Guiding Questions: Psalms 135

This is part of the Tanakh Yomi Project.

  1. Are the “servants of the Lord” a special group in the Temple or is this meant to include all Israel?
  2. In Psalms 135:3 is the essential characteristic of God “goodness” or “awe” or some other descriptive?
  3. In Psalms 135:4 the translation reads “for the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself” or could it read “for Jacob chose God for himself, and Israel chose God as His select one”?
  4. Would Psalms 135:5 indicate that the Psalmist recognizes that there are other divinities?
  5. Do Psalms 135:6-7 deal with the God of nature or the God of Israel as such?
  6. On the other hand Psalms 135:8-12 would appear to be specifically descriptive of God in Its relationship to…?
  7. Is there any reference, to this point or, for that matter, subsequently in the Psalm to the experience of Sinai?
  8. How are the worship objects of the heathens described (Psalms 135:15-18) — and have these phrases appeared earlier in the Psalms?
  9. The Psalm ends with a mandate to do what?

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    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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Perek Yomi materials originally produced by the USCJ and Dr. Morton K. Siegel.
We are grateful to be able to share this material.

Author

  • favicon of exploring judaism logo

    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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