Mizmor Shir Chanukat Habayit 4

“You have changed for me my lament into dancing…” Where do we find dancing in the Bible? – During the crossing of the Sea, Miriam danced. What was different between Miriam’s song

and the men’s song? – The women at first danced and the men did not. The women had instruments. The men did not. Where did the women get instruments? They brought them with them from Egypt. Why did they bring musical instruments with them if they were going to be traveling in the desert? They said, “If such great miracles happened to us already, Wow! What else is going to happen? We can’t let anything happen without celebrating.” Therefore, their musical instruments were symbols of their expectations of more to come. That’s why the word machalot doesn’t only meaning dancing; it’s related to mechilah, meaning forgiveness.

If you go through life expecting more and more God will show God’s self and more wonderful things will happen. If you say that there is always potential in everything I do,” you are forgiven. When you realize that you have the potential to raise yourself out of a rut that you’ve found yourself in, and apply yourself by belief in expectations, the door is open for atonement. A good one-word definition for this psalm is “expectations.” If I expect to have a good prayer, by definition I have accomplished something. If I work at it, it will be good.

Let’s say I was about to go on a wonderful trip and the night before I just couldn’t sleep. It’s a great feeling. I can’t sleep because I’m so excited. Use that feeling for this psalm. Close your eyes for five seconds remember what it felt like the night before that big trip. That’s the feeling of expectations. Do it a few times and you will associate that feeling with this psalm.

“Just open your mouth. I, God, will fill your mouth for you.” What do you think that means? Pesukei D’zimrah is opening our months to create expectations.