The Power of Tehillim and the Shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu
Torah Papers | October 22, 2023
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The Power of Tehillim and the Shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu

Torah Papers | December 31, 2025

This dimension represents Moshe’s 120, because sitting in the succah is considered sitting in the צִלָּה דְּמֵהַמְנוּתָא – the shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, just as Moshe sat there.

This mizmor of Tehillim is also the song the Chashmonaim sang when they went to war with the Yevanim. There is a minhag to recite יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר seven times after lighting the candles on Chanukah. While most head off after a paragraph or two of Maoz Tzur, while the latkes are still hot, others stick around to find there is more that can be recited, including this chapter. The Chashmonaim sang it because it saves you from all harm, which is also the reason we recite it after Maariv on Motzei Shabbat – as it does not contain the letter ז. One who recites it needs no כְּלֵי זַיִן – weapon. They can sit in the shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and be protected from all enemies – just like in the succah, and just like in the ark. It is worthwhile for us to be reciting this perek of Tehillim during the difficult times we are in, where Din is rampant.

Rav Chaim Vital adds in the kavanot (Kabbalistic intentions) of Ashrei and Uva Letzion, the ending letters of the words לֹא - עָזַבְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁיךה', produce the word תַּכֶּה. Who used this name? Moshe Rabbeinu used it upon seeing the Egyptian strike his brother. He used it to kill that evil enemy attacker. Whoever uses that name is assured not to be harmed all day long. Have proper kavana when reciting these paragraphs and words! And what if you rambled through them or forgot to think about what you were saying? I found a shortcut for you.

The Ben Yehoyada says, as he was being killed, Rabbi Akiva’s skin was raked with iron for forty day, and his students stood next to him the entire time. After reciting the first line of Shema, they reacted in shock that he’d have such kavana for the mitzvah of Shema. He responded that his entire life he waited for such an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah with his life and soul. The students shouted: עד כאן! But their intent was not to make him stop. Quite the opposite, says the Ben Yehoyada. The students wanted him to continue! The next words that follow in Shema are: וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת-ה' אֱ-לֹהֶֽיך, whose ending letters are also תַּכֶּה. Rabbi Akiva’s students wanted him to continue reciting Shema, to recite the Shem Takeh, so that his tormenter would drop dead on the spot. Their astonishment and excitement was not in his reciting of shema with full kavana, but in his stopping after the first pasuk. But Rabbi Akiva knew how to end the rasha’s life even without reciting those words. He knew כִּי לֹא־עָזַבְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁיךה' would accomplish the same, but he was expecting to die and not looking for any shortcut around it.

The Ben Yehoyada adds one more line that is similar in effect: כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל. The same תַּכֶּה appears at the start of its words. I bring this idea forth for one very simple reason. These particular words, and our Tefillot in their entirety are needed at this difficult moment. They are needed and they play an important role in beseeching Hakadosh Baruch Hu to return our soldiers and captives in perfect health with not one single hair from their head missing. These prayers are needed to ask the Rofeh Cholim to heal all those injured. Our voices can lead us to our enemies falling and to the ultimate redemption arriving speedily in our day.

This dimension represents Moshe’s 120, because sitting in the succah is considered sitting in the צִלָּה דְּמֵהַמְנוּתָא – the shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, just as Moshe sat there.

This mizmor of Tehillim is also the song the Chashmonaim sang when they went to war with the Yevanim. There is a minhag to recite יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר seven times after lighting the candles on Chanukah. While most head off after a paragraph or two of Maoz Tzur, while the latkes are still hot, others stick around to find there is more that can be recited, including this chapter. The Chashmonaim sang it because it saves you from all harm, which is also the reason we recite it after Maariv on Motzei Shabbat – as it does not contain the letter ז. One who recites it needs no כְּלֵי זַיִן – weapon. They can sit in the shade of Hakadosh Baruch Hu and be protected from all enemies – just like in the succah, and just like in the ark. It is worthwhile for us to be reciting this perek of Tehillim during the difficult times we are in, where Din is rampant.

Rav Chaim Vital adds in the kavanot (Kabbalistic intentions) of Ashrei and Uva Letzion, the ending letters of the words לֹא - עָזַבְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁיךה', produce the word תַּכֶּה. Who used this name? Moshe Rabbeinu used it upon seeing the Egyptian strike his brother. He used it to kill that evil enemy attacker. Whoever uses that name is assured not to be harmed all day long. Have proper kavana when reciting these paragraphs and words! And what if you rambled through them or forgot to think about what you were saying? I found a shortcut for you.

The Ben Yehoyada says, as he was being killed, Rabbi Akiva’s skin was raked with iron for forty day, and his students stood next to him the entire time. After reciting the first line of Shema, they reacted in shock that he’d have such kavana for the mitzvah of Shema. He responded that his entire life he waited for such an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah with his life and soul. The students shouted: עד כאן! But their intent was not to make him stop. Quite the opposite, says the Ben Yehoyada. The students wanted him to continue! The next words that follow in Shema are: וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת-ה' אֱ-לֹהֶֽיך, whose ending letters are also תַּכֶּה. Rabbi Akiva’s students wanted him to continue reciting Shema, to recite the Shem Takeh, so that his tormenter would drop dead on the spot. Their astonishment and excitement was not in his reciting of shema with full kavana, but in his stopping after the first pasuk. But Rabbi Akiva knew how to end the rasha’s life even without reciting those words. He knew כִּי לֹא־עָזַבְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁיךה' would accomplish the same, but he was expecting to die and not looking for any shortcut around it.

The Ben Yehoyada adds one more line that is similar in effect: כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל. The same תַּכֶּה appears at the start of its words. I bring this idea forth for one very simple reason. These particular words, and our Tefillot in their entirety are needed at this difficult moment. They are needed and they play an important role in beseeching Hakadosh Baruch Hu to return our soldiers and captives in perfect health with not one single hair from their head missing. These prayers are needed to ask the Rofeh Cholim to heal all those injured. Our voices can lead us to our enemies falling and to the ultimate redemption arriving speedily in our day.

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