Week 5 (Book 6): Reviewing the Week of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan - Psalms 13-15; 32:4-6; 89:6

Tehilim

Chapter 13

A prayer for an end to the long exile. One in distress should offer this prayer for his troubles and for the length of the exile.

1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 2. How long, O Lord, will You forget me, forever? How long will You hide Your countenance from me? 3. How long must I seek counsel within my soul, [to escape] the grief in my heart all day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 4. Look! Answer me, O Lord, my G-d; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. 5. Lest my enemy say, "I have overcome him," [and] my oppressors rejoice when I falter.6. I have placed my trust in Your kindness, my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord, for He has dealt kindly with me.

Chapter 14

This psalm speaks of the destruction of the two Holy Temples-the first by Nebuchadnezzar, and the second by Titus.

1. For the Conductor, by David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no G-d!" [Man's] deeds have become corrupt and abominable, no one does good. 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon mankind, to see if there was any wise man who searches for G-d. 3. They have all gone astray together, they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 4. Indeed, all the evildoers, who devour My people as they devour bread, who do not call upon the Lord, will [ultimately] come to know [the consequences of their actions]. 5. There they will be seized with fright, for G-d is with the righteous generation. 6. You scorn the counsel of the lowly, that he puts his trust in the Lord. 7. O that out of Zion would come Israel's deliverance! When the Lord returns the captivity of His people, Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.

Chapter 15

This psalm speaks of several virtues and attributes with which one should conduct oneself. He is then assured that his soul will rest in Gan Eden.

1. A psalm by David. Who may abide in Your tent, O Lord? Who may dwell on Your holy Mountain? 2. He who walks blamelessly, acts justly, and speaks truth in his heart; 3. who has no slander on his tongue, who has done his fellowman no evil, and who has brought no disgrace upon his relative; 4. in whose eyes a despicable person is abhorrent, but who honors those who are G-d-fearing; who does not change his oath even if it is to his own detriment; 5. who does not lend his money at interest, nor accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never falter.

Tikun HaKlali

Chapter 32

4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my marrow became [dry] as the droughts of summer, Selah. 

5. My sin I made known to You, my iniquity I did not cover. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and You have forgiven the iniquity of my transgression forever. 

6. For this let every pious man pray to You, at a time when You may be found; indeed, the flood of many waters will not reach him. 

Chapter 89

6. Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones. 

Week 6 (Book 6): Reviewing the Second Week of Cheshvan - Psalms 16-18; 32:7-9; 89:7

PSALMS

Chapter 16

1. A michtam,1 by David. Watch over me, O G-d, for I have put my trust in You. 2. You, [my soul,] have said to G-d, "You are my Master; You are not obligated to benefit me.” 3. For the sake of the holy ones who lie in the earth, and for the mighty-all my desires are fulfilled in their merit. 4. Those who hasten after other [G-ds], their sorrows shall increase; I will not offer their libations of blood, nor take their names upon my lips. 5. The Lord is my allotted portion and my share; You guide my destiny. 6. Portions have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, a beautiful inheritance is mine. 7. I bless the Lord Who has advised me; even in the nights my intellect admonishes me.2 8. I have set the Lord before me at all times; because He is at my right hand, I shall not falter. 9. Therefore my heart rejoices and my soul exults; my flesh, too, rests secure. 10. For You will not abandon my soul to the grave, You will not allow Your pious one to see purgatory.11. Make known to me the path of life, that I may be satiated with the joy of Your presence, with the bliss of Your right hand forever.

