Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:

Psalms 119:99: “I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditations.”

I don’t recommend giving this verse to your favorite teacher on teacher’s appreciation day.  King David was surrounded by some of the best teachers in the nation.  The teachers he is referring to here are religious teachers.  There were sages who had spent their entire lives studying Torah, who were well versed in Oral Tradition, who could do back flips with the Hebrew Alphabet.  Their wisdom and knowledge were honored and respected around the known world and along comes this upstart of a king claiming to have more understanding that all his teachers.

Go ahead and look up teachers in Strongs or your Lexicons, it will tell you that the Hebrew word “Lamed” which is used here means an instructor or teacher.   Check out the word meditations and you will find it is the Hebrew word “Sichah” from the root word “Sich” which means to ponder, meditate and other such like words.  Testimonies is the Hebrew word “’ud” and means (guess what?) – testimonies, or a witness’s report.

No way around it, David is arrogantly saying he has more understanding than the most brilliant teachers in the kingdom because he meditates on the statutes of God just like the sages do, only as  a king he obviously spends less time at it.

I must admit that having been a teacher myself, I really…Huh? I don’t believe it! Lamed, Mem and Daleth (teacher)  are standing before me dressed in cap and gowns. All are holding  rather menacing looking rulers and tapping their right foot while glaring at me.

“Follow us” they order.  “Where?”  I ask.  Lamed replies, “Beyond the Daleth to the Headmaster’s office.  I follow Lamed, Mem and Daleth (who spell out the Hebrew word for teacher) like a chastened child

I find myself standing outside a wooden door with a frosted window and the word “Headmaster” lettered on the window.  “Enter” demands Daleth.  “I ain’t going in there!” I say defiantly. “Whack”  I feel Mem’s ruler strike me on the head.  “Ok, Ok, I’m going.”    I enter the room and I see Yod  sitting the desk. On either side of him is Shin and Chet.   Shin speaks first.  “We have heard that you claim to have more understanding than Lamed, Mem and Daleth (teacher) standing outside our door.”  I try to stammer a reply:  “Uh, yes…I mean, no, or rather, I mean, they are very smart and all, but you see…”  “Silence!!!!” roars Chet.

Suddenly, Shin lights up in flames: “I am Shin, I represent fire.  I burn away all foreign and earthly thoughts that keep you from meditating on heavenly things.”   Chet points a rather boney finger at me and says with a sneer: “I am Chet, I am here to cleanse you of any new revelations you might have that claim your teachers are wrong and I am also here to cleanse you of all your rudeness and arrogance.”   “Gulp!”  I gulp.   Yod, who is now floating in the air like a heavenly messenger that he is suppose to be speaks gently: “You must understand that your teachers Lamed, Mem and Daleth, are all learned men.  Why Lamed  represents reaching up to heaven to receive a message from heaven to put in your heart.  Mem, represents all the revealed knowledge of God and the Daleth is a doorway to understanding the nature of God.  Why my associate Shin only means to burn away all earthly thoughts so you can meditate on only heavenly things and not on how you will use this knowledge for earthly gain. Am I not right Shin?”  Shin answers by sending up a fireball.  I shudder but Yod continues.  Chet here, he means no harm, he is only afraid that his shadow, arrogance and pride will over come you and keep you from true meditation on the message of Lamed Mem and Daleth (teachers).

I look more closely at Shin, Yod and Chet and I recognize them: “Why you are meditation” I cry out.   “That is right” says Yod lovingly, “We are here to teach you true meditation which is where the Shin burns away all earthly and distracting thoughts so you can concentrate on the heavenly message from me, Yod.  Chet is here to make sure that when you receive that message you do not become arrogant and proud with it.  So you see, you must listen to Lamed, Mem and Daleth (teacher) as they try to teach you of heavenly things for they have Lamed who receives a message from heaven.”

“But we have something even more important,” says a voice from someone who just entered the office.  I look around and I see Ayin, Vav,  Daleth (testimonies).   “This poor slob here,”  says Ayin  pointing to me: “Has been meditating on us not to the exclusion of Lamed, Mem, Daleth (teacher).  “You must realize he has taken this knowledge from Lamed, Mem and Daleth and by meditating on it, he has received me, Ayin.  I represent spiritual insight and Vav here represents a connection between heaven and earth. In other words Lamed Mem and Daleth only present the revealed knowledge that they have learned from Lamed and thus their Daleth can only open the door to general knowledge.  But the insight that I, Ayin, gives comes from Vav who brings the message from heaven directly to this poor, hungry soul here on earth.”   Ayin again points to me.   I have my head down, hands in my pockets, running my shoe over the ground.  Ayin continues: “We bring the message directly to this sad faced old boy and it is the message of God’s specific will and purpose for him and him alone.  Sure Lamed, Mem, and Daleth can give our hapless friend here some general knowledge, but we  Ayin, Vav, Daleth – ‘ud (testimonies of God) bring specific or special knowledge for him and him alone. Our Daleth opens the door to God’s will and purpose for one’s life.  Your Lamed (teachers) do not receive this knowledge so indeed our failing student is not failing at all but has greater understanding than his Lamed (teachers).

Shin and Chet turn toward Yod scratching their heads and say: “You know Ayin, Vav and Daleth are right!”   “I agree” declares Yod and orders me to return to the other side of the “Looking Glass.”  Once back in my office I notice Lamed, Mem, and Daleth, (teacher) with their tails tucked behind them walking contritely back into Psalms 119:99.  I call out after them: “Hey, guys, it’s ok, without your teaching, I would not know how to meditate in the first place, thanks!”   Lamed, Mem and Daleth turn to me and grin: “That’s doesn’t mean we are going to give you an ‘A.’”