Psalms — Chapter 85

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1 LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Abrahamic Catechism
Bible Study
Psalms — Chapter 85
◈ Zohar

• The Zohar (II, 230a) identifies this psalm with the return from Babylonian exile — the historical moment when Malkhut was partially restored after the Sitra Achra's occupation. The restoration of Jacob's fortunes is the reclamation of the holy sparks seized during the exile period. Each returning exile carried sparks extracted from Babylon.

• "You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin" — the Zohar (I, 188b) teaches that covering (Kasita) sin is the divine application of Chesed over the wound, creating a protective layer while healing occurs underneath. This is different from hiding sin (which the Zohar condemns); divine covering is a military bandage applied in the field so the warrior can continue fighting.

• "Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other" — the Zohar (III, 74b) identifies this as the description of the Sefirot in perfect alignment: Chesed (love) meets Emet/Netzach (faithfulness), Tzedek/Gevurah (righteousness) kisses Shalom/Yesod (peace). When these four meet and kiss, the Sefiratic circle is complete, and no gap exists for the Klipot to penetrate.

• "Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky" — the Zohar (II, 85b) describes the meeting of the ascending and descending Sefiratic flows: Malkhut sends faithfulness upward while Binah sends righteousness downward. When these flows meet and merge, the vertical axis of holiness is fully operational, and the Sitra Achra's horizontal interference is overwhelmed.

• "Hashem will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its increase" — the Zohar (I, 168b) identifies the "increase" (Yevulah) as the produce of Malkhut when fully irrigated by the upper Sefirot. This yield includes new Torah insights, new holy souls entering the world, and new spiritual capacities for the community. The Sitra Achra's ultimate defeat is ensured by this ever-increasing harvest of holiness.

✦ Talmud

• Ta'anit 29b teaches that the longing in verse 6 for revival is the heart posture of all communal fasting — the Talmud frames it as the spiritually correct response to exile, an active seeking rather than passive resignation.

• Berakhot 64a notes that "lovingkindness and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed" (verse 10) is the Talmud's most beloved description of the redeemed world — four divine attributes unified, which is the final defeat of the Sitra Achra whose power lies in their division.

• Yevamot 79a connects Israel's revival to the three qualities that define the covenant people — mercy, shame, and deeds of lovingkindness — and this psalm's prayer for revival is contingent on embodying these qualities as armor.

• Sotah 14a reads "righteousness will go before Him" (verse 13) as the path that prepares the world for God's own advance — the righteous deeds of Israel clear the spiritual territory, weakening adversarial resistance before the divine presence arrives.

• Megillah 29a notes that the Shekhinah accompanies Israel in every exile — this psalm's prayer for God to "show us Your lovingkindness" is answered, the Talmud argues, by the very survival of Israel: the divine Presence never actually departed.