Daily Tehillim: Day 11

Prayer before Tehillim on a Weekday

May it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d, and the G-d of our forefathers, Who chose David His servant and his offspring after him, and Who chose songs and praises - that you attend with mercy to the recitation of psalms that I shall merit and consider it as if they were recited by King David, of blessed memory, himself, may his merit be a shield over us. And stand in our favor may the merit of the verses of the psalms together with the merit of their words and their letters and their vowels and their cantilations, and together with the Holy Names that are formed from them, from the initial (letters) of the words and from the final (letters) of the words - may their merit serve to bring atonement for our transgressions, iniquities, and sins, and to cut down ruthless men, and slash away all the thorns and briars which surround the Rose, Celestial; and to unite the Bride of Youth with her Beloved in love, brotherhood, and companionship. And from that (unification) may be drawn to us an abundant blessing to our spirit, breath and soul, to purify us of our iniquities, to forgive our sins and to atone for our transgressions, just as You forgave David who recited these very same psalms before You - as it is said: Hashem also has forgiven your sin, you shall not die. May you not take us from This World before our time, until the completion of our years, (among them are seventy years,) in a manner that we be able to rectify anything that we have ruined. May the merit of King David, of blessed memory, shield over us and for us; that You may be patient (with us), (and wait) until we return to You in repentance that is complete before You. From your treasury of grace that is undeserved, be gracious to us - as it is written: I am Compassionate to those whom I favor, and I am Merciful to those upon whom I have mercy. And just as we recite before You a song in This World, so let us merit to recite before You - O Hashem, our G-d - songs and praises in the World to Come. And through the recitation of the psalms arouse the Rose of Sharon to sing with a voice that is pleasant, with ecstasy and joy. May the glory of the Levanon be given to her, majesty and splendor in the House of our G-d, speedily in our days. Amein. Selah!

Before Saying Tehillim it is customary to say these Three Verses

Come! Let us sing joyfully to Hashem, let us call out to the Rock of our Salvation,
Let us greet Him with thanksgiving, with praiseful songs let us call out to Him.
For a great G-d is Hashem, and a great King above all heavenly powers.

1. To the chief Musician, according to Shushan-Eduth, A Miktam of David, to teach;
2. When he strove with Aram-Naharaim and with Aram-Zobah, when Joab returned, and struck twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
3. O God, you have cast us off, you have scattered us, you have been angry; O turn yourself to us again.
4. You have made the earth tremble; you have broken it; heal its breaches; for it totters.
5. You have shown your people hard things; you have made us drink the wine of staggering.
6. You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
7. That your beloved ones may be saved; save with your right hand, and answer me.
8. God has spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
9. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my scepter;
10. Moab is my washbasin; over Edom I will cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.
11. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
12. Have you not rejected us, O God, so that you do not go forth with our armies?
13. Give us help against the enemy; for vain is the help of man.
14. Through God we shall do bravely; for he it is who shall trample down our enemies.

1. To the chief Musician, for stringed instruments, A Psalm of David.
2. Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.
3. From the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is too high for me.
4. For you have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower against the enemy.
5. I will abide in your tent for ever; I will trust in the shelter of your wings. Selah.
6. For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
7. Prolong the king’s life; may his years be as many generations.
8. May he be enthroned before God for ever; O appoint love and truth, that they may preserve him.
9. So I will sing praise to your name for ever, as I daily perform my vows.

1. To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
2. My soul waits in silence only for God; from him comes my salvation.
3. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.
4. How long will you seek to overwhelm a man? You will be, all of you, demolished like a leaning wall, or a tottering fence.
5. They even plot to cast him down from his majesty; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
6. My soul waits only for God in silence; for my hope is from him.
7. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my refuge; I shall not be moved.
8. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.
9. Trust in him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
10. Surely men of low estate are but a breath, and men of high estate are a lie; to be laid in the scales, they are altogether lighter than a breath.
11. Do not trust in oppression, and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.
12. God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God.
13. And to you, O Lord, belongs loving kindness; for you render to every man according to his work.

1. A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
2. O God, you are my God; I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is,
3. To see your power and your glory, as I have seen you in the sanctuary.
4. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
5. Thus I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name.
6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips;
7. When upon my bed I remember you, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
8. Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
9. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
10. But those who seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
11. They shall be given over to the sword; they shall be a prey for foxes.
12. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one who swears by him shall glory; but the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

1. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
2. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
3. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the tumult of the evil doers;
4. Who whet their tongue like a sword, and aim bitter words like arrows.
5. To shoot from ambush at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him, without fear.
6. They encourage one another in an evil matter; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who shall see them?
7. They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search; both the inward thought of man, and the heart, is deep.
8. But God shoots his arrows at them; suddenly they shall be wounded.
9. So they make their own tongue a stumbling to themselves; all who see them shall shake their head.
10. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
11. The righteous man shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

1. To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.
2. Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall the vow be performed.
3. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
4. Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, you shall purge them away.
5. Happy is the man whom you choose, and bring near, that he may dwell in your courts; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, of your holy temple.
6. By awesome things in righteousness will you answer us, O God of our salvation; you are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the farthest sea;
7. Who by his strength has established the mountains; being girded with power;
8. Who stills the noise of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
9. And those who dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid of your signs; you make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
10. You visit the earth, and water it; you greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water; you provide their grain, for you have prepared it.
11. You water her furrows abundantly; you settle her ridges; you make it soft with showers; you bless its growth.
12. You crown the year with your goodness; and your paths drop fatness.
13. The pastures of the wilderness drip; and the hills rejoice on every side.
14. The meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.

May it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d, and the G-d of our forefathers, Who chose David His servant and his offspring after him, and Who chose songs and praises - that you attend with mercy to the recitation of psalms that I shall merit and consider it as if they were recited by King David, of blessed memory, himself, may his merit be a shield over us. And stand in our favor may the merit of the verses of the psalms together with the merit of their words and their letters and their vowels and their cantilations, and together with the Holy Names that are formed from them, from the initial (letters) of the words and from the final (letters) of the words - may their merit serve to bring atonement for our transgressions, iniquities, and sins, and to cut down ruthless men, and slash away all the thorns and briars which surround the Rose, Celestial; and to unite the Bride of Youth with her Beloved in love, brotherhood, and companionship. And from that (unification) may be drawn to us an abundant blessing to our spirit, breath and soul, to purify us of our iniquities, to forgive our sins and to atone for our transgressions, just as You forgave David who recited these very same psalms before You - as it is said: Hashem also has forgiven your sin, you shall not die. May you not take us from This World before our time, until the completion of our years, (among them are seventy years,) in a manner that we be able to rectify anything that we have ruined. May the merit of King David, of blessed memory, shield over us and for us; that You may be patient (with us), (and wait) until we return to You in repentance that is complete before You. From your treasury of grace that is undeserved, be gracious to us - as it is written: I am Compassionate to those whom I favor, and I am Merciful to those upon whom I have mercy. And just as we recite before You a song in This World, so let us merit to recite before You - O Hashem, our G-d - songs and praises in the World to Come. And through the recitation of the psalms arouse the Rose of Sharon to sing with a voice that is pleasant, with ecstasy and joy. May the glory of the Levanon be given to her, majesty and splendor in the House of our G-d, speedily in our days. Amein. Selah! Come! Let us sing joyfully to Hashem, let us call out to the Rock of our Salvation, Let us greet Him with thanksgiving, with praiseful songs let us call out to Him. For a great G-d is Hashem, and a great King above all heavenly powers.