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| Psalm 149: The Double-Edged Sword of Shema |
Why do the pious sing in bed? What are their 'high
praises'? And what do their praises of God have to do with
double-edged swords?
The Talmud (Berachot 5) explains that the 'high praises' are the verses
of Shema. When we recite the Shema before going to
sleep the Sages suggested, it is like holding a double-edged
sword against mazikin, destructive spirits and inner demons.
Protection When Sleeping
We are a composite of physical and spiritual, body and soul.
Our spiritual side is capable, if we so choose,
of withstanding all negative influences. But our physical
side is liable to fall in the clutches of the 'enemies of
our soul' — our evil inclinations and negative character traits.
Ordinarily, we are protected by our powers of intellect.
This is a single-edged sword against destructive urges.
During sleep, however, we are vulnerable, as we are without our mental
defenses. An unclean spirit envelops the body in sleep. This
ascendancy of the physical can leave
its mark even after we wake up.
The Sages taught that one should recite the Shema
before going to bed. What is the power of this
protective measure? When we verbalize our love for
God, our desire to be close to Him, our recognition of God's absolute oneness,
we involve the body in a powerful act of holiness. The act of
reciting Shema makes a deep impression on the physical side. This
impression is even greater than the intellect's
powers, since it empowers the physical component on
its own to repel unbridled imaginations and self-destructive spirits.
That is why the verse compares those who recite Shema before
sleeping to warriors wielding doubled-edged swords. They
benefit from two defenses against their inner
adversaries: their ordinary intellectual powers, and the
special impression that reciting the Shema makes on their physical nature.
(Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p. 14)
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Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison
"ιΗςΐμΐζεΜ ηΒρΔιγΔιν αΜΐλΘαεΙγ, ιΐψΗπΜΐπεΜ ςΗμ-ξΔωΡΐλΜΐαεΙϊΘν.
ψεΙξΐξεΙϊ ΰΕμ αΜΔβΐψεΙπΘν, εΐηΖψΖα τΜΔιτΔιΜεΙϊ αΜΐιΘγΘν."
(ϊδιμιν χξ"θ: δ-ε)
"The pious will rejoice in honor, singing on their beds.
High praises of the Almighty are in their throats -
and a double-edged sword in their hand."
(Ps. 149:5-6)