Nikiut

For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Psalm 51:1 [Hebrew Bible numbering – NASB]

After – “The quality of cleanliness consists in being free from evil traits as well as from sin. . . Only the man who is entirely free from that plague [lust], and who is undefiled by any trace of the evil which lust leaves behind it, will see clearly and judge truly.”[1]

A king must judge truly. But not only a king. Each of us is called to discern, to judge between what is right and what is not, to determine the will of the Lord in this day of living. Luzzatto notices that lust is not only infectious, it is debilitating. It distorts our sense of justice, provides seductive rationalization and blinds us to cosmic reality. Lust cripples us—morally and intellectually. We emerge from its clutches scathed, sick and submissive. And in that state we can no longer hold claim to the divine title of regent of the Most High.

Confronted by the prophet, David realized that his lust threatened the entire kingdom. His lack of watchfulness on the rooftop perpetrated a seductive scheme that destroyed a marriage, a man and a reputation. The king fell—and now the kingdom might fall with him. David could no longer hide from the prophet (he could never hide from God although the yetzer ha’ra attempted to convince him that he could). Now the question is whether or not he will hide from his subjects. He chooses public confession. Most of us would not, but then, most of us lack David’s humility and courage.

David writes a song. Obviously songs are to be sung. Publicly. Once sung, everyone will know David’s failure. What king does such a thing? In human history the peccadillos of the prestigious are kept under wraps. It is scandalous to discover our lauded officials are ordinary sinners. Kings conceal—unless, of course, they are motivated by godly desire. David risks all in this song-of-songs. From this point on his subjects may regard him as disgraced, unworthy of his title, no longer the role model of kingdom conquerors. We may not be kings but we face the same crisis of reputation. Easier to conceal than reveal. “What will they think of me?” is the heart of the matter. David no longer exercises that seduction. “What does YHVH think?” becomes his only concern. And a king who succumbs to lust impacts the entire kingdom. Public confession is the only option even if it means losing the kingdom. So David writes a song; a song that specifically acknowledges his sexual affair. “After he had gone in to” declares in no uncertain terms that David is an adulterer. Ka’aser ba, “after he entered.” Imagine how Bathsheba felt about this! “My husband just admitted that he had sex with me while I was married to another.” What happens to her reputation? Doesn’t such a confession imply circumstances concerning Uriah require investigation? Two counts of capital offense await David. No, most of us would rather not write such a song.

Luzzatto must have had this story in mind when he made his remarks about cleanliness. The Hebrew is nikiut. It means, “free from blemish,” a state that few of us can find in our daily battles with lust. And, by the way, lust (in Greek epithumia) is not always, or principally, about sex. It is about desire—overwhelming desire to possess, to acquire for oneself regardless of cost of others or violation of mitzvot. Nikiut “describes the state of human consciousness where one not only resists desire or appetite but also recognizes and resists the rationalizations employed by the yetzer ha’ra to justify appetite or desire in the name of necessary self-interest.”[2]

Rationalized self-interest. That’s the key here. The idea that what I desire is really what I need. Financial hardship? I need money, but my need soon becomes a desire for more money once the actual need is satisfied. A friend reminded me that money is the weakest form of power. But it is still one form of power and power is at the root of this desire. Lonely? I need companionship but it is a short step from companionship to the desire to possess another (to have control over another). Hungry? Hunger is a manifestation of a real need, but how easy it is to enjoy just a bit more—and more—and more. Power, the power to turn the world into a means for satisfying my desire, knows no end. It is one of the insatiable human vices, and with it comes the inevitable corruption of control. All in the name of “I really need this.” All in the name of taking care of myself (and isn’t that the first requirement of “love your neighbor”?)

So David does the impossible. He reveals his selfishness. He lets the world know how wretched he is. He publicly declares his private self-interest. Perhaps this is the first step in true repentance. If others know, I cannot hide behind a mask of self-protection, and, after all, am I not supposed to protect myself (suggests the yetzer ha’ra)?

Topical Index: nikiut, cleanliness, blameless, after, ka’aser, lust, epithumia, Psalm 51:1

[1] Moses Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim, p. 106.

[2] Ira Stone commentary on Moses Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim, p. 107.