Have you ever attended a prayer vigil? What prayers did you say? In this week’s Parsha, Va’eschanan, we read about Moses’ prayers to G-d begging to enter the land of Israel. Moses often prayed to G-d – which prayerbook did he use? Today, most of the prayers recited at prayer vigils are from Tehillim, the book of Psalms. 

What is so special about Tehillim that we turn to it every time we have tzaros? 

The prayers as we have them in the Siddur and Machzor were instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly who lived at the start of the Second Temple, around 2500 years ago. However, the Jewish custom to pray three times a day did not begin with the Great Assembly. The Talmud says that the Patriarchs instituted the three daily prayers. What did Jews pray before the Siddur was composed? 

Imagine Yom Kippur without a Machzor. Imagine, those Jews who did not travel to Jerusalem for the High Holidays and did not spend the day watching the High Priest perform the sacred service in the Temple. What did they do all day? The answer is Tehillim, which actually makes up a large part of our daily prayers.

Tehillim is the original Jewish prayer book. It includes prayers for every occasion. King David compiled all of these prayers for the Jewish people of all times. In fact, it is suggested that parts of the Tehillim existed long before the days of King David. The Midrash explains that for the entire twenty years that our forefather Jacob lived with his father in law Laban he didn’t sleep. Instead, Jacob was continuously reciting the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Shir Hama’alot). The book of psalms also includes prayers composed by Moses – many chapters begin with the words, “Tefila l’Moshe” a prayer for Moses. 

This means that over a thousand years before the official Siddur was composed, Tehillim served as our prayer book. And when the Men of the Great Assembly took to the task of writing the Siddur, they did not intend to replace the Tehillim. Rather, the Siddur is meant to be a supplemental prayer book, providing prayers only for specific occasions.

If one wants to offer a spontaneous prayer, whether it’s thanks for a miracle or a flash of inspiration, one doesn’t choose a prayer from the Siddur. Tehillim enables us to express to G-d whatever we feel. And there is no limit on how much Tehillim one can say. On the contrary, the more Tehillim you say the better. The Tehillim prayers are ready for use whenever a Jew feels the desire to pray. 

There is an amazing quote from the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek: “If you only knew the power of verses of Tehillim and their effect in the highest Heavens, you would recite them constantly. Know that the chapters of Tehillim shatter all barriers, they ascend higher and still higher with no interference; they prostrate themselves in supplication before the Master of all worlds, and they effect and accomplish with kindness and compassion.”

There is a story about an older fellow who owned a small store. This store was always full of customers. When the old man passed away his son renovated, expanded and reopened the now big department store. However, for him business wasn’t nearly as good as it had been for his old father. Dejected, he asked his Rebbe for advice. 

The Rebbe asked him, “What do you do when you are not helping customers?”
“I read the newspaper,” the young man responded. 
“And what would your father do when he wasn’t helping customers?” the Rebbe asked. 
“Why, he would recite Tehillim,” the young man said. 
“This is the source of your problem,” the Rebbe explained. “Your father spent his time praying and the Yetzer Hora – the evil inclination - couldn’t stand it, so he kept sending him customers to disturb him. You, on the other hand, read the newspaper so the Yetzer Hora has no reason to disturb you.” 

Most of us don’t own stores, but we can still find ways to integrate this important book into our daily schedules. 

The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged people to say the a few chapters of Tehillim every day, following a monthly schedule to finish the entire Tehillim in a month. There is also a beautiful custom from the Baal Shem Tov to say the chapter of Tehillim that corresponds to one’s year of life. A 30-year-old would say chapter 31, equal to the year of life they are presently living. In addition to our own chapter, it is a nice way of praying for your children and loved ones each day – figure out the chapter that corresponds to their age and recite it daily. It is an opportunity to offer them a spiritual kiss and think about them for a few moments each day.