Chapter 17

1. A prayer by David. Hear my sincere [plea], O Lord; listen to my cry; give ear to my prayer, expressed by guileless lips. 2. Let my verdict come forth from before You; let Your eyes behold uprightness. 3. You have probed my heart, examined it in the night, tested me and found nothing; no evil thought crossed my mind; as are my words so are my thoughts. 4. So that [my] human deeds conform with the words of Your lips, I guard myself from the paths of the lawbreakers. 5. Support my steps in Your paths, so that my feet shall not falter. 6. I have called upon You, for You, O Lord, will answer me; incline Your ear to me, hear what I say. 7.Withhold Your kindness-O You who delivers with Your right hand those who put their trust in You-from those who rise up against [You]. 8. Guard me like the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings 9. from the wicked who despoil me, [from] my mortal enemies who surround me. 10. Their fat has closed [their hearts]; their mouths speak arrogantly. 11. They encircle our footsteps; they set their eyes to make us stray from the earth. 12.His appearance is like a lion longing to devour, like a young lion lurking in hiding. 13. Arise, O Lord! Confront him, bring him to his knees; rescue my soul from the wicked [who serves as] Your sword. 14. Let me be among those whose death is by Your hand, O Lord, among those who die of old age, whose portion is eternal life and whose innards are filled with Your concealed goodness; who are sated with sons and leave their abundance to their offspring. 15. Because of my righteousness, I shall behold Your countenance; in the time of resurrection, I will be sated by Your image.

Chapter 18

1. For the Conductor. By the servant of the Lord, by David, who chanted the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2. He said, "I love You, Lord, my strength. 3. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my rescuer. My G-d is my strength in Whom I take shelter, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 4. With praises I call upon the Lord, and I am saved from my enemies. 5. For the pangs of death surrounded me, and torrents of evil people terrified me. 6. Pangs of the grave encompassed me; snares of death confronted me. 7. In my distress I called upon the Lord, I cried out to my G-d; and from His Sanctuary He heard my voice, and my supplication before Him reached His ears. 8. The earth trembled and quaked; the foundations of the mountains shook-they trembled when His wrath flared. 9. Smoke rose in His nostrils, devouring fire blazed from His mouth, and burning coals flamed forth from Him. 10. He inclined the heavens and descended, a thick cloud was beneath His feet. 11. He rode on a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. 12. He made darkness His concealment, His surroundings His shelter-of the dense clouds with their dark waters. 13. Out of the brightness before Him, His clouds passed over, with hailstones and fiery coals. 14. The Lord thundered in heaven, the Most High gave forth His voice-hailstones and fiery coals. 15. He sent forth His arrows and scattered them; many lightnings, and confounded them. 16. The channels of water became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed-at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 17.He sent from heaven and took me; He brought me out of surging waters. 18. He rescued me from my fierce enemy, and from my foes when they had become too strong for me. 19. They confronted me on the day of my misfortune, but the Lord was my support. 20. He brought me into spaciousness; He delivered me because He desires me. 21. The Lord rewar-ded me in accordance with my righteousness; He repaid me according to the cleanliness of my hands. 22. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not transgressed against my G-d; 23. for all His laws are before me, I have not removed His statutes from me. 24.I was perfect with Him, and have guarded myself from sin. 25. The Lord repaid me in accordance with my righteousness, according to the cleanliness of my hands before His eyes. 26. With the kindhearted You act kindly, with the upright man You act uprightly.27. With the pure You act purely, but with the crooked You act cun- ningly. 28. For the destitute nation You save, but haughty eyes You humble. 29. Indeed, You light my lamp; the Lord, my G-d, illuminates my darkness. 30. For with You I run against a troop; with my G-d I scale a wall. 31. The way of G-d is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 32. For who is G-d except the Lord, and who is a rock except our G-d! 33. The G-d Who girds me with strength, and makes my path perfect. 34. He makes my feet like deers', and stands me firmly on my high places. 35. He trains my hands for battle, my arms to bend a bow of bronze. 36. You have given me the shield of Your deliverance, Your right hand upheld me; Your humility made me great. 37. You have widened my steps beneath me, and my knees have not faltered. 38. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until I destroyed them. 39. I crushed them so that they were unable to rise; they are fallen beneath my feet. 40. You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued my adversaries beneath me. 41. You have made my enemies turn their backs to me, and my foes I cut down.42. They cried out, but there was none to deliver them; to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 43. I ground them as the dust before the wind, I poured them out like the mud in the streets. 44.You have rescued me from the quarrelsome ones of the people, You have made me the head of nations; a nation I did not know became subservient to me. 45. As soon as they hear of me they obey me; strangers deny to me [their disloyalty]. 46. Strangers wither away, they are terrified in their strongholds. 47. The Lord lives; blessed is my Rock; exalted is the G-d of my deliverance.48. You are the G-d Who executes retribution for me, and subjugates nations under me. 49. Who rescues me from my enemies, Who exalts me above my adversaries, Who delivers me from the man of violence. 50. Therefore I will laud You, Lord, among the nations, and sing to Your Name. 51. He grants His king great salvations, and bestows kindness upon His anointed, to David and his descendants forever."

