Dovid, probably after making a dash to save his life, suddenly found himself in a dry desert forest. He was glad to have escaped King Saul's furious jaws of death. Now he just walked onward.He walked on and on and nowhere was there water or fruit. He fasted for so long it would have been enough for a weak soul to depart this world, but he, strong and steadfast, walked along, certain God will occasion for him a favor. What was he now yearning for? He yearned most for another opportunity to experience a prophetic divine uplift.
It was just near to a fainting spell when God decided to provide just that miracle. God infused Dovid's environment with the perfume of Gan Eden and a sweet taste of Ruach Hakodesh. He drew Dovid to ecstasy!
What had Dovid been doing, as he walked briskly in the desert? Did he twiddle with his thumbs? Did he pray, meditate, sing, ... what? All the above, but mostly Dovid played his flute! Seems he always had a flute strapped to him, no matter where circumstances might whisk him away.
He earned that Ruach Hakodesh God now donned on him because no matter the severe ordeal, being days without food or water, he played that flute lovingly. And what were the topics of his songs? Nothing but his profound love of, and faith in, God. The elation he yearned for suddenly became manifest. It transformed his walk into a beautiful "trip to Gan Eden" - which he now used to compose Psalm 23.
The first verse captures the essence, Dovid's complete faith in God. In his new-found sensation of euphoria, he recalls back to when he traversed the desert feeling he lacked nothing! Imagine walking days without food and drink and feeling you lack nothing!
In his psalm he recalls, just before he was infused with that spiritual uplift, the delight he felt being reliant on God. The lack of food or water did not torment him as would have a breach of faith in God. He had total confidence in God!
"A song of Dovid. Because God shepherds me, I will lack nothing!"
This genuine faith felt by Dovid, as he tells in his 1st refrain, launched God's miraculous rescue action.
This is how we greet the Shabbos! We lay away our weekly by-products, to sing of Hashem and to rest with Him.
Dovid teaches us, in Golus (as he traversed the desert), how to live the life of Moshiach times.
This must be why, therefore, we say this psalm twice as we incorporate the Shabbos. Shabbos is a facsimile of life-to-come, where the entire "day" assumes a Shabbos mode. We say it once after Friday night's Ma'ariv, and then once just before Kiddush on the wine.
Shabbos represents the life-hereafter, Moshiach's times. There is the joy of God's presence! One's family of Jews! in His Creation! in His aleph (א) to tov (ת), in His Immensity and in His Modesty. It is the bliss of the Era of Redemption.
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