Poetry and Prayer: A Daily Journey Through the Psalms

The psalms describe the Torah as belonging to God, yet Jewish liturgy depicts the Torah as being given. How are these representations to be reconciled?

A fascinating verse describes how the Torah guides everyday life.

A story of a Jew from early America relates to a term for certain commandments in our psalm.

The distinct names for certain commandments teach us about the larger symphony that is a life inspired by the Torah.

The first section of the longest psalm reflects the complexity of the Torah and the way study sustains Jews throughout the generations.

The psalm speaks of a "rejected" stone. Who is it?

The complexity of the eschatological vision of the Hebrew Bible is contained in this short psalm.

A verse said by many Jews as they prepare for the end of the Sabbath is found in our psalm.

Henry V references the opening phrase of our psalm, though not in the most famous section of the play.

Psalm 114 contains a word linked to a contemporary story of Jewish heroism, bravery, and faith.

The beginning of wisdom, according to our psalm, is found in something other than reason.

A psalm said to mark miracles concludes with a description of the restoration of Zion.

A psalm about the importance of memory is an apt one to study on Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day.

A reference to an early king of Jerusalem is seemingly the heart of this psalm.

The danger of words wielded to achieve malicious ends is the subject of the psalm.

A Talmudic story about David's "alarm clock" is linked to this psalm.

A psalm of thanksgiving is linked to the Pilgrim story.

This psalm’s tenor is the opposite of the previous one, but in fact, both of the psalms are meant to be taken together.

The wonders of early Israelite history are described in this psalm, as well as why God brought these miracles about.

Psalm 104 is an ode to the natural world and the way in which its intricacy proclaims the glory of God.

Psalm 103 describes the reason for God’s forgiveness.

The Jewish love of the stones of Jerusalem is a theme of Psalm 102.

David describes in this psalm how concern for justice and integrity is bound up with his legacy.  

A psalm said by those giving the thanksgiving offering illustrates one scriptural approach to gratitude.

Understanding the story of Samuel may be central to understanding this psalm.

Several instruments are mentioned in this psalm. What do they symbolize?

The light of God—and possibly our own spiritual light—is a theme of this psalm.

Psalm 96 describes the way the experience of sanctity influences our experience of beauty.

Reading Psalm 95 takes us to 16th-century Safed.

Psalm 94 addresses wickedness in the world, and also gives us an important description of the God-granted capacity of human beings.