Psalms of Disorientation: 13, 22, 88, 130

(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) עַד־אָ֣נָה יְ֭הֹוָה תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי נֶ֑צַח עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ תַּסְתִּ֖יר אֶת־פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (ג) עַד־אָ֨נָה אָשִׁ֪ית עֵצ֡וֹת בְּנַפְשִׁ֗י יָג֣וֹן בִּלְבָבִ֣י יוֹמָ֑ם עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ יָר֖וּם אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃ (ד) הַבִּ֣יטָֽה עֲ֭נֵנִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י הָאִ֥ירָה עֵ֝ינַ֗י פֶּן־אִישַׁ֥ן הַמָּֽוֶת׃ (ה) פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹיְבִ֣י יְכׇלְתִּ֑יו צָרַ֥י יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ כִּ֣י אֶמּֽוֹט׃ (ו) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃ {פ}

Psalms 13

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David.
(2) How long, O LORD; will You ignore me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me? (3) How long will I have cares on my mind,
grief in my heart all day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand? (4) Look at me, answer me, O LORD, my God!
Restore the luster to my eyes,
lest I sleep the sleep of death; (5) lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,”
my foes exult when I totter. (6) But I trust in Your faithfulness,
my heart will exult in Your deliverance.
I will sing to the LORD,
for He has been good to me.

תנחומא בובר, הוספה לשלח ח׳:ד׳

עד אנה ה' תשכחני נצח (תהלים יג ב), בבבל,
עד אנה תסתיר את פניך ממני (שם), במדי,
עד אנה אשית עצות בנפשי (שם שם ג), ביון,
עד אנה ירום אויבי עלי (שם שם), באדום,

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Appendix to Sh'lach 8:4

(Ps. 13:2–3[1–2]:) HOW LONG ('ad-'anah), O LORD? WILL YOU FORGET ME FOREVER? concerns Babylon.
(Ibid., cont.): HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL YOU HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME? concerns Media.
(Ibid., cont.): HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) SHALL I TAKE COUNSEL IN MY SOUL <WITH GRIEF IN MY HEART ALL DAY>? concerns Greece.
(Ibid., cont.): HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL MY ENEMY BE EXALTED OVER ME? concerns Edom (i.e., Rome).

תהילים כ״ב

(א) לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּ֥לֶת הַשַּׁ֗חַר מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃ (ג) אֱֽלֹהַ֗י אֶקְרָ֣א י֭וֹמָם וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֶ֑ה וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה וְֽלֹא־דֻֽמִיָּ֥ה לִֽי׃ (ד) וְאַתָּ֥ה קָד֑וֹשׁ י֝וֹשֵׁ֗ב תְּהִלּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ה) בְּ֭ךָ בָּטְח֣וּ אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בָּ֝טְח֗וּ וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵֽמוֹ׃ (ו) אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־בֽוֹשׁוּ׃

Psalms 22

1. To the lead player, on ayeleth hashahar, a David psalm.

2. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

3. Far from my rescue are the words that I roar. My God, I call out by day and You do not answer, by night—no stillness for me.

4. And You, the Holy One—enthroned in Israel’s praise.

5. In You did our fathers trust, they trusted, and You set them free. To You they cried out, and escaped,

6. in You they trusted and were not put to shame.

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

ayeleth hashahar. The name elsewhere means “morning star” (or, literally, “dawn doe”). One assumes it refers to a musical instrument of some sort or, alternately, to a melody.
Alter, Robert. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary . W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

Shachar contains two seemingly contradictory meanings: 1) darkness, as in shachor, which means black; 2) dawn, which connotes light. Yet a third meaning of the word is' "longing" (see below, 63:2). When the dawn begins to break, the moon and the stars retreat. At that moment, the darkness of night reaches its peak, and our slumber is deepest (see Midrash Tehillim). So, too, spiritually, just before the dawn of redemption, the Divine light will have reached its most profound concealment, leaving the world in a state of spiritual darkness and slumber. Yet this darkness will create in us a great thirst for Godliness, which will in turn lead God to usher in the dawn of redemption (The Rebbe)

Mark 15:34
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land* until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Jewish Annotated New Testament . Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

