The Song of the Hunting Dog
The Hunting Dog says: “Righteous ones, laud Hashem; for the upright, His praise is fitting!”
(Tehillim 33:1)
The hunting dog runs swiftly to hunt wild animals on behalf of its master. Remarkably, although carnivorous, it restrains itself from eating the animals that it traps in order to keep them for its master. It therefore sings of the righteous who serve Hashem while withholding themselves from deriving personal benefit connected to their service.
The hunting dog specifies two types of righteous people in its song. The first is “the righteous” (tzaddikim), those who consistently struggle to do what is right. The second is “the upright” (yesharim), those who have already straightened their character and serve Hashem naturally. Through its wholehearted devotion to its master, it declares that although Hashem appreciates all forms of praise, the praise of the upright is the most fitting because it is wholehearted.
Since Hashem most desires the heart, we should not be satisfied with our mere observance of Hashem’s Torah. Rather, we should always strive to refine ourselves to the extent that our service to Him is a natural expression of love that is wholehearted and pure. This is a life-long goal, whose eternal worth overweighs its difficulty.
- Sources: Knaf Renanim; Eight Chapters of Rambam
*In loving memory of Harav Zeev Shlomo ben Zecharia Leib
