THE GREATNESS OF SAYING TEHILLIM
In the Sefer “Chesed L’Avrohom” it is brought “that in the year 1352 c.e.
there was a poor righteous man who only knew how to learn the basics. He
became old and passed away at a ripe old age. Within the thirty days after
his death, he appeared in a dream to an exceptionally learned man. It
appeared to the leaned man that the poor man was standing in front of him in
shrouds and was holding a small book. The learned man asked, “Aren’t you the
one we buried on such and such a day?” The man answered, “You have spoken
correctly, it is I”. The learned man said, “What is that book you are
holding in your hand?” He answered, “The book of Tehillim. And I have come
to warn you to warn th e people of my town where I lived that they should
run away and save their lives. Because a tragedy will strike whoever stays
in that town. While I was alive and I finished Sefer Tehillim every day for
al thse years, that merit allowed the people to sojourn in peace and they
were saved from tragedy until now. But from now on there is no one to guard
them.”
And it was in the morning and the man shook with terror and he send a
special messenger to that town with a letter warning the inhabitants. There
were some people who listened to the words of the Chosid and ran for their
lives and there were some who were not afraid of the punishment and they
stayed in that town, until the hand of Hashem touched them (and they lost
their lives.)
From that day forward, he completed Sefer Tehillim every week. Therefore say
Tehillim constantly because the constant repetition of Sefer Tehillim will
prevent many disasters and tragedies from coming upon us and members of our
household, our families and all of our generations. The zchuses of the one
who says Tehillim will bring bounty, heavenly mercy, blessings and success.
Fortunate is the person who was worthy and causes other people to dog good
things.
THE POWER OF TEHILLIM
Ever since my children could first talk, my wife and I have made sure they
say Kiryas Shema out loud each and every night. Many years ago we took on
the habit of having the children say Tehillim for different people who
needed help at the same time they said Krias Shema. Every once in a while,
I’d be able to report to my children.
“This girl we davened for has recovered, this boy is better.”
Sometimes, unfortunately we had to let them know that “Hashem took back the
Neshoma.”
I never knew for sure how to explain to my children that sometimes despite
the strongest Tefilos for a person, that person had to die anyway. The best
I could do was to explain that Hashem knows far better than us what is right
and it is always our job to daven for a person no matter how hopeless it
seems. This year I stumbled unto a startling other answer to the question as
to why w must always say Tehillim for people no matter how hopeless the
situation.
Someone complained to me about how the whole world said Tehillim for Rav
Shlomo Zalman Urbach and the Tefillos did not seem to be answered.
“The whole world said Tehillim for Rav Shlomo Zalman Urbach this year, yet
the day after we said Tehillim, so many Yidden went to his funeral. How do
we handle the fact that so many men, women and children can say Tehillim for
a man, and yet they were disappointed with the results?” he asked.
Good question, but you see, I am one of the few people who experienced the
answer to this question first had.
I’m one of the few people who did not know the world was davening for Rav
Shlomo Zalman ben Rivka, Rav Shlomo Zalman Urbach, on that particular
Shabbos. I spent that same Shabbos in a hospital, desperately davening for
another Shlomo Zalman be Rivka, Rav Shlomo Zalman Urbach, on that particular
Shabbos. I spent that same Shabbos in a hospital, desperately davening for
another Shlomo Zalman ben Rivka. The Shlomo Zalman ben Rifka I was davening
for, was hit by a car in Boro Park and lay in Kings county Hospital fighting
for his life.
In Shomaim that day, perhaps because of the Tehillim said by so many, it was
decided that a Shlomo Zalman ben Rifka must live and recover, and so perhaps
it was with that in mind, that my brother Shlomo Handler, otherwise known as
Shlomo Zalman ben Rifka recovered so well, that he is back at work and
getting better each and every day.
The world asked that Shlomo Zalman ben Rifka recover and although many did
not know it, and that is exactly what they got!
Remember this lesson well! You many not know exactly how your Tehillim and
Tefilos are being answered, but you must know, not one word is ever wasted.
The cries of the Bnei Yisroel are never in vain.
THE POWER OF TEFILLA
By Rabbi B. Bamberger, Rav of Bais Medrash of Flatbush
How powerful is a prayer? It is beyond the capabilities of the human mind to
grasp the sheer awesomeness of the strength of a tefilla. Were we to realize
the impact that every letter of our tefillos has in the heavenly spheres, we
would definitely invest more time and effort into our davening. Every letter
of our tefillos has its own place in heaven . No tefilla, not one word or
one letter is ever lost.
The Avos and Imahos-our forefathers and foremothers laid the very
foundation for all of us to be great people who pray . They created for all
time an open line of communication between Klal Yisroel and Hashem. We have
only to follow in their footsteps to achieve great heights in our tefillos,
and be worthy that they reach the Kisey HaKovod (throne of glory),
without any impediments.
The power of one’s tefilla is directly related to one’s Kedushas HaPeh
V’Taharas HaLev U’Machshova – the sanctity of one’s mouth and the purity
of one’s heart and thought. One must concentrate on one’s tefillos with a
purity of heart and thought and must utter the words with a sanctified
mouth. If one’s mouth is used for inappropriate speech it cannot succeed in
davening words that will move the heaven and earth. If ones heart and
thoughts are clouded with information unacceptable to the Yiddishe neshama,
it will not be a wellspring for proper tefillos. It is for this very reason
that a Tzaddik’s tefilla seems to have much more of an impact than our own:
it stems from a pure heart, pure thoughts, and is said with a pure mouth. We
beseech Hashem, V’Taher LeBeinu L’Avdocha Be’Emes –please purify our
hearts that we may serve YOU in truth. The word la’avodcha –to serve
you refers to tefilla as it is written - Aizehu Ha’Avodah Sha’Belev? Zu
Tefila. What is considered a work of the heart? Tefillah.