תהילים פ״ח

(א) שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י־קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃ (ב) יְ֭הֹוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ (ג) תָּב֣וֹא לְ֭פָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִ֑י הַטֵּ֥ה אׇ֝זְנְךָ֗ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃ (ד) כִּֽי־שָׂבְעָ֣ה בְרָע֣וֹת נַפְשִׁ֑י וְחַיַּ֗י לִשְׁא֥וֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃ (ה) נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֑וֹר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּגֶ֣בֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃ (ו) בַּמֵּתִ֗ים חׇ֫פְשִׁ֥י כְּמ֤וֹ חֲלָלִ֨ים ׀ שֹׁ֥כְבֵי קֶ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֣א זְכַרְתָּ֣ם ע֑וֹד וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה מִיָּדְךָ֥ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃ (ז) שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃ (ח) עָ֭לַי סָמְכָ֣ה חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְכׇל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ עִנִּ֥יתָ סֶּֽלָה׃ (ט) הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי שַׁתַּ֣נִי תוֹעֵב֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ כָּ֝לֻ֗א וְלֹ֣א אֵצֵֽא׃ (י) עֵינִ֥י דָאֲבָ֗ה מִנִּ֫י־עֹ֥נִי קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּכׇל־י֑וֹם שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ כַפָּֽי׃ (יא) הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים יָק֤וּמוּ ׀ יוֹד֬וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ (יב) הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר בַּקֶּ֣בֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ אֱ֝מ֥וּנָתְךָ֗ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃ (יג) הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃ (יד) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃ (טו) לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (טז) עָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃ (יז) עָ֭לַי עָבְר֣וּ חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי׃ (יח) סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃ (יט) הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי אֹהֵ֣ב וָרֵ֑עַ מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃ {פ}

Psalms 88

(1) A song. A psalm of the Korahites. For the leader; on maḥalath leannoth.^-a A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
(2) O LORD, God of my deliverance,
when I cry out in the night^-b before You, (3) let my prayer reach You;
incline Your ear to my cry. (4) For I am sated with misfortune;
I am at the brink of Sheol. (5) I am numbered with those who go down to the Pit;
I am a helpless man (6) abandoned among the dead,
like bodies lying in the grave
of whom You are mindful no more,
and who are cut off from Your care. (7) You have put me at the bottom of the Pit,
in the darkest places, in the depths. (8) Your fury lies heavy upon me;
You afflict me with all Your breakers. Selah. (9) You make my companions shun me;
You make me abhorrent to them;
I am shut in and do not go out. (10) My eyes pine away from affliction;
I call to You, O LORD, each day;
I stretch out my hands to You.
(11) Do You work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades rise to praise You? Selah. (12) Is Your faithful care recounted in the grave,
Your constancy in the place of perdition? (13) Are Your wonders made known in the netherworld,
Your beneficent deeds in the land of oblivion?
(14) As for me, I cry out to You, O LORD;
each morning my prayer greets You. (15) Why, O LORD, do You reject me,
do You hide Your face from me? (16) From my youth I have been afflicted
and near death;
I suffer Your terrors wherever I turn.^-e (17) Your fury overwhelms me;
Your terrors destroy me. (18) They swirl about me like water all day long;
they encircle me on every side. (19) You have put friend and neighbor far from me
and my companions out of my sight.

Places of darkness, pits, depression, graves, night....

רש"י על תהילים פ״ח:א׳:א׳

על מחלת לענות. על חולת אהבה וענויה שהיא מעונה ביסורי הגלות:

Rashi on Psalms 88:1:1

about the sick and afflicted one Heb. על-מחלתלענות, concerning the one sick with love and afflicted, for she is afflicted with the pains of the exile.

