There is a custom dating at least as far back to the Baal Shem Tov1 that each day you should recite the chapter of Psalms that corresponds to you age. For example, a 13-year-old, who is in his or her fourteenth year of life, would recite Psalm 14 for the duration of that year.2

Children

Many also have the custom of reciting the psalms corresponding to their children’s age (e.g., until the first birthday, Psalm 1 is recited, and on the first birthday, one begins reciting Psalm 2, etc.). Reciting the children’s psalms daily is an especially potent prayer that children remain on the right spiritual path.3

The Rebbe also encouraged that the children themselves should recite their own psalms from time to time.4

The Rebbe

Wishing to be spiritually connected to their rebbe, many chassidim have the custom to recite the psalm corresponding to the age of their rebbe.5 As the Rebbe explained regarding reciting the psalm of the Previous Rebbe, doing so is a vehicle through which we receive many material and spiritual blessings.6 Reciting the Rebbe’s psalm connects you to the Rebbe and is beneficial both to the Rebbe and yourself.7

Even After Death

The custom is to continue reciting the Rebbe’s chapter even after his passing, for the lives of the righteous are spiritual, and as long as their disciples continue following in their path, the righteous are spiritually alive as well.

The Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, provides an insight into the relevance of these psalms. In a diary entry dated 20 Marcheshvan 5705 (1944), the birthday of his own father and Rebbe, who passed away 24 years prior, the Previous Rebbe records:

In my dream I saw my holy father dressed in Shabbat attire, and his face was full of great joy. He said, “On this day, when I completed 84 years since my soul came down into the lower world, I will have holy guests, and according to the order, each one will expound upon a verse in chapter 84 of Psalms . . .”8

Tracing Back to David

Psalms 72 finishes with the verse “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are completed,” indicating that this psalm was said when King David’s life ended. Now, we know that King David lived to the age of 70, so why did he finish with Psalm 72 and not Psalm 71? The Talmud9 tells us that Psalms 1 and 2 were originally one single psalm. Thus, the psalm King David would have been reciting at the end of his life was indeed (our) Psalm 72.10

Do not underestimate the power and benefit of reciting psalms in general and, more specifically, the psalm corresponding to your age. So, if you’re not already reciting your psalm, now is a great time to start!