You Will Comfort Me \ Tehillim
“You have caused me to see many grievous troubles; You will revive me once again, from the depths of the earth You will raise me up again. You will increase my greatness, and You will turn and comfort me” (Tehillim 71:20).
King David said to HaShem, “You have caused me to see many grievous troubles” — not to hurt me, but rather that I should know the kindness that You graciously will bestow upon me at the time when “You will revive me once again.” Then I will clearly see that You love me.
King David was certain that the hardships that he endured served an invaluable purpose. They would provide a contrast for the time when HaShem would reveal His love for King David and save him from all of his hardships. To King David, the pinnacle of spirituality was the clear recognition that man is beloved to HaShem.
King David also said, “You will increase my greatness” — I will enjoy a status even greater than which I enjoyed before I was beset with troubles. “And You will comfort me” — You will arrange it so that all the difficulties themselves will bring me comfort and increase my greatness.
If a person causes a financial loss to another individual, even if the victim subsequently makes a profit, the original loss remains. Conversely, HaShem brings healing from the affliction, itself. He transforms the hardships into comforts and goodness. King David’s optimistic outlook teaches us that every hardship is an opportunity for HaShem to reveal His unbounded love for us.
Let us fortify ourselves with the faith of King David, and pray to HaShem to convert our difficulties into goodness.
(Based on Chochmah U”Mussar of the Saba Kadisha of Kelm)
