Special Custom for the Month of Elul and High Holidays
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
See below for today's additional chapters.
Chapter 35
This psalm is an awe-inspiring and wondrous prayer about David's enemies-that they be as chaff before the wind, chased by the angel of God. It also declares that everything comes about through God's help.
1By David. Fight my antagonists, O Lord, battle those who battle against me.
2Take hold of shield and armor and arise to help me.
3Draw a spear, and bar the way before my pursuers; say to my soul, "I am your deliverance.”
4Let those who seek my life be shamed and disgraced; let those who devise my harm retreat and be humiliated.
5Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the Lord thrust them away.
6Let their path be dark and slippery; let them be chased by the angel of the Lord.
7For without cause have they laid their nets in the pit for me; without cause have they dug [pits] for my soul.
8Let darkness come upon him unawares; let the very snare that he hid trap him, in darkness he will fall in it.
9And my soul shall exult in the Lord, rejoice in His deliverance.
10My entire being shall declare: Lord, who is like You? Who saves the poor from one stronger than he, the poor and the destitute from one who would rob him.
11Corrupt witnesses rise up [against me], they demand of me things of which I do not know.
12They repay me evil for good, death for my soul.
13But I wore sackcloth when they were ill; I afflicted my soul with fasting. Let my prayer return upon my own bosom.
14As if it were my friend, my brother, I went about; like a mother in mourning, I was bent over in gloom.
15But when I limped, they rejoiced and gathered; the lowly gathered against me-even those whom I do not know; they laugh and cannot be quiet.
16With flattery and scorn, for the sake of a meal, they gnash their teeth at me.
17My Lord, how long will You look on? Restore my life from their darkness; from young lions, my soul.
18I will thank You in a great congregation, amidst a mighty nation I will praise You.
19Let not those who hate me without cause rejoice over me; [let not] those who despise me without reason wink their eye.
20For they speak not of peace, rather they scheme deceitful matters against the broken of the land.
21They opened their mouths wide against me, they said, "Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen [his misfortune].”
22You saw, Lord, be not silent; my Lord, be not distant from me.
23Rouse and awaken Yourself to my judgement, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Judge me according to Your righteousness, Lord my God; let them not rejoice over me.
25Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha! We have our desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him!”
26Let them be shamed and disgraced together, those who rejoice at my trouble; let them be clothed in shame and humiliation, those who raise themselves arrogantly over me.
27Let those who desire my vindication sing joyously and be glad; let them say always, "Let the Lord be exalted, Who desires the peace of His servant.”
28My tongue will speak of Your righteousness, Your praise, all day long.
Chapter 36
This psalm is a message to those who follow their evil inclination, that tells them, "Do not place the fear of God before you," and brings them to sin by beautifying evil deeds in their eyes. For so is his way: "He descends (to earth) and corrupts, then goes up (to the Heavenly Court) and prosecutes."
1For the Conductor, by the servant of the Lord, by David.
2[I think] in my heart: Sin says to the wicked, "There is none [who need place] the fear of God before his eyes.”
3For Sin makes itself appealing to him, until his iniquity be found and he is hated.
4The speech of his mouth is evil and deceit; he fails to reason, to improve.
5On his bed he contemplates evil, he stands in a path that is not good; he does not despise evil.
6O Lord, Your kindness is in the heavens; Your faithfulness is till the skies.
7Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your judgements extend to the great deep; man and beast You deliver, O Lord.
8How precious is Your kindness, O God; man takes shelter in the shadow of Your wings.
9They will be filled by the abundance of Your house; from the stream of Your Eden, You will give them to drink.
10For the source of life is with You; in Your Light do we see light.
11Extend Your kindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright of heart.
12Let not the foot of the arrogant overtake me; let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
13There the doers of evil fell, thrust down, unable to rise.
Chapter 37
King David exhorts his generation not to be jealous of the prosperity of the wicked, for it may lead to falling into their ways. Rather, put your trust in God, conduct yourselves with integrity, and God will take care of everything.
1By David. Do not compete with the wicked; do not envy doers of injustice.
2For like grass they will be swiftly cut down; like green vegetation they will wither.
3Trust in the Lord and do good; then will you abide in the land and be nourished by faith.
4Delight in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart.
5Cast your needs upon the Lord; rely on Him, and He will take care.
6He will reveal your righteousness like the light, your justness like the high noon.
7Depend on the Lord and hope in Him. Compete not with the prosperous, with the man who invents evil schemes.
8Let go of anger, abandon rage; do not compete with [one who intends] only to harm.
