Basya Tsybukmakher
The Book of Tehillim—the Psalms composed by King David—has for many centuries served Jews as a lifesaving anchor. Holding fast to it in even the hardest and darkest times, we turned our eyes upward, our thoughts toward the eternal, and our prayers toward the Creator’s Throne of Glory. Tehillim (Teillim, Tehilim, Tegilim, Psalms) is an immensely powerful source of prayer. Its timeless lines encompass such a variety of feelings and emotions that every person, in every life situation, can find words that express their inner world at that moment. The unfathomable depth of King David’s Tehillim truly staggers the imagination: its 150 psalms contain virtually every human emotion—joy and fear, sadness and pain, longing, despair, hope, self-confidence, excitement, disappointment, elation, awe, calm, and anxiety…
Indeed, Tehillim provides an appropriate prayer for every occasion, feeling, and experience. The Book of Tehillim is the source of the festive prayer service Hallel (praise), as well as prayers in moments of mortal danger. Tehillim thus teaches us how interconnected all aspects of our lives are, and how they are subject to the same Divine governance. It shows us that every situation we encounter originates in the same will of the Almighty, our Creator, who never withdraws His care from us, even for a second.
The Source of the Psalms’ Uniqueness
The uniqueness and power of Tehillim stem from “ruach hakodesh”—prophetic insight—through which King David composed them. As the Zohar says in its commentary on the portion Vayishlach: “Come and see that all these songs and praises uttered by David contain mysteries and lofty concepts connected with the secrets of wisdom—for they were all uttered in a state of ruach hakodesh.” Not only the words, but even the individual letters of Tehillim are grounded in the deepest kabbalistic concepts. The combinations and numerical values (gematriot) of the letters—everything is filled with meaning, everything offers opportunities for deeper study and understanding, fully reflecting the incredible greatness of their author. Truly, the Book of Tehillim is a gigantic iceberg of Higher Wisdom, only the tip of which is visible to the eye… By reading and studying Tehillim, we gain the opportunity to touch this great Wisdom, becoming partners with their author in elevating and purifying our world and ourselves through the sounds of the sacred prayers and praises in the Book of Psalms.
Our aim in this project was to make the great heritage of Tehillim as accessible as possible to Russian-speaking readers. That is why, for the first time, our website presents all the psalms of Tehillim with the original text, a Russian translation checked and approved by Torah sages to facilitate understanding, and a transliteration for those who cannot yet read the holy tongue but do not want to miss the opportunity to recite Tehillim in the original. For, as is known, the very sounds of the holy language of the psalms of Tehillim can work miracles and are received lovingly by the Almighty, making us, together with all the people of Israel, worthy of His blessing and protection.
Reciting Tehillim for Someone Who Is Ill
Because such power lies within the verses of Tehillim, for centuries they have served as a “lifeline” for Jews and entire communities, providing protection and a source of deliverance from various troubles. Perhaps the best-known practice is the communal and individual recitation of the psalms of Tehillim for someone who is ill, so that in the merit of the verses of Tehillim recited, that person may be granted a speedy and complete recovery. On our website, we offer you a choice of three versions of these prayers for someone who is ill. Each version is suited to a particular situation and contains a different number and combination of psalms.
The Authorship of the Psalms
The Gemara in tractate Bava Batra (14b) lists the “asarah zekenim” (ten elders) who, alongside King David, authored some of the psalms. This list begins with Adam HaRishon (the First Man) and includes Moshe Rabbeinu, the sons of Korach, and other well-known prophets. Each of these ten was endowed with prophetic vision and a deep understanding of Divine wisdom. King David, through his prophetic insight, brought all their texts together, weaving them in the appropriate order into his Book of Psalms.
While composing his psalms, King David expressed to the Almighty his innermost wish concerning them, as we find in the commentary Midrash Tehillim (Part 1). He prayed that the songs he composed would endure for all time, and also that people would “not read them as they read the works of Miras (a novelist), but read them, study them, and receive the same reward for them as for studying (the tractates) Nega’im and Oholot…” and that people would “read and discuss them in houses of study and prayer.” From this midrash, we can understand King David’s own attitude toward his creation. He wanted the Book of Tehillim to be found both in houses of prayer (synagogues) and in houses of study (batei midrash), so that it would serve as a source both for serious study and the work of grasping Torah wisdom, like the most complex tractates of the Talmud, and for elevated, heartfelt prayer, helping every heart pour itself out before its Creator.
The Importance of Reciting Tehillim
It is no coincidence that the great sage and kabbalist the Chida, in the introduction to his commentary on the Book of Tehillim, Yosef Tehillot, emphasizes the tremendous importance of reciting the psalms: “One who recites Tehillim every day is credited as though he had fulfilled the entire Torah, and merits a place beneath the Throne of Glory… One who regularly recites Tehillim wards off all kinds of calamities and many harmful epidemics from himself, his home, his family members, and his entire generation.” These words are beautifully reflected in the Tehillim Yomi section on our website—the traditional division of the five books of Tehillim into small daily portions, making it possible to read all of King David’s Psalms within one Jewish month. With the beginning of a new month, the reading cycle repeats, fully putting into practice the Chida’s words about reciting Tehillim every day.
Another great sage, Rabbi Eliezer Papo, writes in his famous work Pele Yoetz: “We have a tradition from holy and renowned people that anyone experiencing any difficulty or hardship, or traveling by road, sea, or river, should recite the entire Book of Psalms every day without interruption, with as much concentration as possible, and will merit experiencing miracles. The truth of this has been repeatedly tested and confirmed.”
Tehillim for Every Occasion
In addition, there are numerous traditions based on hidden wisdom that specify which psalms of Tehillim should be recited for salvation and deliverance in various critical life situations. These selections of psalms, like segulot, help with difficulties in finding a spouse and conceiving children, guard against danger during pregnancy and childbirth, and provide protection from the evil eye and other negative external influences. We have also tried to present here a list of the most common segulot associated with reciting the psalms of Tehillim.
In the spirit of all that has been said above, and of King David’s own aspirations, this page presents all 150 psalms from the Book of Tehillim, with a Russian translation and transliteration. We have tried to make this great treasure of Jewish wisdom as accessible as possible to our readers, so that every Jew can touch the great mysteries contained in the words of King David’s Tehillim and use them to pour out their heart before their Heavenly Father. So that each of us, regardless of age, social background, or life experience, may be inspired and illuminate our soul with the eternal words of Tehillim, merit personal and collective salvation, and experience miracles.