TIKKUN HAKLALI

Chapter 32

7. You are a refuge to me; protect me from distress; surround me with songs of deliverance forever. 8. I will enlighten you and educate you in the path you should go; I will advise you with what I have seen. 9. Be not like a horse, like a mule, senseless, that must be muzzled with bit and bridle when being adorned, so that it not come near you.

PSALM 89

7. Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord, who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!

Week 7 (Book 6): Reviewing the Third Week of Cheshvan - Psalms 19-21; 32:10-11 & 41:1-2; 89:8

PSALMS

Chapter 19

1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 2. The heavens recount the glory of the Almighty; the sky proclaims His handiwork. 3. Day to day speech streams forth; night to night expresses knowledge.4. There is no utterance, there are no words; their voice is inaudible. 5. Their arc extends throughout the world; their message to the end of the earth. He set in them [the heavens] a tent for the sun, 6. which is like a groom coming forth from his bridal canopy, like a strong man rejoicing to run the course. 7. Its rising is at one end of the heavens, and its orbit encompasses the other ends; nothing is hidden from its heat. 8. The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making wise the simpleton. 9. The precepts of the Lord are just, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. 10. The fear of the Lord is pure, abiding forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, they are all righteous together. 11. They are more desirable than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter than honey or the drippings of honeycomb. 12. Indeed, Your servant is scrupulous with them; in observing them there is abundant reward. 13. Yet who can discern inadvertent wrongs? Purge me of hidden sins. 14. Also hold back Your servant from willful sins; let them not prevail over me; then I will be unblemished and keep myself clean of gross transgression. 15. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.

Chapter 20

1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 2. May the Lord answer you on the day of distress; may the Name of the G-d of Jacob fortify you. 3. May He send your help from the Sanctuary, and support you from Zion. 4. May He remember all your offerings, and always accept favorably your sacrifices. 5. May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill your every counsel. 6. We will rejoice in your deliverance, and raise our banners in the name of our G-d; may the Lord fulfill all your wishes. 7. Now I know that the Lord has delivered His anointed one, answering him from His holy heavens with the mighty saving power of His right hand. 8.Some [rely] upon chariots and some upon horses, but we [rely upon and] invoke the Name of the Lord our G-d. 9. They bend and fall, but we rise and stand firm. 10. Lord, deliver us; may the King answer us on the day we call.

Chapter 21

1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 2. The king rejoices in Your strength, Lord; how greatly he exults in Your deliverance! 3.You have given him his heart's desire, and You have never withheld the utterance of his lips. 4. You preceded him with blessings of good; You placed a crown of pure gold on his head.5. He asked of You life, You gave it to him-long life, forever and ever. 6. His glory is great in Your deliverance; You have placed majesty and splendor upon him. 7. For You make him a blessing forever; You gladden him with the joy of Your countenance. 8. For the king trusts in the Lord, and in the kindness of the Most High-that he will not falter. 9. Your hand will suffice for all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. 10. You will make them as a fiery furnace at the time of Your anger. May the Lord consume them in His wrath; let a fire devour them. 11. Destroy their offspring from the earth, their descendants from mankind.12. For they intended evil against You, they devised evil plans which they cannot execute. 13. For You will set them as a portion apart; with Your bowstring You will aim at their faces. 14. Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and chant the praise of Your might.

TIKKUN HAKLALI

Chapter 32

10. Many are the agonies of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord is surrounded by kindness. 11. Rejoice in the Lord and exult, you righteous ones! Sing joyously, all you upright of heart!

Chapter 41

1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 2. Fortunate is he who is thoughtful of the poor, [for] the Lord will save him on the day of evil. 

