Esa Einai

אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים, מֵאַיִן יָבֺא עֶזְרִי. עֶזְרִי מֵעִם ה', עֺשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. הִנֵּה לֺא יָנוּם וְלֺא יִישָׁן, שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל

"I raise my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come? My help is from Hashem, Maker of heaven and earth... Behold, [He] neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Guardian of Israel." (Tehillim 121:1-2,4)

Dovid Hamelech asks: "From where will my help come?" How can he ask such a question?! Dovid Hamelech, someone so conscious of Hashem, definitely knows that Hahsem is our only source of help. So I heard a while back that this serves as a very big lesson for any truth-seeking person: You gotta ask questions. I know from experience that sometimes we have a question, something so fundamental that is bothering us, and we just feel too embarrassed to ask it. We must know that there is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to finding the truth. We have to leave no stone unturned, digging deeper and deeper until we eventually start gaining clarity. With Hashem's help the clarity does come. For some people it comes quicker, for some it takes a lifetime. But one can never give up in search of the truth. The Chovos Halevavos (Rabeinu Bechayeh) speaks of the unbelievable simcha (happiness) one experiences when catching a glimpse of the truth. It's a feeling of comfort and security, knowing there is a Borei Olam (creator of the world) who loves and cares for us every second of our lives.

Tzama Lecha Nafshi

צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי, כָּמַהּ לְךָ בְשָׂרִי, בְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף בְּלִי מָיִם. כֵּן בַּקֺּדֶשׁ חַזִיתִךָ, לִרְאוֹת עֻזְּךָ וּכְבוֹדֶךָ

"Thirsts for You does my soul, longs for You does my flesh; in a land parched and weary with no water. So, too, in the Sanctuary to have beheld You, to see Your might and Your glory." (Tehillim 63:2,3)

These words came from Dovid Hamelech when he was in Midbar Yehuda (the wilderness of Judah). Even in that desolate place, after being exiled from nation, family, and home, he never wavered in his love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. These same words are the words coming from the deepest places within every Yid in the choshech (darkness) filled world we live in. We have to purify ourselves through Torah and Mitzvos in order to bring these words to the surface until they burst forth from our lips with emesdike (true) yearning for closeness with our Creator and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.