Me'Ayin Yavo Ezri- Please Explain

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amother

Sun, May 25 2008, 2:08 pm

I don't know which section to write this,
but can someone please explain the Pasuk from tehillim 121:

מֵאַיִן, יָבֹא עֶזְרִי
אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי, אֶל-הֶהָרִים--

I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?

Thank you.

grin

Sun, May 25 2008, 2:15 pm

in chasidus it explains that my help will help from me being like ayin = feeling how nothing and meaningless I am compared to Hashem. This feeling of bitul will grant me the zechus of Hashem's help and salvation.

Ribbie Danzinger

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:46 pm

The literal interpretation is, "I lift up my eyes to see where my help will come from".

One could also understand it to mean, "My assistance will appear, as if from nowhere."

greenfire

Sun, May 25 2008, 5:15 pm

hm ... I thought it spoke for itself ...

it means we pray to Hashem above ... and certainly he answers our prayers ...

ezri mai im Hashem ... my salvation comes from Hashem
oseh shamayim v'oretz ... the creator of heaven & earth

He is that powerful ...

amother

Tue, May 27 2008, 1:56 am

op here:

thank you all for your replies!!
its great that from one small pasuk there are many meanings.

TzenaRena

Tue, May 27 2008, 8:08 am

grin wrote:

Also, iirc, ayin means a very high level of G-dliness that is so high it is unfathomable to us, from our human perspective, therefore ayin (naught) as perceived by us.

Last edited by TzenaRena on Tue, May 27 2008, 2:07 pm; edited 1 time in total

AlwaysGrateful

Tue, May 27 2008, 9:01 am

Um, on the simplest possible level:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains
Where my help does NOT come from;
My helps comes from Hashem,
Who made the heavens and the earth.

In other words, we trust in "big" people, or in natural events, or in all sorts of things...but in the end, our help does not come from those things. It comes from Hashem - and we have to realize that.

Isn't that the most basic pshat? I'd like to take a look into metzudas dovid or rashi and see whether I made that up or actually learned it as pshat (I learned this with a teacher at some point).

louche

Tue, May 27 2008, 9:53 am

Simpler, I think, is
"I lift my eyes up to the mountains, [asking]
From where will my help come?"

amother

Tue, May 27 2008, 11:19 am

op here:
so what does mountain mean? Hashem?

TzenaRena

Tue, May 27 2008, 1:27 pm

TzenaRena wrote:

grin wrote:

Also, iirc, ayin means a very high level of G-dliness that is so high it is unfathomable to us, from our human perspective, therefore ayin as perceived by us.

grin', your explanation is found in "hisvaaduyos of 5711, vol1, pg 144., that with his own koach, Yaakov realized he could do nothing (in avodas habirurim), it was only with the koach of HKBH, and this bitul causes that it should be "ezri ma'im Hashem". (the 15 Shir Hamaalos was what Yaakov said during the 22 years he was by Lavan, when he faced the challenges of remaining faithful to Torah and Mitzvos, accomplishing his avodah, and elevating his surroundings (avodas habirurim) while in a foreign, hostile environment, Charan - Charon af shel Makom b'Olam . similar to what we must accomplish in galus.)

From Likkuttei Sichos vol. 20 pg 405

Quote:

"The ezer comes from (the level of) AYIN, as explained in sources* that "ayin" is higher than all the holy Names ( of Hashem), and from there, it is drawn down and brought below, until (my help is from Hashem the Maker of) heaven and earth."
* see Likkuttei Torah Shelach 51, 1 that the category of ayin is higher than shem havaye.

Last edited by TzenaRena on Tue, May 27 2008, 2:16 pm; edited 3 times in total

TzenaRena

Tue, May 27 2008, 2:03 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

nice intuition, it's what RaDak says.

other meforshim ( Ibn Ezra) say that it's the tendency of someone looking for help to lift one's eyes in search of help, or (metzudos) go up on the mountains to look for help from there ( a higher vantage point or broader view).

TzenaRena

Tue, May 27 2008, 5:12 pm

amother wrote:

op here:
so what does mountain mean? Hashem?

Lifting one's eyes, in a deeper meaning implies that one does connect oneself to Hashem. As in another shir Hamaalos, ps. 123 : " To You I lift my eyes, He who dwells in Heaven."

Quote:

That is, even though the question "from whence will my help come, is a legitimate one, in view of the darkness of galus, nevertheless, by "lifting" one's eyes above this -אשא עיני - by envisioning the intended result as it wil lbe realized in the Geulah, we will not despair, but feel revealed simcha at this ultimate result- Shir Hamaalos,
which will bring to the inner meaning : that the salvation will come from the state of AYIN, which cannot be grasped , it is higher than intellect higher than "Names" (which denote G-dlly revelation), this help then comes down through the Order of Progression of worlds, "My help is from Hashem, Creator of heaven and earth".

From Likkuttei Sichos, vol 20 pag. 128 (Vayetze 1)

Ilovechoumous

Wed, Jan 07 2009, 8:37 am

I went to a shiur and the teacher explained that me'ayin avo ezri? is like a rhetorical question. obviously help comes from Hashem.

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