Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, uses a beautiful parable to illustrate this very idea. It centers around the verse: "The Lord is my strength and my shield" (Psalm 28:7). Rabbi Simon uses this verse as a springboard for a story.
Imagine a king, he says, who possesses a single, magnificent pearl. It’s his most prized possession. His son approaches him, pleading, “Father, give me the pearl!” The king initially refuses, saying, "It is not yours." The son, undeterred, continues to ask, to yearn for it. Finally, moved by his son’s persistence, the king relents and gives him the pearl.
This, Rabbi Simon explains, is like the story of Israel and the Torah. The children of Israel asked God to give them the Torah. God, in a sense, initially said, "It is not yours, it is from the heavenly realms." It belongs to a higher plane of existence! But the Israelites persisted. They demonstrated their unwavering desire and commitment. And so, God, like the king with the pearl, eventually gave them the Torah.
This act of divine generosity is echoed in Psalm 29:11: "The Lord will give strength to His people." The Torah itself becomes a source of strength, a shield against the challenges of life.
Rabbi Yochanan adds another layer to this understanding. He suggests that the people of Israel responded to this gift with a song of thanks. As it says, “And from the songs of our gratitude…”. While the original text cuts off here, it implies that the songs themselves are a form of gratitude for having received the Torah, of having been given something so precious that it changed everything. What does it mean to persist in asking for something, even when it seems impossible to obtain? And what does it mean to be given a gift that transforms you, that becomes a source of strength and guidance?
Perhaps the real message of this midrash isn't just about the giving of the Torah, but about the power of persistence, the boundless nature of divine generosity, and the importance of expressing gratitude for the blessings in our lives. What "pearl" are you yearning for? And what song of thanks will you sing when you receive it?