THE VALUE OF TEHILLIM
Once, in the time of the holy Baal Shem Tov, it was decreed in Heaven that a certain Jewish settlement should be destroyed, R”L. The Baal Shem Tov called upon his friends, the hidden tzaddikim, Reb Mordechai and Reb Kehos, to join him to form a beis din and find a way to nullify the decree.
The beis din convened, and the neshama of the Baal Shem Tov ascended to the heavenly worlds. There he saw that the decree had already been sealed and could not be annulled. However, as he passed through the heavenly spheres while descending back to the physical world, he saw a magnificent light created by the words of Tehillim that were being recited by a simple villager. This Yid would complete the entire Sefer Tehillim five times every day, but since he was quite ignorant, he sometimes said Tehillim in unclean places. Nevertheless, HaShem valued his Tehillim so much, that a privileged share in Olam HaBa awaited him.
The Baal Shem Tov immediately traveled to see this man and asked him, "Would you be willing to sacrifice your share in Olam HaBa in order to save an entire Jewish community?"
The simple Yid responded, "If I have a share in Olam HaBa, I am ready to forfeit it for such a cause."
And the decree was annulled.
(שמח"ת תרצ"ז - קובץ מכתבים ע' 201)
On the pasuk "Yiheyu leratzon imrei fi" (may the words of my mouth find favor before you), the Medrash teaches that Dovid HaMelech requested that his words of praise be written and engraved for all future generations. Furthermore, he asked HaShem that the recitation of Tehillim be considered just as worthy as the study of the most complex halachos of the Torah.
(מדרש תהלים א,ח)
The Frierdiker Rebbe related: "When I was a little boy I once wondered whether malochim are able to calculate numbers. When I asked my father, he replied, 'That’s a good question! But I am certain that Malach Michoel counts all the Tehillim that one says, and with it he creates a chandelier that lights up, Above and below, for that person and for his children.'
"Following this, my father would often ask me, 'How is your chandelier doing?' "
(סה"ש תש"ט ע' 336)
The Rebbe explains that even when Tehillim is said without particular kavonos and at a quick pace, as many do on Shabbos Mevarchim, this nevertheless has a tremendous effect. In fact, in the Yehi Ratzon, we ask that our reading be considered as if it came from the mouth of Dovid HaMelech himself.
The Frierdiker Rebbe emphasized that the kedusha of the words, even when they are not understood, is as precious in the eyes of HaShem as a korbon. One should learn the translation of the words, but not recite that instead of the original.
(התוועדויות תשמ"ז ח"ג ע' 418, אגרות קודש מוהריי"צ ח"ד ע' תנט)
GREAT POWERS
About 650 years ago, in a village in Germany, there lived a simple pious Yid who was able to study Torah only at its simplest level. Every day, year after year, he would recite the entire Sefer Tehillim.
Less than thirty days after he passed away, he appeared in a dream to a chochom from the nearby city of Worms. In the dream he stood holding a little Tehillim, and he cautioned the chochom, "Warn the people in my village to escape immediately to the surrounding towns. During my life I protected them with my recitation of Tehillim, but now they are in grave danger."
Early the next morning, the chochom sent a messenger with an urgent letter telling the villagers of the looming danger. The people heeded his words, and they were saved.
(מנהגי וורמייזא סדר תהלים)
The Baal Shem Tov would say that reciting the entire Sefer Tehillim is a segula for crushing any verdict on a person.
The Tzemach Tzedek once told his chassidim, "If only you knew the power of pesukim of Tehillim and their effect in Heaven, you would recite them at all times. The kapitlach of Tehillim break through all barriers as they soar aloft, higher and higher, uninterrupted. They prostrate themselves before the Master of the Universe, bringing results with kindness and mercy."
(הוספות לכש"ט סי' נז, היום יום כ"ד שבט)
The Frierdiker Rebbe related how in all generations, whenever a decree was issued against Yidden, they would run to shul to recite Tehillim. The melamdim would recite Tehillim with their young talmidim, for "their breath is sinless." The Frierdiker Rebbe added that the numerous Hamans in every generation are eliminated by the heartfelt Tehillim of a simple Yid – "not by sword or spear, but only by a heartfelt kapitel of Tehillim."
In the year תר"ג (1843), the interior minister of Russia summoned the Tzemach Tzedek, along with three other leaders representing the Yidden of Russia, in order to pass new decrees upon the Yidden. When they arrived in Petersburg and heard of the gezeira, they immediately ordered three kapitlach of Tehillim to be recited in all shuls and chadorim (כ, כב, סט). This required mesirus nefesh, for the czar was likely to punish them for supposedly assuming control over Russian citizens. Shortly after, that evil minister fell ill and died, and was replaced by a neutral minister who canceled the decrees.
In the year תרמ"ב (1882), which became known as "a year of bloody pogroms," the Yiddishe leaders led by the Rebbe Maharash revealed a secret plot against the Yidden. They likewise called upon the Yidden to recite the above-mentioned kapitlach, and within one month the evil plan fell through.
In the year תרס"ו (1906), pogroms began to erupt throughout Russia. The Yiddishe leaders, lead by the Rebbe Rashab and Reb Chaim of Brisk, gathered in Petersburg, where they heard of the czarist government's secret plan to instigate pogroms in 116 Yiddishe communities. At that time, too, they requested that the three kapitlach be recited by Yidden everywhere, and shortly afterwards the plan failed.
(אג"ק הריי"צ חי"ב ע' קלא, סה"ש תש"ט ע' 308)
CONSIDER
What about Tehillim is so effective: the kavanos that one has or the intrinsic kedusha of the words?
