A Song for the Shabbos Day
In the Shabbos morning prayers we recite chapter 92 of Tehillim (Psalms). Adam, the first man is credited with having composed this psalm. Adam sinned in the afternoon of the sixth day. When he saw the sun setting, he believed that the impending darkness was the permanent result of his having sinned. When the sun rose the next morning, he was overcome with joy and sang praises to Hashem and to Shabbos.
Moshe Rabbeinu is alternatively credited with composing this psalm. When he saw the Jews suffering from Egyptian bondage, he went to Paro to ask him to give the Jews one day off to rest. Moshe argued that if Paro did not give them a day off, they would not survive. When Paro agreed, Moshe established Shabbos as the day of rest for the Jews. In this psalm, Moshe wanted to console the Jews who saw the wicked Egyptians flourishing while the righteous Jews suffered.
This psalm speaks to the questions that we have about the apparent inequities in this world, and the joy that we will experience in Messianic times when all of our questions will be answered. Shabbos is a time when we express our faith, even in the night of exile, that we trust that the dawn is coming. May it be soon…