PSALM 89

8. The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, awe-inspiring to all who surround Him. 

Week 8 (Book 6): Reviewing the Fourth Week of Cheshvan - Psalms 22-24; 41:3-5; 89:9

PSALMS

Chapter 22

Every person should pray in agony over the length of the exile, and our fall from prestige to lowliness. One should also take vows (for self-improvement) in his distress.

1. For the Conductor, on the ayelet hashachar, a psalm by David. 2. My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me! So far from saving me, from the words of my outcry? 3. My G-d, I call out by day, and You do not answer; at night-but there is no respite for me. 4. Yet You, Holy One, are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 5. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You saved them. 6. They cried to You and were rescued; they trusted in You and were not shamed. 7. And I am a worm and not a man; scorn of men, contempt of nations. 8. All who see me mock me; they open their lips, they shake their heads. 9. But one that casts [his burden] upon the Lord-He will save him; He will rescue him, for He desires him. 10. For You took me out of the womb, and made me secure on my mother's breasts. 11. I have been thrown upon You from birth; from my mother's womb You have been my G-d. 12. Be not distant from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. 13. Many bulls surround me, the mighty bulls of Bashan encircle me. 14. They open their mouths against me, like a lion that ravages and roars. 15. I am poured out like water, all my bones are disjointed; my heart has become like wax, melted within my innards. 16. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my palate; You set me in the dust of death. 17. For dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers enclose me; my hands and feet are like a lion's prey. 18. I count all my limbs, while they watch and gloat over me. 19. They divide my garments amongst them; they cast lots upon my clothing. 20. But You, Lord, do not be distant; my Strength, hurry to my aid! 21. Save my life from the sword, my soul from the grip of dogs. 22. Save me from the lion's mouth, as You have answered me from the horns of wild beasts. 23. I will recount [the praises of] Your Name to my brothers; I will extol You amidst the congregation. 24. You that fear the Lord, praise Him! Glorify Him, all you progeny of Jacob! Stand in awe of Him, all you progeny of Israel! 25. For He has not despised nor abhorred the entreaty of the poor, nor has He concealed His face from him; rather He heard when he cried to Him. 26. My praise comes from You, in the great congregation; I will pay my vows before those that fear Him. 27. Let the humble eat and be satisfied; let those who seek the Lord praise Him-may your hearts live forever! 28. All the ends of the earth will remember and return to the Lord; all families of nations will bow down before You. 29. For sovereignty is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations. 30. All the fat ones of the earth will eat and bow down, all who descend to the dust shall kneel before Him, but He will not revive their soul. 31. The progeny of those who serve Him will tell of the Lord to the latter generations. 32. They will come and relate His righteousness-all that He has done-to a newborn nation.

Chapter 23

When King David was in the forest of Cheret and nearly died of starvation, G-d provided nourishment for him with a taste of the World to Come. David then composed this psalm, describing the magnitude of his trust in G-d.

1. A psalm by David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. 2. He lays me down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. 3. He revives my soul; He directs me in paths of righteousness for the sake of His Name. 4. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they will comfort me. 5. You will prepare a table for me before my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup is full. 6. Only goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for many long years.

Chapter 24

If the fulfillment of one's prayer would result in the sanctification of G-d's Name, he should pray that G-d act for the sake of the holiness of His Name. One should also invoke the merit of his ancestors, for we know that "the righteous are greater in death than in life"

1. By David, a psalm. The earth and all therein is the Lord's; the world and its inhabitants. 2. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. 3. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place? 4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not used My Name in vain or sworn falsely. 5. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and kindness from G-d, his deliverer. 6. Such is the generation of those who search for Him, [the children of] Jacob who seek Your countenance forever. 7. Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, eternal doors, so the glorious King may enter. 8. Who is the glorious King? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle. 9. Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them up, eternal doors, so the glorious King may enter. 10. Who is the glorious King? The Lord of Hosts, He is the glorious King for all eternity. 

TIKKUN HAKLALI

Chapter 41

3. The Lord will guard him and keep him alive; he will be praised throughout the land; You will not deliver him to the desires of his enemies. 4. The Lord will support him on the bed of illness; You will turn him over in his bed all throughout his sickness. 5. I said, "Lord, be gracious to me! Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You!”