Yet even with the proper thoughts and Kedushas HaPeh - the holiness
of one’s mouth, one’s tefilos are only guaranteed to be heard by Hashem. It
is not promised that they will be answered in the manner in which we expect
and wish, or in the time frame which we desire. One need only to took back
into the Torah to see how many times the tefillos of Tzaddikim remained
seemingly unanswered, and how many other tefillos were only answered after
many years.
In relation to the world's existence we all live through but a tiny speck of
time. Can we really judge if our tefillos have been answered? The following
moving story illustrates this point beautifully.
Many years ago in Yerushalayim we met a woman whom we shall call Rochel (not
her real name). Rochel told us an amazing story, one which touches everyone
who hears it. Rochel was raised in a totally assimilated family and was very
distanced from her religion. One day a flippant remark made by a family
member sent her on a search for her roots. This eventually led her to Israel
and subsequently to Yiddishkeit.
When Rochel’s grandmother heard that she had become religious, she sent her
a letter of encouragement and told her how proud she was to have a frum
grandchild….”I know I should have remained religious, Rochel, but I just
couldn’t, it was too hard. Enclosed you will find a letter from my father
which he sent to me from Europe. You will find it interesting I am sure."
The letter was written in Yiddish. Rochel took it to a Rav in her school to
have it translated for her. It was an emotional and poignant letter "...I
know that you are in America, my child, and there are many temptations, but
I will daven every day that you will remain a good Jew, keeping the Mitzvos…"
Rochel’s voice cracked with emotion as she reached this part of her story.
"Look what my great-grandfather’s tefiloh accomplished! After all these
years, and against all the odds, I suddenly became religious. It has always
been the furthest thing from my mind…." However, it was not the furthest
thought from Hashem’s mind. Rochel’s grandfather’s prayers, her zeidie’s
tefillos had been stored for many years, and until Rochel became religious
it seemed as though the tefilos would remain unanswered. It was only that
Hashem was waiting for the right moment.
This story should serve as a source of inspiration and consolation to all of
us. We often daven for a particular person or for a change in a specific
situation and we are left feeling that our tefillos have not been answered.
We must have the belief and firm knowledge that our tefillos are never
wasted and never unanswered.
It is a tremendous zchus (merit) for all of Klal Yisroel that so many
women get together every week to recite Tehillim. Bnei Yisroel were redeemed
from Mitzraim in the merit of noshim tzidkonious (righteous women).
There is no doubt that the noshim tzidkonious of today who are reciting
Tehillim in all four corners of the world, will speed us to the final
geula (redemption) when Hashem will gather all of Klal Yisroel from all
four corners of the world and bring us to Eretz Yisroel quickly in our time.
TEHILLIM THOUGHT FROM THE REBBE FROM TOSH
“There will come a time when you will pull out your hair and shed tears like
a river because you didn’t listen to what I have to say.” So writes the
Tosher Rebbe shlit”a.
It is only through the power of prayer, including the recitation of
Tehillim, that we can be saved from our yetzer hara. By saying the holy
mizmorim a person develops an intense connection with Hashem, and gains
protection from the forces of evil in this world. With G-d’s help, we have
adopted the custom to say all of the book of Tehillim together. What the
tzaddikim have told us in the name of Eliyahu Hanavi about how great the
tikkun that comes about from saying all of the Book of Tehillim is, is well
known. There are those who don’t want to do this wholeheartedly and
willingly. They don’t understand why I make so much noise about this. What
can I say? All I can say to all my good students, young and old, is that
there will come a time when you will pull out your hair and shed tears like
a river because you didn’t listen to what I have to say about reciting
Tehillim, especially on Shabbos, because when the Son of David will come he
will be closest to those who developed familiarity with Sefer Tehillim.
I want to recount a story that highlights the power of Tehillim. In the year
1352, at the time that the Jews of Germany suffered great persecution, the
village of Erfurt had been left untouched by our enemies. There was a poor
Jew there, not learned but very pious. He died at a ripe old age. Thirty
days after his passing, he came in a dream to a talmid chacham in Erfurt. He
stood in front of the chacham wearing a shroud and holding a small book.
The chacham told the pious Jew, “Aren’t you the man we buried?”
“That’s right,” he said.
The chacham asked him, “What is that book you are holding?”
The poor man answered, “It is the Book of Tehillim. Warn the people of this
town to escape. A terrible decree is about to befall them. They should
escape to the village nearby. During my lifetime, for many years I would
finish the book of Tehillim weekly. Through that z’chus the people of Erfurt
lived in peace. But now there is no one to protect them.”
In the morning the chacham was startled awake by his dream, and sent a
special messenger to warn the townspeople. The ones who took the warning
seriously escaped and were saved. Those who stayed and didn’t heed the
warning were killed.
From the day that my father heard this story, he made sure to say Sefer
Tehillim seven days a week. Whoever reads Tehillim protects himself and
those around him from disaster for many generations, and spreads an aura of
bliss.