That’s the seichel that we especially have to acquire this time of year when we’re preparing to make Hashem King over us again. And that’s why we repeat every day the words of Dovid Hamelech, ה' אוֹרִ י וְיִשְׁ עִי – Hashem is my Light and my Salvation (Tehillim 27:1).
You have to understand what Dovid was saying here. It wasn’t only like we think, that when things look ominous and dark, when you’re waiting for the doctor to call you back with the results, or maybe Yom Hadin is coming and you’re worried about your pile of sins, so you call out to Hashem, “You are my Light and my Salvation.” That’s true too but that’s not it. Because Dovid said those words in the midst of his success.
My Salvation
You know when Dovid said these words? While he was smashing heads in battle; as he ran into battle brandishing his mace and smashing heads. Dovid was a strong character; he was famous as being a lionhearted man. לֵב הָאֲרִי וֹ כ לִבּוֹ – His heart was like the heart of a lion. And as he rushed into battle swinging a battle ax, crushing skulls and backbones, he was a terror to look at. He put fear into the enemy. And as he was swinging his mace at the cowering enemy soldiers, he said “I’m not afraid because Hashem is my Light and my Salvation.”
Now, when we run into battle, we also cry out to Hashem. But it’s a different type of cry – it’s because we’re stuck. Let’s say a poor little fellow is drafted, chalilah, and he has to run into battle. And now his heart is melting – other things also are melting within him. And so in his last extreme, he turns his eyes to Heaven and he asks for help. Some people became pious, they became real baalei teshuvah in the foxholes as the bullets were whistling over their heads. It’s easier then to become pious and to think of Hashem. You have nothing else you can do.
But Dovid didn’t know what fear was. You know when Dovid went out into battle, he killed 800 opponents in one fray. Eight hundred men, he lay down in one fray! He was successful and accomplished! But he said, “It’s not me. ה' יִשְׁ עִי! My King is my Salvation.”
My Light
But first he said ה' אוֹרִ י – Hashem is my Light. It means “Hashem is my seichel; He illuminates my mind.” Because when you think about Him always, when you achieve that attitude that He is it, that He’s your King, so your entire way of looking at the world is guided by the light of that seichel.
And because of that, that’s why you know that י ִ שׁ ְ עִ י – He’s my salvation. Because I know that He’s my King, that He’s the Melech Keil Elyon and that whatever happens for good or for ‘bad’ is from Him, so I’m safe in His Hands. מִ מּ ִ י אֶ פְ חַ ד! I have nothing to fear!
A Mind of Bitachon
And so it’s the seichel, the Torah attitude of bitachon, that stands by a person all his life. The one who never says אָ שִׂ ימָ ה עָ לַ י מֶ לֶ ך – “I want a human king” he’s the successful one. Hashem Malkichem! Hashem is your King! When a person understands that there’s no boss, and there’s no gevir; that there’s no rosh kollel and no welfare office and no credit union. There’s no bankruptcy lawyer or judge who can save you – there’s only Hashem Melech; that’s the great success in a person’s life.
Exactly what type of success it will be, that’s His arrangement; that’s up to His perfect plans. But whatever it is, it’s the tremendous success of acquiring a Torah mind, a mind of bitachon. That’s what it means to acquire yourself a King. And as long as you think that way, as long as you live your life saying “Hashem Melech,” so your King will be there for you. He’ll be your King and requite your trust in Him.
