Shabbos Mevorchim

[1] (Halacha 106)

Reciting Tehillim [א]

Question: Is there a special emphasis regarding the recital of Tehillim on the Shabbos Mevorchim of Shabbos Bereishis?

Answer: The Rebbe expressed¹ regarding this Shabbos: 'Since this is the first Shabbos Mevorchim of the year, and it has bearing on the entire year, therefore tomorrow they should recite the Tehillim with joy and a glad heart'.

Question: Should one endeavor to recite it specifically together with the congregation?

Answer: In the takanah of reciting Tehillim instituted by the Rebbe Rayatz² it is stated: 'On the holy Shabbos when the month is blessed, early in the morning Anash should gather in the shul to recite the entire Tehillim .. After reciting the entire Tehillim on Shabbos Mevorchim they should say Kaddish Yasom. And if there is an obligation - a yahrtzeit or a mourner - they say Kaddish Yasom after each book'.

The Rebbe aroused attention to the fact that the takanah was to recite it communally³: 'Regarding the recital of Tehillim - the takanah was that the recital of Tehillim should be specifically communal, to the extent that it was specified in the takanah that after completing the recital of Tehillim they should say Kaddish Yasom. And this is unlike those 'spitz Chabad' who think that they need not come to the recital of Tehillim, since at that time he is engaged in the study of Chassidus, effecting 'yichudim', or that he himself does not know what he is doing… and therefore he recites Tehillim by himself, being one who is 'elevated above the people'! That was not the takanah; rather one must recite the Tehillim specifically communally, together with all the rest of the Jewish people'.

Question: One who did not manage to finish the Tehillim, and the congregation begins to daven Shacharis - what should he do?

Answer: Although there is importance in reciting the Tehillim before the tefillah, as the Rebbe explained⁴ that reciting Tehillim on Shabbos Mevorchim is specifically before the tefillah as a preparation and an empowerment for the blessing of the month in the tefillah. Nevertheless, if he did not finish, he should daven with the minyan⁵. And he should endeavor to complete it after the tefillah over the course of the day⁶.

Question: What should one do who knows that it takes him a great deal of time to recite the Tehillim?

Answer: Regarding those who do not succeed in finishing before the tefillah, there are several responses from the Rebbe⁷, as follows: To one of the elder chassidim the Rebbe answered that one may begin reciting the Tehillim from after midnight of Friday night [for we do not recite Tehillim from sunset until after the emergence of the stars - (with G-d's help we will write about this separately)], and one for whom even this is not enough should continue after the tefillah onward and endeavor to finish over the course of Shabbos. And once the Rebbe expressed that even if one completes it on the following Sunday, the main thing is to finish the entire Tehillim. [However, on the other hand, to a bochur who found it difficult to finish the Tehillim, the Rebbe answered that he should complete it each Shabbos (and only on Shabbosim) more, and in this way he will succeed in finishing by the next Shabbos Mevorchim].

The Rebbe Rayatz wrote⁸ regarding completion that when one makes up for it, one must do so as soon as possible.

And to conclude, in the words of the Rebbe⁹: 'גומר זיין דעם תהלים שבת מברכים - דאס דארף מען אפהיטען, דאס איז נוגע איהם, זיינע קינדער או קינדס קינדער' ('Finishing the Shabbos Mevorchim Tehillim - this one must guard, this is of bearing to him, his children, and his children's children'). That is to say, one must guard very much to fulfill the takanah of reciting the Tehillim on Shabbos Mevorchim, for it has bearing on the person himself, on his children, and on his grandchildren.

And at a farbrengen the Rebbe said¹⁰: 'Moshiach will not be willing to hear any 'tricks', but will demand a reckoning – "These are the accounts of the Mishkan" ("אלה פקודי המשכן") you should write down on a note: how many chassidim did you make who should be chassidim of the Rebbe!… upon how many Jews did you have an effect that they should study Chitas?… upon how many Jews did you have an effect that they should come to recite the entire Tehillim on Shabbos Mevorchim"!

¹ שמח"ת תשי"ח - תו"מ חכ"א ע' 126 ↩

² אג"ק שלו ח"ג ע' תרג הובא בהיום יום כו כסלו ↩

³ בשיחת ש"פ בראשית תשכ"א ↩

⁴ ש"פ וארא תשטו - תו"מ חי"ג ע' 197 ↩

⁵ קובץ רז"ש ע' 30 ↩

⁶ שלחן מנחם ח"ב ע' קצב ↩

⁷ נלקטו בספר הליכות ומנהגי שבת מברכים (להרב זליגסון) ע' קפד ↩

⁸ אגרות קודש אדמו"ר הריי"צ ח"ג ע' תקעח ↩

⁹ היום יום כה שבט ↩

¹⁰ ש"פ פקודי ה'תשכ"ז - תו"מ חמ"ט ע' 157 ↩

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