Psalm 27

רבנן פתרי קראי בראש השנה ויום הכפורים. אורי בראש השנה. וישעי ביום הכפורים.

The rabbis explained this verse as referring to Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. 'my light,' on Rosh Hashanah. 'And my help ,' on Yom Kippur.

The earliest commendation of the practice is in a book entitled Shem Tov Katan by the kabbalist Benjamin Beinish, published in Sulzbach in 1706.³ Beinish writes (9b): "Here is a mystical secret for you: concerning anyone who recites this psalm from Rosh Hodesh Elul until after Simhat Torah, even if there is an evil decree from heaven against that person, it may be annulled." The 13 occurrences of the divine name in the psalm, according to Beinish, correspond to 13 channels of mercy that are "opened" during the penitential season, giving the psalm its power to "annul all harsh and evil decrees
--Alan Cooper

תהילים כ״ז

(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהֹוָ֥ה מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃

(ב) בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֢ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃

(ג) אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹא־יִירָ֢א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃ (ד) אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהֹוָה֮ אוֹתָ֢הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵֽיכָלֽוֹ׃

(ה) כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֢וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אׇהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃

(ו) וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אׇהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃

(ז) שְׁמַע־יְהֹוָ֖ה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחׇנֵּ֥נִי וַֽעֲנֵֽנִי׃ (ח) לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃

(ט) אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַ֥ל תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃

(י) כִּֽי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהֹוָ֣ה יַאַסְפֵֽנִי׃

(יא) ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֗ה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שֽׁוֹרְרָֽי׃

(יב) אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָמוּ־בִ֥י עֵדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃

(יג) לׅׄוּׅׄלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יְהֹוָ֗ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃

(יד) קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}

Psalms 27

1. For David. The LORD is my light and my rescue. Whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s stronghold. Of whom should I be afraid?

2. When evildoers draw near me to eat my flesh— my foes and my enemies are they— they trip and they fall.

3. Though a camp is marshaled against me, my heart shall not fear. Though battle is roused against me, nonetheless do I trust.

4. One thing do I ask of the LORD, it is this that I seek— that I dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the LORD’s sweetness and to gaze on His palace.

5. For He hides me in His shelter on the day of evil. He conceals me in the recess of His tent, on a rock He raises me up.

6. And now my head rises over my enemies around me: Let me offer in His tent sacrifices with joyous shouts.

7. Let me sing and hymn to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, my voice when I call, 7 and grant me grace and answer me.

8. Of You, my heart said: “Seek My face.” Your face, LORD, I do seek.

9. Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in wrath. You are my help. Abandon me not, nor forsake me, O God of my rescue.

10. Though my father and mother forsook me, 10 the LORD would gather me in.

11 Teach me, O LORD, Your way, and lead me on a level path because of my adversaries.

12 Do not put me in the maw of my foes. For false witnesses rose against me, outrageous deposers.

13 If I but trust to see the LORD’s goodness, in the land of the living—

14 Hope for the LORD! Let your heart be firm and bold, and hope for the LORD.

Alter, Robert. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary . W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

מלבי"ם על תהילים כ״ז:א׳:ב׳

ה' אורי, היראה הוא מדבר ידוע והפחד הוא מדבר בלתי ידוע, ואשר יתירא אדם מאויבים גלוים הלוחמים אתו נקרא יראה, ונגד זה אמר שה' אורי וישעי ממי אירא, ר"ל שיצוייר שיירא אדם מאויביו, א. פן יפלו עליו בלילה מבלי יוכל לראות אותם להשמר מפניהם, נגד זה אמר ה' אורי, ב. פן יהיה חילם וכחם רב מחילו וכחו, נגד זה אמר ה' ישעי, וא"כ ממי אירא, ואשר יתירא אדם משונאיו החורשים עליו רעה בסתר כמו להשחית עץ בלחמו והוא לא ידע, זה נקרא פחד, נגד זה אמר אחר שה' מעוז חיי א"כ ממי אפחד:

Malbim on Psalms 27:1:2

Hashem is my light ... Yirah is from a known thing, and Pachad is from something unknown. When a man fears from revealed enemies which battle with him it is called Yirah; corresponding to this David says that Hashem is my light and my salvation, from whom shall I have Yirah. Meaning to say, it's conceivable that a man will fear from his enemies 1) lest they come upon him at night while he is unable to see them and protect himself; to this David said "Hashem is my light" 2) lest the enemy's might and strength be greater than his [and they overpower him]; to this David said "Hashem is my salvation", and therefore from whom shall I have fear? And regarding man fearing his foes that secretly plot evil against him...without him knowing, this is called Pahad. To this David said that "Hashem is the stronghold of my life" therefore "From whom shall I have pahad?"

ברכות ד׳ א:י״ד

וְדָוִד מִי קָרֵי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ ״חָסִיד״? וְהָכְתִיב ״לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב ה׳ בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים״, וְתָנָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי: לָמָּה נָקוּד עַל ״לוּלֵא״? — אָמַר דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מוּבְטָח אֲנִי בְּךָ שֶׁאַתָּה מְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, אֲבָל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם יֵשׁ לִי חֵלֶק בֵּינֵיהֶם אִם לָאו?!

Berakhot 4a:14

With regard to David’s statement, “Keep my soul, for I am pious,” the Gemara asks: Did David call himself pious? Isn’t it written: “If I had not [luleh] believed to look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalms 27:13). The dots that appear over the word luleh in the text indicate doubt and uncertainty of his piety, and whether he was deserving of a place in the land of the living (see Avot DeRabbi Natan 34). In the name of Rabbi Yosei, it was taught in a Tosefta: Why do dots appear over the word luleh, as if there are some reservations? Because David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe. I have every confidence in You that You grant an excellent reward to the righteous in the World-to-Come since God’s ultimate goodness is manifest in the land of eternal life, but I still harbor uncertainty with regard to myself, and I do not know whether or not I definitely have a portion among them. In any case, apparently David was uncertain whether or not he deserved to receive a portion of God’s reward for the righteous; how, then, could he characterize himself as pious?