The above two interpretations of machalat- "musical instrument" and "sickness and suffering" - seem to embody opposite emotions. Yet they underscore the theme mentioned above, that beneath the surface of exile lies redemption. Thus, in a word that according to Rashi means sickness and suffering, we find allusions to music and joy. We similarly find a twofold meaning in the word mach- alat, which is related to the word machol, circle. The circle represents two things:
1) The completeness of the circle signifies complete and robust health, the opposite of illness.
2) The circle is one of dancing, in which everyone joins equally to celebrate the redemption. If we dig into the depth of the machalat- illness and suffering- we can discover and reveal health and joy (The Rebbe)

“Psalm 88 is adamant in its insistence, and it is harsh on Yahweh's unresponsiveness. The truth of this psalm is that Israel lives in a world where there is no answer.' swer.' We are not offered any speculative answer. Perhaps God is silent because cause the guilt of the speaker has driven Yahweh away, but we are not told that. Or one might take it to be a statement of God's transcendent freedom, so that God is not always on call (cf. Jer. 23:23).65 But that is not suggested either. The psalm is not interested in any theological reason Yahweh may have. The psalm is from Israel's side. It engages in no speculation. It asks no theological question. It simply reports on how it is to be a partner of Yahweh in Yahweh's inexplicable absences'' We may imagine that the situation is so desperate that even if a "reason" could be offered, the speaker would have no interest in it, nor would it help, because the needfulness of the moment supersedes any reasonable sonable conversation.”
— The Message of the Psalms (Augsburg Old Testament Studies) by Walter Brueggemann

“What is a psalm like that doing in our Bible'? Two things suggest themselves. selves. First, life is like that, and these poems intend to speak of all of life, not just the good parts. Here, more than anywhere else, faith faces life as it is. Second, ond, we observe that this psalm is not a psalm of mute depression. It is still speech. It is still addressed. In the bottom of the Pit, Israel still knows it has to do with Yahweh. It cannot be otherwise. Yahweh may not have to do with Israel. el. That is a problem for Yahweh, not for Israel or Israel's theologians. Israel has no option but to deal with Yahweh. That belongs to Israel's identity and character in the world. Israel must deal with Yahweh in his life-giving speech and answer. But Israel must also deal with Yahweh in the silence, in God's blank absence as in the saving presence. Israel has no choice but to speak to this one, or to cease to be Israel. In this painful, unresolved speech, Israel is simply engaged in being Israel. To be Israel means to address God, even in God's unresponsive absence.”
— The Message of the Psalms (Augsburg Old Testament Studies) by Walter Brueggemann

תהילים ק״ל

(א) שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּ֖ים קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ב) אֲדֹנָי֮ שִׁמְעָ֢ה בְק֫וֹלִ֥י תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה אׇ֭זְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁב֑וֹת לְ֝ק֗וֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ (ג) אִם־עֲוֺנ֥וֹת תִּשְׁמׇר־יָ֑הּ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י מִ֣י יַעֲמֹֽד׃ (ד) כִּֽי־עִמְּךָ֥ הַסְּלִיחָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן תִּוָּרֵֽא׃ (ה) קִוִּ֣יתִי יְ֭הֹוָה קִוְּתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י וְֽלִדְבָר֥וֹ הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃ (ו) נַפְשִׁ֥י לַאדֹנָ֑י מִשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים לַ֝בֹּ֗קֶר שֹׁמְרִ֥ים לַבֹּֽקֶר׃ (ז) יַחֵ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה כִּֽי־עִם־יְהֹוָ֥ה הַחֶ֑סֶד וְהַרְבֵּ֖ה עִמּ֣וֹ פְדֽוּת׃ (ח) וְ֭הוּא יִפְדֶּ֣ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל עֲוֺנֹתָֽיו׃ {פ}

Psalms 130

(1) A song of ascents.

Out of the depths I call You, O LORD. (2) O Lord, listen to my cry;
let Your ears be attentive
to my plea for mercy. (3) If You keep account of sins, O LORD,
Lord, who will survive? (4) Yours is the power to forgive
so that You may be held in awe.
(5) I look to the LORD;
I look to Him;
I await His word. (6) I am more eager for the Lord
than watchmen for the morning,
watchmen for the morning.
(7) O Israel, wait for the LORD;
for with the LORD is steadfast love
and great power to redeem. (8) It is He who will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

ברכות י׳ ב:כ״ו

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב: אַל יַעֲמוֹד אָדָם בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ וְיִתְפַּלֵּל, אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם נָמוּךְ וְיִתְפַּלֵּל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה׳״.

Berakhot 10b:26

With regard to the halakhot of prayer, Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov: A person should not stand in a high place and pray; rather, he should stand in a low place and pray, as it is stated: “I called to You, Lord, from the depths” (Psalms 130:1).