Daily Tehillim: Day 20

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. The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of islands be glad.
2. Clouds and darkness are around him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
3. A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies around.
4. His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees, and trembles.
5. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
7. Confounded are all those who serve carved idols, who boast themselves of idols; bow down before him, all you gods.
8. Zion hears, and is glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, O Lord.
9. For you, Lord, are high above all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
10. You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of his pious ones; he saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; and give thanks to his holy name.

1. A Psalm. O sing to the Lord a new song; for he has done marvelous things; his right hand, and his holy arm, have gained him the victory.
2. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness to the eyes of the nations.
3. He has remembered his love and his truth toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5. Sing to the Lord with the lyre; with the lyre, and the voice of a psalm.
6. With trumpets and the sound of a shofar make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.
7. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world, and those who dwell in it.
8. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing for joy together,
9. Before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth; with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the peoples with equity.

1. The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble; he sits between the kerubim; let the earth be moved.
2. The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the peoples.
3. Let them praise your great and awesome name; for it is holy.
4. The might of the king who loves judgment! You establish equity, you execute judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
5. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
6. Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7. He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; they kept his testimonies, and the statute that he gave them.
8. You answered them, O Lord our God; you were a forgiving God to them, though you took vengeance for their wrong doings.
9. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord, our God, is holy.

1. A Psalm of thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing.
3. Know that the Lord is God; it is he who made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful to him, and bless his name.
5. For the Lord is good; his loving kindness is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures to all generations.

1. A Psalm of David. I will sing of loving kindness and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing.
2. I will celebrate with a Maskil psalm the way of integrity. O when will you come to me? I will walk inside my house with integrity of heart.
3. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know nothing of evil.
5. I will cut off whoever secretly slanders his neighbor; I will not endure the man who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart.
6. My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity, he shall serve me.
7. He who works deceit shall not dwell in my house; he who tells lies shall not remain in my sight.
8. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all the evil doers from the city of the Lord.

1. A Prayer of the afflicted, when he faints, and pours out his complaint before the Lord.
2. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry reach you.
3. Do not hide your face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call.
4. For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
5. My heart is struck and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
6. Because of my loud groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
7. I am like an owl of the wilderness; I am like a night flier of the desert.
8. I watch; I am like a lonely bird on the roof top.
9. My enemies insult me all the day; and they who are mad against me are sworn against me.
10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
11. Because of your indignation and your wrath; for you have lifted me up, and cast me down.
12. My days are like an evening shadow; and I am withered like grass.
13. But you, O Lord, are enthroned for ever; and your name endures to all generations.
14. You shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for it is time to favor her, the set time has come.
15. For your servants hold her stones dear, and have pity on her dust.
16. So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory.
17. For the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
18. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
19. This shall be written for the generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.
20. For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
21. To hear the groans of the prisoner; to set free those who are appointed to die;
22. That men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
23. When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
24. He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
25. I say, O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; you whose years endure throughout all generations.
26. Of old you laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of your hands.
27. They shall perish, but you shall endure; all of them shall become old like a garment; like clothing you shall change them, and they will pass away;
28. But you are the same, and your years shall have no end.
29. The children of your servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before you.

1. A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, 4. Who redeems your life from the pit, who encircles you with loving kindness and compassion,
5. Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6. The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed!
7. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the children of Israel!
8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and bountiful in loving kindness!
9. He will not always chide; nor will he keep his anger forever!
10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities!
11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him!
12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us!
13. As a father who pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him!
14. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust!
15. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field!
16. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and its place knows it no more!
17. But the loving kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18. To those who keep his covenant, and to those who remember to do his commandments!
19. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all!
20. Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones, who do his word, listening to the voice of his word!
21. Bless the Lord, all his hosts! O you his ministers, who do his will!
22. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion! Bless the Lord, O my soul!

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.