kohelet and t'hilim #4

T'hilim, continuing chapter 31, verse 2
.....let me not be ashamed
second part of verse that starts with taking refuge in G-d
for what to be ashamed?

It is said that this was written when King David was being persued by King Saul. KD was persecuted, "emotionally abused" all of his life. As a shepherd, he must have had needed to depend on G-d's protection, even before he was annointed king by Shmuel. I wish I knew more Bible to understand the chronology.
There was a war of succession going on, but David didn't seem to be in a rush. (Also the end of his reign as seen in last week's Haftara, see shilohmusings, unplanned.)

Nissan brought up something I never heard, not that I'm an expert, but he knows how negative I am about King Saul, so if he has known this for a long time, he would certainly have told me.
If the people had been more patient, and not asked for a king, Saul never would have been needed. The people were desperate for a king, like other nations, and Saul was chosen more for his external appearance. He was tall and impressive. Decended from Yosef and Rachel, there was something vain and superficial, both known for their looks and even vanity.
If the people had been more patient the first king would have been David. should have been David. Now, about people and majorities and democracies, I don't want to go into now, but I have written about it, especially on shilohmusings.
Saul was always trying to trap David, so he'd rebel and then he could be killed as a traitor. Even when he first offered his daughter Meirav to marry David, then when David arrived for the wedding, Meirav had just been married to someone else. He surprised Saul, like Yaakov, and stayed calm, kingly royally can one say?

Saul continued to try to bait him, but David's dignity stronger than Saul's tricks. Made Saul look bad, prepares us for his pathetic end.

David keeps praying to G-d to save him, protect him, strengthen him. He's breaking, depressed.

But David has strength when he wakes up. The neshama, soul, is "recharged" at night, while sleeping. The needs of the body restrict the soul. Other religions, mostly eastern, also have this concept of the difference between the body and the soul.

*****

Kohelet I, 15

KS was looking for happiness, every way possible. In 13, tried wisdom, every kind of wisdom. Man must know to where hi's going.

Somehow we got into the halacha about what to do if you've missed dovening. If unintentional one can double the next and it's fine, but we can't intenionally miss with the plan to double the next.

written in a way to say that the forbidden things were learned "in theory" not that he actually did the bad things. Kept saying that it was in his heart, not body. Then realized that it was all norishkeit.

verse 18, too much knowledge just causes more problems. thinking too much, asking too many questions

Chapter II

1, Decided in his heart, b'libi, to try what makes one joyous, but all hevel, norishkeit. Just noticed that in Hebrew, halev and hevel are the same letters.

2, unbridled, uninhibited joy, mirth, total silliness. Somone who takes away limits eventually disgusts himself into depression. The Greek body worship started at the time of Shlomo. Doesn't give true lasting joy, just a temporary ecstasy hysteria.

3, life's short

4, tried wine, always tried to use his intelligence to drink just enough without suffering hangover. epicorus

3-11, kept listing all the things he and others did, but it wasn't worth it. Didn't give him anythign.

all written in first person, "I", ego

like from the uninhibited, hippie '60's to the Indian hindu deprivation religions