How is My Enemy, How is My Foe?

For August 30th 2022

Tehillim - Psalms 18:18

יַצִּילֵ֗נִי מֵאֹיְבִ֥י עָ֑ז וּ֝מִשֹּׂנְאַ֗י כִּֽי־אָמְצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

"He saved me from my mighty enemy, and He saved me from my foes when they overpowerd me."

Tehillim 18:18: The Hebrew word life = chai, has the numerical value of 18.

When a man is saved from his enemies and foes he is sure of his life. The verse is so "simple" that I have not been able to find much in the comments, and yet I had expected much.

I did see a reference to that Enemy can be a reference to Pharaoh. Pharaoh signifies several themes all of them can be an enemy of our thinking.

- The denial of G-ds existence.

- Ingratitude about all that G-d does for us.

- Wanting/being able to believe in G-d only when one sees His miracles.

The first thing a person must do is get to know G-d. This can be done from a "Pharaoh" perspective by getting to know G-d from nature. That is a starting point, from that point we must come to know G-d Who is beyond the laws of nature and transcends everything. But learning not to rely only on ordinary miracles, but learning to see the miracles in every day. Everything we perceive as normal and ordinary is a miracle. Once we turn to G-d to get to know Him He will help us defeat our enemies.

When we defeat these "big" enemies we go to the foes. Their evil is less visible. It is the evil inclinations that a man has, but by these evil inclinations which one detects in his natural qualities, he can become wise and know how to handle the correction of these qualities, and how to subordinate his powers, in the service of G-d.

As it is written: "From my enemies you have given me wisdom";[1]

Once the enemies and foes are vanquished, there is life, real life, life in the World to Come.

Brought By Angelique Sijbolts

Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.

More from Angelique Sijbolts

Sources

Chabad Tehillim

Chabad Article: A Mini Profile of Pharaoh

Sefaria

Hayom Yom

[1] Tehillim 119:98 The more literal rendering is, "You have made me more wise than my foes."