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King David's Nightly Schedule


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Psalm 119: King David's Nightly Schedule

How did King David spend his nights? This psalm contains two seemingly contradictory descriptions.

"At midnight I rise to thank You, for Your righteous judgments." (v. 62)

"I rose in the evening and cried out; I placed my hope in Your promise." (v. 147)

When exactly did David get up — in the beginning of the night, or at midnight?

The Talmud (Berachot 3b) resolves this question in three ways:

  • David rose sometime in the night, but never later than midnight.
  • The first half of the night David would sleep fitfully, like a horse. But at midnight, he would be fully awake, like a lion.
  • During the first half of the night, David would study Torah. At midnight, he would sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.

Private and Public Service

According to Rav Kook, all three explanations share a common idea, distinguishing between David's conduct during the first and second halves of the night.

King David dedicated the working hours of the day to attending to the needs of the nation. The first half of the night, however, is the natural time for the body to rest. But instead of resting, David utilized those hours for his own spiritual self-betterment. "I rose in the evening"  refers to the first half of the night, which David spent in private prayer and Torah study. "At midnight I rise," on the other hand, refers to the second half of the night, which David devoted to prayer of a more universal nature.

The difference between his private spiritual efforts and those for the entire people, is expressed in three aspects:

  • Regularity. Unlike his own spiritual service, his duties in serving the public could not be neglected. David would rise sometime in the night, but never later than midnight, the hour when he would pray for the community.

  • Intensity. David would concentrate all of his powers, like an embattled lion, when he served the people. In his private service before midnight, however, his concentration depended upon his physical strength and energy that evening. During those hours, he was like a weary horse, struggling against sleep.

  • Content. The principal form of public service of the 'sweet singer of Israel' was through sublime songs of praise and thanksgiving. But before midnight, he dedicated himself to his own spiritual improvement, through the study of Torah.

    (adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I p. 8)

    Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison