בְּשַׁעַת קְרִיאַת עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת עוֹמְדִים וּפְנֵיהֶם אֶל הַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה. הפטורה: בִּשְׁנַת... מַצַּבְתָּהּ. מְבָרְכִים רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר רִאשׁוֹן. אֲמִירַת כָּל הַתְּהִלִּים בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה. יוֹם הִתְוַעֲדוּת.

During the reading of the Ten Commandments [in the synagogue on the Shabbos of Parshas Yisro], it is our custom to stand and face the Torah scroll.

The haftarah [for Parshas Yisro] begins BiShnas... and ends ...matzavtah (Yeshayahu 6:1-13).

[On Shabbos Mevarchim, it is our custom] to recite the entire Book of Tehillim early in the morning and to hold a farbrengen on that day.

וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנוּעוּ, אַז זֵיי האָבּעֶן דעֶרזעֶהן גֶ-טלִיכְקַייט אִיז שׁוֹין וַיָּנוּעוּ, עֶס אִיז געֶוואָרעֶן אַ תְּנוּעַת חַיִּים.

It is written,1 “The people saw and they stirred.” As soon as they beheld Divinity, they were stirred; they showed signs of vitality.2

אִלּוּ יְדַעְתֶּם — אָמַר אַדְמוּ"ר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק — כֹּחָם שֶׁל פְּסוּקֵי תְּהִלִּים וּפְעוּלָתָם בִּשְׁמֵי רוֹם, הֱיִיתֶם אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָם בְּכָל עֵת. תֵּדְעוּ שֶׁמִּזְמוֹרֵי תְּהִלִּים שׁוֹבְרִים כָּל הַמְּחִיצוֹת, וְעוֹלִים בְּעִלּוּי אַחַר עִלּוּי בְּלִי שׁוּם הַפְרָעָה, וּמִשְׁתַּטְּחִים לִפְנֵי אֲדוֹן עוֹלָמִים וּפוֹעֲלִים פְּעוּלָתָם בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים.

“If you only knew the power that lies in the verses of Tehillim and their effect in the celestial heights,” the Tzemach Tzedek once said, “you would recite them all the time. Know that the chapters of Tehillim break through all barriers and soar aloft from level to level, unimpeded. They intercede before the Master of the Universe and secure their effect with kindness and mercy.”

To Fill In the Background

The above paragraph is the conclusion of an entire section from the diary of the Rebbe Rayatz.3 There he relates that throughout the month of Tishrei in the year 5608 (1847), the Tzemach Tzedek was in a very serious frame of mind. His sons and the elder chassidim noticed it, but no one took the initiative to question him. After Sukkos, the Tzemach Tzedek called his eldest son, R. Baruch Shalom, and told him to arrange a minyan to recite the entire Book of Tehillim every morning, beginning no later than 4:00 a.m. This minyan continued for 53 days, until the day before Yud-Tes Kislev. Afterwards, he called his son and told him that if some individuals wanted to continue reciting Tehillim, they of course could, but that he no longer ordered it.

On Yud-Tes Kislev, the Tzemach Tzedek was extremely happy. A few weeks later, at the festive meal commemorating the Alter Rebbe’s yahrzeit on 24 Teves,he explained the sequence of events.

“On the first day of Rosh HaShanah,” he related, “in the spiritual realms, I saw an accusing force of formidable power, hostile to the Jewish people in general and to the Torah community in particular. I was in great anguish and tried various means to attain a vision of my revered grandfather, the [Alter] Rebbe, but was unsuccessful....

“At the Simchas Torahmeal, as we sang his Melody of Four Themes, I saw him. He told me [...] to have the Book of Tehillim recited secretly for 53 days to nullify the accusing forces.”

The Tzemach Tzedek concluded this narration with the above-quoted statement (“If you only knew the power...”).4