Tragically, new tear and blood stained pages are now written in the book of Jewish history, alongside the painful records of Palestinians and so many others in the world.
Wars that are fought and fraught with religious ideologies mixed with toxic theologies and murky political ambitions claim countless lives, all sacrificed on collective altars.
How can one begin to justify so many deaths? Especially as so many are too young to even begin appreciating life?
One historical trope, grounded in different theologies, enables mourners to find some comfort in the idea that their loved ones did not die in vain. Not only did they die for sacred causes of national or collective securities and future, but they were also taken because they are most precious and dear to God.
Whether this approach refers to martyrs or saints, fallen soldiers or victims of violent terror -- the religious, faithful imagination finds some consolation in this concept, complex and maybe even cruel as it may sound to many of us.
In today’s psalm, which is part of the Hallel Praise collection, there is one phrase that may or may not echo this complicated notion. How to translate one word makes the difference and it’s been the focus on interpretation for many generations:
יָ֭קָר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה הַ֝מָּ֗וְתָה לַחֲסִידָֽיו׃
“The death of God’s faithful ones
is precious in GOD’s sight.”
Ps. 116:15
Really? Precious?? Other translations of the Hebrew word ‘Yakar’ prefer ‘Grievous’. That’s a very big difference. What are we talking about?
How is it possible for the same word to be interpreted in such diametrically opposed ways? Which translation—if either—is correct?
Prof. M. Z Brettler helps unpack this riddle and offers an interesting solution:
“The root yqr is generally used to refer to something precious, valuable or scarce; its typical meaning is clear from its frequent use with fine stones. Unsurprisingly then, all the ancient versions understand yaqar in Psalms 116:15 as “precious.”
This understanding was common in early Christian texts, where it was applied to martyrs. Strikingly, even though rabbinic texts speak of chastisement of love, they do not extend this idea to suggest that God desires to kill those who are most loyal to him.
Many of the medieval commentators understand yaqar here as “difficult”—just the opposite of its expected meaning.”
One of the references the Brettelr cites is the interpretation by the 13th Century Italian-Jewish Rabbi David Kimchi who may be applying personal experience to his commentary:
“It is grievous (yaqar) in God’s eyes to kill his devotees before their time—and I am one of his devotees, therefore save me from death.”
But as Brettler explains - both choices leave us with complex theological implications that don’t fully fit in this psalm’s praiseful context. He suggests an interesting solution:
“Thus, we are stuck with no good way of reading this verse. On the one hand, translating yaqar as “difficult” or “costly” fits with what we expect from other biblical texts, but that simply isn’t what the word means. On the other hand, translating it as “precious,” while etymologically sound, ends up making this verse unique, and directly contradictory to the standard theological assumption in the Bible—and elsewhere in this psalm itself—that YHWH protects those loyal to him.
To extricate us from this quagmire, I suggest that instead of trying to reinterpret a term in the verse, we reinterpret its syntax.
Psalm 116:15 could be similarly rendered: “Is the death of his loyal ones dear to YHWH?!” The answer to this yes-no rhetorical question would be a clear “no.” Psalm 116:15 would then be similar to other such rhetorical questions in the Bible, which “aim not to gain information but to give information with passion.”
In other words -- death is real, and loved one, young or old, sometimes die for reasons that we cannot comprehend, regardless of the noble cause or carless context. Does God care enough to take some lives before some others? Are some more precious than others - or is it always a painful choice to pluck a soul and leave bereaved loved ones behind? In contrast to extreme religious views that glorify such sacrifices -- and those narratives are sadly very popular these days and heard in many funerals and homes of mourning -- setting this verse as a question leaves us with a way to ponder and process such mysteries by ourselves.
With so many innocent lives taken each day by violence - we can only hope and pray that consolation is offered in multiple ways, and that we do not glorify god or religious narratives by taking lives - but rather by saving lives and celebrating each soul as uniquely precious.
Perhaps that’s what the purpose of this psalm is really all about?
Image: Psalm 116 in Passover Haggadah, 1731 The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Below the Bible Belt: 929 chapters, 42 months, daily reflections.
Become a free or paid subscriber and join Rabbi Amichai’s 3+ years interactive online quest to question, queer + re-read between the lines of the entire Hebrew Bible. Enjoy daily posts, weekly videos and monthly learning sessions. 2022-2025.
#Psalms #PSLAMS #Psalm116 #ספרתהילים #תהילים #BookofPsalms #כתובים #tehilim #Ketuvim #Hebrewbible #Tanach #929 #labshul #belowthebiblebelt929
#Martyrdom #Onlythegooddieyoung? #consolation #precious #sacrifice #toxidtheology #Elul #Teshuva #peace #prayforpeace #nomorewar #hope #peaceisposible #lifeissacred