9For the evildoers will be cut down; but those who hope in the Lord, they will inherit the earth.
10For soon the wicked one will not be; you will gaze at his place and he will be gone.
11But the humble shall inherit the earth, and delight in abundant peace.
12The wicked one plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him.
13My Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day will come.
14The wicked have drawn a sword and bent their bow to fell the poor and destitute, to slaughter those of upright ways.
15But their sword shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall break.
16Better the little of the righteous, than the abundant wealth of the wicked.
17For the strength of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous.
18The Lord appreciates the days of the innocent; their inheritance will last forever.
19They will not be shamed in times of calamity, and in days of famine they will be satisfied.
20For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord are as fattened sheep: consumed, consumed in smoke.
21The wicked man borrows and does not repay; but the righteous man is gracious and gives.
22For those blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those cursed by Him will be cut off.
23The steps of man are directed by God; He desires his way.
24When he totters he shall not be thrown down, for the Lord supports his hand.
25I have been a youth, I have also aged; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his offspring begging bread.
26All day he is kind and lends; his offspring are a blessing.
27Turn away from evil and do good, and you will dwell [in peace] forever.
28For the Lord loves justice, He will not abandon His pious ones-they are protected forever; but the offspring of the wicked are cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell upon it forever.
30The mouth of the righteous one utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31The Torah of his God is in his heart; his steps shall not falter.
32The wicked one watches for the righteous man, and seeks to kill him.
33But the Lord will not abandon him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Hope in the Lord and keep His way; then He will raise you high to inherit the earth. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35I saw a powerful wicked man, well-rooted like a vibrant, native tree.
36Yet he vanished, behold he was gone; I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37Watch the innocent, and observe the upright, for the future of such a man is peace.
38But sinners shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked is cut off.
39The deliverance of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of distress.
40The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they have put their trust in Him.
Chapter 38
A prayer for every individual, bewailing the length of the exile. One who is in distress should recite this psalm, hence its introduction, "A psalm... to remind" (to remind us to recite it in times of distress). One can also derive many lessons from it.
1A psalm by David, to remind.
2O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your wrath.
3For Your arrows have landed in me, Your hand descended upon me.
4There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your rage, no peace in my bones because of my sin.
5For my iniquities have flooded over my head; like a heavy load, they are too heavy for me.
6My wounds are rotted; they reek because of my foolishness.
7I am bent and extremely bowed; all day I go about in gloom.
8My sides are inflamed; there is no soundness in my flesh.
9I am weakened and extremely depressed; I howl from the moaning of my heart.
10My Lord, all that I desire is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You.
11My heart is engulfed, my strength has left me; the light of my eyes they, too, are not with me.
12My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction; my intimates stand afar.
13The seekers of my life have laid traps; those who seek my harm speak destructiveness; they utter deceits all day long.
14But I am like a deaf man, I do not hear; like a mute that does not open his mouth.
15I was like a man that does not perceive, and in whose mouth there are no rebuttals.
16Because for You, O Lord, I wait; You will answer, my Lord, my God.
17For I said, "Lest they rejoice over me; when my foot falters they will gloat over me.”
18For I am accustomed to limping, and my pain is constantly before me.
19For I admit my iniquity; I worry because of my sin.
20But my enemies abound with life; those who hate me without cause flourish.
21Those who repay evil for good resent me for my pursuit of good.
22Do not forsake me, O Lord; do not be distant from me, my God.
23Hurry to my aid, O my Lord, my Salvation.
Additional Three Chapters
The Baal Shem Tov instituted a custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms).
Today's Chapters are 103, 104, and 105.
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name.
2My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors:
3Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses;
4Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy;
5Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed.
6The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel.
8The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness.
9He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever.
10He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins.
11For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us.
13As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him.
14For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts.
16When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more.
17But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children,
18to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them.
19The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all.
20Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech.
21Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will.
22Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
Chapter 104
This psalm tells of the beauty of creation, describing that which was created on each of the six days of creation. It proclaims the awesomeness of God Who sustains it all-from the horns of the wild ox to the eggs of the louse.
1My soul, bless the Lord! Lord my God, You are greatly exalted; You have garbed Yourself with majesty and splendor.
2You enwrap [Yourself] with light as with a garment; You spread the heavens as a curtain.
3He roofs His heavens with water; He makes the clouds His chariot, He moves [them] on the wings of the wind.
4He makes the winds His messengers, the blazing fire His servants.
5He established the earth on its foundations, that it shall never falter.
6The depths covered it as a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7At Your exhortation they fled; at the sound of Your thunder they rushed away.
