Praising God Whatever May Happen

 

 

The Talmud tells the following story:

 

When Nebuchadnezzar threw Hanania, Mishael and Azaria into the fiery furnace and saw them emerge alive, he was so overwhelmed by God’s miracle that he broke into the most exalted song of praise. "How great are God’s signs, how mighty His wonders. His Kingship is a kingship over all the world, and His dominion is for all generations" (Daniel 3:33)/ Had an angel not come and slapped him in the face to silence him, his praise would have put to shame all the songs of King David (Sanhedrin 92b).

 

What’s going on here? Was Heaven showing favoritism? So what if Nebuchadnezzar put the Book of Psalms to shame? Wasn’t he declaring the praise of the Almighty? He was one of the greatest kings in the world. Why did the angel slap him in the face? This episode needs explanation

 

There is a fundamental difference between the praises of King David and those of Nebuchadnezzar. King David, the sweet singer of Israel, not only praised God in times of deliverance, he praised Him in the midst of adversity as well. "I will remember my singing in the night" (Tehillim 77:7). "From the ends of the earth I will call out to You" (ibid 61:3).  "With praises  I will call upon God and be delivered from my foes" (ibid 18:4). That is, David was so sure of God’s deliverance that he could praise Him even before he was saved (Rashi on Tehillim 18:4). Even in the midst of his pain, David would rise and delight the King with songs of praise and exaltation (Zohar2:107a).

 

This is the type of person who should praise God when he beholds His wonders. Only one who can fulfill, "Trouble and sorrow I encounter.. I will call upon the Name of the Lord" (ibid 116:3-4), deserves to fulfill, "I will raise the cup of deliverance and call upon the Name of the Lord" (ibid116:13). His eyes are always upon his Father in Heaven, and he clings to Him in both good times and bad. Even when he sees no hope of salvation, his faith is strong and he does not complain. He waits and hopes for God, knowing that in His hands alone lies deliverance and there is none other besides Him. The prayers and praise of such an individual are very precious indeed.

 

But the evil Nebuchadnezzar praised God only when he saw a revelation of His wonders. Therefore, the angel slapped him in the face, as if to say, "We don’t need you, nor the likes of you!"

 

The Kotzker Rebbe explained this a little differently. The angel came and struck him, as if to say, "Now let’s see if you can praise God, after you’ve been slapped in the face" (Sheiris Menachem, parashat Acharei).

 

 

(Used with permission from the author. From the book "In all my Ways" Keren Ohr Publications.)