Tehillim, Tefillah, and Torah
It states (Shemos 18:20) התורות ואת החקים את אתהם והזהרתם. The pasuk is speaking about teaching Torah, but Targum Yonoson says the pasuk refers to tefillah. He translates the pasuk as follows: דיצלון צלותא ית להון ותהודע כנישתהון בבית, "Teach them the tefillos they should say in the beis knesses." So, the pasuk refers to both Torah and tefillah. This is because Torah and tefillah go together.
Shavuos is the yahrzeit of Dovid HaMelech. The meforshim say that Shavuos is also Dovid HaMelech's birthday because tzaddikim are niftar on the date they were born. This is one of the reasons we read Megillas Rus on Shavuos. The final words of Rus is דוד את הוליד וישי, "Yishai gave birth to Dovid." We want to read this pasuk on the day Dovid was born.
The Ben Ish Chai (Bamidbar 6) recommends saying Tehillim on Shavuos. He writes, "It is important to say Tehillim on Shavuos because Dovid HaMelech a'h was niftar on this day and the Tehillim said on this day will be more accepted in heaven. Everyone should say the entire Tehillim on Shavuos."
The Kaf HaChaim (494:34) writes, "It is ideal to learn Tehillim on Shavuos because Dovid HaMelech was niftar on this day (as stated in the Yerushalmi)... Tehillim that one recites on this day will be answered."
Dovid HaMelech said about himself (Tehillim 109:4), תפילה ואני, "I am tefillah." Similarly, the Gemara (Brachos 7:) tells us that רות is called רות because ותשבחות בשירות הוא ברוך להקדוש ריווהו, she had a descendant, Dovid HaMelech, who will make Hashem satisfied and content with his songs and praises." Yet, Dovid was niftar on Shavuos, on a day for Torah. The Chidushei HaRim zt'l says this is to tell us that Torah and tefillah are connected and dependent on one another.
The Beis Aharon of Karlin zt'l said, "Polish Yidden love learning Torah, and so do we. The difference is that we say (Megillah 28:), צילותא בעי שמעתתא, which can be translated as, 'Learning Torah needs tefillah'. 'It is impossible to succeed in Torah without tefillah. And it is impossible to daven properly without Torah."
We understand that to succeed in Torah, one needs tefillah, but why does tefillah need Torah? One reason is because Torah gives us joy and places us in the right frame of mind for tefillah.
The Gemara (Brachos 31.) says, עומדין אין פסוקה הלכה מתוך אלא ...להתפלל, "One only stands up to daven... after studying a halachah." The poskim (Bach, Levush) explain that this is because Torah makes us happy, as it states (Tehillim 19:9) לב משמחי ישרים ה פקודי, and this helps us be in the right mood to daven.
Another reason is that tefillah is more beautiful to Hashem when associated with Torah. Hashem loves Torah, and when the tefillah is based on Torah (such as when one studies Torah before the tefillah), the tefillah is more precious to Hashem.
The Sfas Emes ('וכ ה"ד ג"תרמ) writes, "Chazal (Avodah Zarah 4:) say, תורה אלא אמת אין, that Torah is truth... Therefore, when the pasuk (Tehillim 145:18) says, באמת יקראהו ...'ה קרוב, 'Hashem is near...to those who call Him with truth' it means that Hashem is near to listen to the tefillos of those who call out to Hashem with Torah. And especially on Shavuos, which the entire day is a day of Torah, it is an eis ratzon for tefillah."