PSALM 89

9. O Lord, G-d of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O G-d! Your faithfulness surrounds You.

Week 9 (Book 6): Reviewing the Last Week of Cheshvan / Week of Rosh Chodesh Kislev - Psalms 25-27; 41:6-8; 89:10

PSALMS

 Chapter 25

1. By David. To You, Lord, I lift my soul. 2. My G-d, I have put my trust in You. May I not be put to shame; may my enemies not gloat over me. 3. Indeed, may all who hope in You not be put to shame; let those who act treacherously without reason be shamed. 4. O Lord, make Your ways known to me; teach me Your paths. 5. Train me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the G-d of my salvation; I yearn for You all day. 6. O Lord, remember Your mercies and Your kindnesses, for they have existed for all time. 7. Do not recall the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; remember me in accordance with Your kindness, because of Your goodness, O Lord. 8. Good and upright is the Lord, therefore He directs sinners along the way. 9. He guides the humble with justice, and teaches the humble His way. 10. All the paths of the Lord are kindness and truth for those who observe His covenant and testimonies. 11. For the sake of Your Name, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. 12. Whoever is a G-d-fearing man, him will He teach the path that he should choose. 13. His soul will abide in well-being, and his descendants will inherit the earth. 14. The secret of the Lord is to those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them. 15. My eyes are always turned to the Lord, for He releases my feet from the snare. 16. Turn to me and be compassionate to me, for I am alone and afflicted. 17. The sufferings of my heart have increased; deliver me from my hardships. 18. Behold my affliction and suffering, and forgive all my sins. 19. See how numerous my enemies have become; they hate me with a violent hatred. 20. Guard my soul and deliver me; may I not be put to shame, for I place my trust in You. 21. Let integrity and uprightness guard me, for my hope is in You. 22. Redeem Israel, O G-d, from all its afflictions.

Chapter 26

1. By David. Judge me, O Lord, for in my innocence I have walked, and in the Lord I have trusted-I shall not falter. 2. Try me, O Lord, and test me; refine my mind and heart. 3. For Your kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked constantly in Your truth. 4. I did not sit with men of falsehood, and with hypocrites I will not mingle. 5. I detested the company of evildoers, and with the wicked I will not sit. 6. I wash my hands in purity, and circle Your altar, O Lord, 7. to give voice to thanks, and to recount all Your wonders. 8. I love the shelter of Your House, O Lord, and the place where Your glory resides. 9. Gather not in my soul with sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed, 10. In whose hands are schemes, and whose right hand is filled with bribes. 11. But I walk in my innocence; redeem me and show me favor. 12. My foot stands on level ground; in assemblies I will bless the Lord.

Chapter 27

1. By David. The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life-whom shall I dread? 2. When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh, my oppressors and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3. If an army were to beleaguer me, my heart would not fear; if war were to arise against me, in this I trust. 4. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I seek: that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of the Lord, and to visit His Sanctuary. 5. For He will hide me in His tabernacle on a day of adversity; He will conceal me in the hidden places of His tent; He will lift me upon a rock. 6. And then my head will be raised above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of jubilation; I will sing and chant to the Lord. 7. Lord, hear my voice as I call; be gracious to me and answer me. 8. In Your behalf my heart says, "Seek My countenance"; Your countenance, Lord, I seek.  9. Do not conceal Your countenance from me; do not cast aside Your servant in wrath. You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, G-d of my deliverance. 10. Though my father and mother have forsaken me, the Lord has taken me in. 11. Lord, teach me Your way and lead me in the path of righteousness, because of my watchful enemies. 12. Do not give me over to the will of my oppressors, for there have risen against me false witnesses, and they speak evil. 13. [They would have crushed me] had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14. Hope in the Lord, be strong and let your heart be valiant, and hope in the Lord.  

TIKKUN HAKLALI

Chapter 41

6. My foes say that evil [awaits] me: "When will he die, and his name perish?” 7. And if one comes to see [me], he speaks insincerely, for his heart gathers iniquity for himself, and when he goes out he speaks of it. 8. Together they whisper against me-all my enemies; against me they devise my harm, [saying]: 

PSALM 89

10. You rule the vastness of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them.