A Guest at Home

11 Elul

We say in L'Dovid Hashem Ori every day through Hoshana Raba:

"Shivti B'Veis Hashem Col Yimei Chayai... U'Levaker B'Heichalo"
Dovid HaMelech is asking HKBH to allow him to "live in the house of Hashem all the days of his life... and to visit His house."


You do not have to be a Rhodes scholar to see the contradiction. How in the world does Dovid expect to be both living in Hashem's house and visiting it? By definition, a visitor does not live in the place he visits.

R' Mirsky in Hegyonei Halacha explains as follows: really, Dovid wanted to live in Hashem's house. That is the ultimate experience - dwelling in HKBH's, uh, dwelling. But the same routine can become stale. Dovid is afraid of his religion becoming routine. Therefore, he asks for the newness of a visitor, the excitement of a houseguest to keep his connection to HKBH fresh. That's the dual concept of being a guest in your own home.

iyH our own Yiddishkeit should be filled with newness and excitement.