Giving Our Service of God a Boost

Parshat Reeh: 

Giving our Service of God a Boost

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In the first Siman of the laws of Rosh Hashana (Shulchan Arukh 551), the Mishneh Berurah (R Yisrael Meir Kagan, a.k.a. The Chafetz Chaim) records a custom from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur to recite Tehillim daily. “From Rosh Chodesh Elul and onward, after davening the congregation says 10 chapters… and since they are not saying a full book (of Tehillim’s seven books) one should say “בזכות מזמורי תהלים שקראנו לפניך...”, then after the “Y’hi Ratzon” a full Kaddish should be recited [If there is no minyan the Kaddish would not be said]… And during the Aseret Y’mei Teshuvah between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur more chapters should be said daily to finish Tehillim a third time before Yom Kippur.” (551: s”k 3) 

Though we are familiar with some specific chapters of Tehillim being part of our order of davening, the practice of using Tehillim as a form of tefillah as a standalone set of prayers might seem odd out of the context of our organized Siddur. In truth, some chapters of Tehillim seem wildly inappropriate to be used as Tefillah as they reflect more upon a historical event in the life of King David or a future calamity to face Israel than on an appeal or petition to God. And yet the tradition exists. 

If the previous paragraph found you nodding your head in agreement, know that you are in good company. Maimonides, in the Laws of Idolatry 11:12), raises his own hesitations about using religious symbols as a cure-all as he writes the following: 

“He who delivers a prayer of charm upon a wound and reads also a verse of the Torah thereon, likewise one who reads a Verse so that a babe shall suffer no fear, or who puts a Sefer Torah or Tefillin upon a child so that he might fall asleep, such are not alone included among the enchanters and charmers but are even included among those who deny the Torah, for they are employing the words of the Torah as a cure for the body, whereas they are not so but only remedies for the soul even as it is said: "And they will (shall) be life for thy soul" (Pro. 3.22). But a normally healthy person who reads Verses of the Torah or chapters of the Psalms, so that the righteousness of reading it shield him to escape suffering and accidents, lo, this is permitted.” [References: Sanhedrin 90a: 101a; Shavuot, 16b; Tosefta, Sanhedrin, Chapter, 12; Shabbat, 121b.] (translation from sefaria.org)

Despite seeming misgivings, he comes down in favor of the recitation of Tehillim as a form of Tefillah. We are told in Devarim chapter 12 that the ideal form of service of God takes place in the “Makom Asher Yivchar Hashem.” This “place that God will choose” is mentioned a number of times in this chapter, and a few more times in the book of Devarim, referring to what was ultimately revealed, hundreds of years later, as Jerusalem. This ideal form of service is in the Temple, and it consists of the truest form of Avodah (Temple Service) which was observed through the bringing of animal offerings, meal offerings, and fulfillments of other vows and devotions – whether in the form of donations, gifts, or other responsibilities, both God-induced or personally dedicated. 

 Most of that form of service is no longer part of our experience. It is in our lexicon, we speak of korbanot, but we do not bring these kinds of offerings. Our service is typically described as “Avodah She’b’lev” – service of the heart, which is what we call Tefillah, prayer. It is not confined by any means to service in Jerusalem alone, and perhaps in a contemporary twist, we might be able to argue that wherever a Jew finds himself or herself able to express one’s yearnings to the Almighty is “a place God has chosen.” 

This week being Shabbos Mevorchim Rosh Chodesh Elul, we can anticipate with the coming of the new month two changes to our regular regimen of Tefillah experience: the twice daily addition of Psalm 27 to our prayers for 50 days, as well as the weekday sounding of the Shofar until Rosh Hashana. 

With even our regular form of worship being curtailed for so many, a question we can ask ourselves is how can we give ourselves a boost? With many of us not attending shul with the regularity we enjoyed until March, perhaps this time of year is our chance to mix things up a bit and try something new. 

So here is the proposal: take Rambam’s allowance, and take Mishneh Brurah’s suggestions, and aim to go through Tehillim three times in the next 40 days, starting with Rosh Chodesh. 

The chart below gives two kinds of options for how to space out one’s going through Tehillim 3 times during this period. “MB’s order” refers to saying 10 chapters a day for two rounds of 15 days, then around 17 chapters a day for 9 days – to finish that third round before Yom Kippur. The “More Balanced” column suggests a division of Tehillim based on equal lengths of time, taking into account the different sizes of the chapters, and therefore allowing a person to cover the same number of pages per day, rather than possibly include very long chapters as one of the daily requisite number of chapters. This is particularly helpful with chapters 78, 89, 105 and 119. 

May our additional prayers serve as a merit for all of us, in anticipation of the High Holiday season.

(The in text chart is followed by a JPEG of the chart, if you prefer to click and print that)

Day of the Week	Hebrew Date	Eng Date	MB’s order	More balanced		Day of the Week	Hebrew Date	Eng Date	MB’s order	More balanced
Thurs	30 Av	8/20	1-10	1-14		Wed	20 Elul	9/9	51-60	53-64
Fri	1 Elul	8/21	11-20	15-23		Thurs	21 Elul	9/10	61-70	65-72
Sat	2 Elul	8/22	21-30	24-34		Fri	22 Elul	9/11	71-80	73-79
Sun	3 Elul	8/23	31-40	35-42		Sat	23 Elul	9/12	81-90	80-89
Mon	4 Elul	8/24	41-50	43-52		Sun	24 Elul	9/13	91-100	90-102
Tues	5 Elul	8/25	51-60	53-64		Mon	25 Elul	9/14	101-110	103-107
Wed	6 Elul	8/26	61-70	65-72		Tues	26 Elul	9/15	111-120	108-118
Thurs	7 Elul	8/27	71-80	73-79		Wed	27 Elul	9/16	121-130	119-124
Fri	8 Elul	8/28	81-90	80-89		Thurs	28 Elul	9/17	131-140	125-139
Sat	9 Elul	8/29	91-100	90-102		Fri	29 Elul	9/18	141-150	140-150
Sun	10 Elul	8/30	101-110	103-107		Sat	1 Tishrei	9/19	1-17	1-19
Mon	11 Elul	8/31	111-120	108-118		Sun	2 Tishrei	9/20	18-34	20-36
Tues	12 Elul	9/1	121-130	119-124		Mon	3 Tishrei	9/21	35-51	37-50
Wed	13 Elul	9/2	131-140	125-139		Tues	4 Tishrei	9/22	52-68	51-68
Thurs	14 Elul	9/3	141-150	140-150		Wed	5 Tishrei	9/23	69-85	69-80
Fri	15 Elul	9/4	1-10	1-14		Thurs	6 Tishrei	9/24	86-102	81-96
Sat	16 Elul	9/5	11-20	15-23		Fri	7 Tishrei	9/25	103-118	97-108
Sun	17 Elul	9/6	21-30	24-34		Sat	8 Tishrei	9/26	119-134	109-119
Mon	18 Elul	9/7	31-40	35-42		Sun	9 Tishrei	9/27	135-150	120-150
Tues	19 Elul	9/8	41-50	43-52		Mon	10 Tishrei	9/28