Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Reciting Tehillim on Shabbat

Hi,

May I recite Tehillim for someone who is ill or in danger on Shabbos?

As a general rule, we avoid instituting special prayers for Divine assistance on Shabbos, lest the prayer itself incite a feeling of pain and detract from the enjoyment of Shabbos. For this reason, some even omit the HaRachaman portions appended to birkat hamazon, but standard practice is to include all "official" prayers and only eschew special additions.

There are three exceptions to this rule:
  1. Where an individual or community faces immediate danger to life, we are obligated to recite special prayers for their assistance.
  2. Where an ill person has requested special prayer, and he is not in immediate danger but failure to accede could upset him and increase the danger, we are obligated to comply;
  3. One who is greatly disturbed by a particular dangerous situation, such that refraining from additional prayer would ruin his Shabbos, should pray privately.


(Taanis 19a,22b; Talmud Yerushalmi Shabbat 15:3; Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shabbat 2:24 and Hilchot Taaniyot 1:6; Pe'er haDor 130; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 288:9, 576:13; Torah Lishmah 103; Mishneh Berurah 188:9, 288:22; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 288:5-6, 288:16-17, 576:17-20; B'Tzel haChachmah 5:41;Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:105; Shemirat Shabbat k'Hilchatah 40:49; Az Nidbiru 14:21-23; Ishei Yisrael 23:(187), 36:(63); Nishmat Shabbat 2:384)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

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