8They ascended mountains, they flowed down valleys, to the place which You have assigned for them.
9You set a boundary which they may not cross, so that they should not return to engulf the earth.
10He sends forth springs into streams; they flow between the mountains.
11They give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild animals quench their thirst.
12The birds of the heavens dwell beside them; they raise their voice from among the foliage.
13He irrigates the mountains from His clouds above; the earth is satiated from the fruit of Your works.
14He makes grass grow for the cattle, and vegetation requiring the labor of man to bring forth food from the earth;
15and wine that gladdens man's heart, oil that makes the face shine, and bread that sustains man's heart.
16The trees of the Lord drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17wherein birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the cypress.
18The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rabbits.
19He made the moon to calculate the festivals; the sun knows its time of setting.
20You bring on darkness and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21The young lions roar for prey, and seek their food from God.
22When the sun rises, they return and lie down in their dens.
23Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.
24How manifold are Your works, O Lord! You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions.
25This sea, vast and wide, where there are countless creeping creatures, living things small and great;
26there ships travel, there is the Leviathan that You created to frolic therein.
27They all look expectantly to You to give them their food at the proper time.
28When You give it to them, they gather it; when You open Your hand, they are satiated with goodness.
29When You conceal Your countenance, they are terrified; when You take back their spirit, they perish and return to their dust.
30When You will send forth Your spirit they will be created anew, and You will renew the face of the earth.
31May the glory of the Lord be forever; may the Lord find delight in His works.
32He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33I will sing to the Lord with my soul; I will chant praise to my God with my [entire] being.
34May my prayer be pleasant to Him; I will rejoice in the Lord.
35May sinners cease from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!
Chapter 105
When David brought the Holy Ark up to the City of David, he composed this psalm and sang it before the Ark. He recounts all the miracles that God performed for the Jews in Egypt: sending before them Joseph, who was imprisoned, only to be liberated by God, eventually attaining the status of one who could imprison the princes of Egypt without consulting Pharaoh.
1Offer praise to the Lord, proclaim His Name; make His deeds known among the nations.
2Sing to Him, chant praises to Him, speak of all His wonders.
3Glory in His holy Name; may the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4Search for the Lord and His might; seek His countenance always.
5Remember the wonders that He has wrought, His miracles, and the judgements of His mouth.
6O descendants of Abraham His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones:
7He is the Lord our God; His judgements extend over the entire earth.
8He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He has commanded to a thousand generations;
9the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac.
10He established it for Jacob as a statute, for Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11stating, "To you I shall give the land of Canaan"-the portion of your inheritance,
12when they were but few, very few, and strangers in it.
13They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
14He permitted no one to wrong them, and admonished kings for their sake:
15"Do not touch My anointed ones, and do not harm My prophets.”
16He called for a famine upon the land; He broke every source of bread.
17He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold as a slave.
18They afflicted his foot with chains, his soul was put into iron;
19until the time that His words came, the decree of the Lord purified him.
20The king sent [word] and released him, the ruler of nations set him free.
21He appointed him master of his house and ruler of all his possessions,
22to imprison his princes at will, and to enlighten his elders.
23Thus Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham (Egypt).
24He multiplied His nation greatly, and made it mightier than its adversaries.
25He turned their hearts to hate His nation, to conspire against His servants.
26He sent Moses, His servant; Aaron, whom He had chosen.
27They placed among them the words of His signs, miracles in the land of Ham.
28He sent darkness and made it dark, and they did not defy His word.
29He transformed their waters to blood, and killed their fish.
30Their land swarmed with frogs in the chambers of their kings.
31He spoke, and hordes of wild beasts came, and lice throughout their borders.
32He turned their rains to hail, flaming fire in their land;
33it struck their vine and fig tree, it broke the trees of their borders.
34He spoke, and grasshoppers came, locusts without number;
35and it consumed all grass in their land, it ate the fruit of their soil.
36Then He smote every firstborn in their land, the first of all their potency.
37And He took them out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.
38Egypt rejoiced at their leaving, for the fear [of Israel] had fallen upon them.
39He spread out a cloud for shelter, and a fire to illuminate the night.
40[Israel] asked, and He brought quail, and with the bread of heaven He satisfied them.
41He opened a rock and waters flowed; they streamed through dry places like a river,
42for He remembered His holy word to Abraham His servant.
43And He brought out His nation with joy, His chosen ones with song.
44He gave them the lands of nations, they inherited the toil of peoples,
45so that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws. Praise the Lord!
Tehillim Ohel Yoseph Yitzchok,
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