Frequently Asked Questions About Tehillim (Psalms): Answers and Guidance

Although Tehillim is largely attributed to King David, many of the Tehillim were said by others, far before King David. Some Tehillim has been said by Adam, Avraham, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, King Solomon. Many of the chapters have their authors mentioned such as Asaf, and the Sons of Korach.

The Yehi Ratzon before Tehillim is said as a personal prayer and request that the Psalms about to be recited be accepted and considered as if King David were saying them himself. Although the words are being said in a context different than when they were originally composed, we beseech that the words, vowels, pronunciations, and tunes should stand in their own merit.

Tehillim is the Hebrew name for the Book of Psalms, which is a collection of 150 religious poems and hymns that are an important part of Jewish scripture.

Tehillim derives its name from the Hebrew word ‘Tehillah,’ which translates to ‘praise.’ Within this text, each individual chapter is referred to as a ‘Tehillah.’ When discussing multiple chapters collectively, the plural form ‘Tehillim’ is used, reflecting the inclusion of 150 distinct ‘perakim’, or chapters.

Tehillim was originally composed with the intent of being sung in the Bais Hamikdash, or the Holy Temple, though it is noteworthy that King David made a specific request for its recitation in shuls, or synagogues, as well. Evidently, this request has been honored, as attested by the prominent role that Tehillim holds in our prayers and religious practices.

The overall theme of Tehillim is ‘Praising Hashem’. However, many chapters address King David’s personal struggle or concern for Klal Yisroel. We include the chapters related to praise in our daily prayers. We read the chapters related to King David’s struggles out of its original context as a plea of our own.

Chazal tells us that the 5 sections of Tehillim correspond to the five books of Moses: Bereshis (Genesis), Shemos (Exodus), Vayikra (Leviticus), Bamidbar (Numbers), and Devarim (Deuteronomy).

Source: Midrash Shocher Tov, Chapter 1

No. The order of Tehillim is an enigma and eludes any thematic or chronological order. King David’s death is mentioned at the end of Book Two. Many lines from later chapters precede that.

There are commentaries that attempt to string the flow of themes from one chapter to another, such as Rabbi Saadia Gaon.

Yes. There is a way the chapters can be divided evenly so that the entire sefer can be said over the course of a week. The order is as follows:

• Day 1 (Sunday): Tehillim (Psalms) 1 – 29
• Day 2 (Monday): Tehillim (Psalms) 30 – 50
• Day 3 (Tuesday): Tehillim (Psalms) 51 – 72
• Day 4 (Wednesday): Tehillim (Psalms) 73 – 89
• Day 5 (Thursday): Tehillim (Psalms) 90 – 106
• Day 6 (Friday): Tehillim (Psalms) 107 – 119
• Day 7 (Shabbos): Tehillim (Psalms) 120 – 150

Source: Sefer Tzeidah LaDerech, 4th maamar, klal chamishi (this source has a slightly different breakdown of which chapters end and start each day, but it is THE original source. Artscroll Tehillim, and many other sources have the breakdown as outlined above)