verse 6 with the fifth line (Chasin);

• then verse 7 with the sixth line (Yachid);

• then verse 8 with the seventh line (Shav’atenu).

Understanding the SHIVITI

The top line of this Shiviti (immediately above the Ineffable Name YKVK) reads: “Da lifney mi atah omed, lifney Melekh malkhey ha’melakhim HaKadosh barukh Hu—know before Whom you stand, before the Supreme King, the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He!” This is followed by the Four-Letter Ineffable Name embedded in the verse, “Shiviti YKVK LeNegdi Tamid—I place the Four-Letter Name of Havayah before me at all times” (Psalm 16:8). The four initials—khaf, mem, beit, aleph—beneath the word le’negdi are an acronym for the four concluding words of this verse, “Ki mimini bal emot—with You at my right hand, I shall never stumble.” Beneath the Name, Psalm 67 is arranged in the form of a seven-branched Menorah. Together, the Name and this psalm make up the centerpiece of the Shiviti.

The essential point of the Ineffable Name YKVK at the top of the Shiviti is this: Relative to the main seven verses of the Psalm, the Name embodies the level of “eight,” the level of issim (miracles) that shines down into and permeates the “seven” of nature. Eight is the level of miracle that beckons us to transcend the constrictions of time and space, to see through a world that disguises Godliness and threatens to engulf our souls in materiality. Eight calls us to see miracles in the subtle order of nature, in the confusing events of our individual and collective lives, in the hidden pathways of divine providence that guides Israel and all mankind from behind the scenes of history.

Two additional levels of information are contained in the letters of the Name YKVK itself. First, directly alongside the top of the Yod of the Name, see the word Keter. Keter (crown) is the highest of the Eser Sefirot (ten modalities of divine providence), corresponding to the apex of the Yod. Then, in the body of the Yod itself, see its corresponding sefirah, Chokhmah (wisdom). In the roof of the initial Heh, see its corresponding sefirah, Binah (understanding). In the head of the Vav, see the acronym ChaGaT NaHY, representing the six sefirot corresponding to it: Chesed (love), Gevurah (strength/restraint/discipline), Tiferet (beauty/harmony), Netzach (dominance), Hod (empathy/majesty), and Yesod (foundation channel). In the roof of the final Heh, see its corresponding sefirah, Malkhut (kingdom/sovereignty).

Second, immediately beneath the Yod, see the letters ע"ב (A”B), whose numerical value is 72, YKVK expanded with four yods: יו"ד ה"י וי"ו ה"י. Beneath the roof of the initial Heh, see the letters ס"ג (S”G), numerical value 63, מ"ה Below the head of the Vav, see the letters .יו"ד ה"י וא"ו ה"י :YKVK expanded with three yods and one aleph (M”H), numerical value 45, YKVK expanded with three alephs: יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א. Beneath the roof of the final Heh, see the letters ב"ן (B”N), numerical value 52, YKVK expanded thus: יו"ד ה"ה ו"ו ה"ה. All these Divine Names— expansions of the Ineffable Name YKVK—are spelled out in full in the six-pointed Jewish star below and to the right of the Menorah.

In addition—on both sides of the YKVK—are two yichudim (unifications of two or more Divine Names). The Name on the right consists of the letters of ADNY and YKVK interspersed with one another thus: AYDHNVYH. The Name on the left consists of the letters of YKVK and ADNY interspersed with one another thus: YAHDVNHY. Like the Name YKVK itself, these Names are not to be pronounced. Rather, the gematria (numerical value) of these Names is always 91, the same as Amen. Thus, over the Name on the right, the word d’kaddish is written, meaning that we concentrate on this order of the letters when saying Amen to Kaddish. Over the Name on the left, the word d’berakhot is written, meaning that we concentrate on this order of the letters when saying Amen to a blessing. The reason for this is that Kaddish begins from below and moves upwards, whereas blessings flow from above to below.

Finally, surrounding the Menorah Psalm are two verses from the Torah: “Ve’zeh maaseh ha’menorah: mik’shah zahav; ad yerekhah ad pir’chah, mik’shah hi; ke’mareh asher her’ah Hashem et Moshe, ken asah et ha’menorah—this is how the Menorah was made: it consisted of a single piece of beaten gold; from its base to its [uppermost] blossom, it was one single piece; exactly like the vision that Hashem showed to Moshe; this is how he made the Menorah” (Numbers 8:4), and “Kulah mik’shah achat zahav tahor—it is [to be made] entirely out of one single piece of pure gold” (Exodus 37:22).