There is a tradition in many Orthodox communities to hold weddings on Tuesdays, the third day of the Jewish week. In the creation story, which we read this past Shabbat as the Torah cycle began anew, the third day is the day on which God creates the Earth and its vegetation. Perhaps more importantly, it is the only day in the course of creation in which God’s declaration that it is good appears twice; because of this double use of good, Tuesdays are seen as an auspicious day for marriages.
The Psalm of the Day, Psalm 82, brings a bit of a different perspective though. Rather than a joyous Psalm, or one of celebration, today’s Psalm is focused on Divine judgment. Even more powerful, perhaps, the Psalmist seems to call out unfair judgements; the Psalmist suggests—like Abraham in Genesis—that the judge of the world is not behaving justly:
עַד־מָתַ֥י תִּשְׁפְּטוּ־עָ֑וֶל וּפְנֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים תִּשְׂאוּ־סֶֽלָה׃
שִׁפְטוּ־דַ֥ל וְיָת֑וֹם עָנִ֖י וָרָ֣שׁ הַצְדִּֽיקוּ׃
פַּלְּטוּ־דַ֥ל וְאֶבְי֑וֹן מִיַּ֖ד רְשָׁעִ֣ים הַצִּֽילוּ׃
How long will you judge perversely,
showing favor to the wicked? Selah.
Judge the wretched and the orphan,
vindicate the lowly and the poor,
rescue the wretched and the needy;
save them from the hand of the wicked.
There is a lot of complicated theology in this Psalm; the words actually suggest that it is not actually God who is judging, but some sort of Divine Tribunal. Plenty to unpack for sure—and a great reason to join us for our Saturday morning Spirit of Shabbat learning! But for today, I’ll end where the Psalmist does—with a return, perhaps, to the God who created a world that is—or can be—doubly good:
קוּמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים שׁפְטָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה תִ֝נְחַ֗ל בכל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are Your possession.
—Rabbi Sari Laufer