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Thought for the Day: Saying T'hillim on Tisha b'Av

Of course one is not allowed to learn Torah in any depth on Tisha b'Av -- even to say verses of Torah, except for those specifically allowed, is forbidden. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 554:1,2,3) gives clear and strict guidelines about what and how to learn. On the other hand, of course one is allowed to say all the usual parts of davening on Tisha b'Av, as clearly stated in syef 4. Verses from all over Tanach, of course, are ubiquitous in davening. So why are we allowed to say them? They are part of davening, and davening is different; it just is.

So what about saying T'hillim? The Mishna Brura (sk 6) notes that there is a custom to say t'hillim at mincha. How are we allowed to do that, you ask. The Mishna Brura says "Even though learning Torah is forbidden all day, צריך לומר/one must say that framing the recital of t'hillim as a form of petition is different." Really? Here is a rule, if you ever hear me say, "well... צריך לומר/one must say" -- please slap me. But the Mishna Brura has broad shoulders and his "צריך לומר/one must say" is the only avenue. Even so, in the Sha'ar HaTziyun (sk 8), the Mishna Brura brings the Derech HaChaim who proves that you really shouldn't say t'hillim even at mincha. Moreover, the Mishna Brura himself continues and says that in Pozna they would wait till the following day to say the daily t'hillim of the 9th and then the t'hillim for the 10th; which the Mishna Brura notes is נכון/proper.

But what does the Mishna Brura holds l'halacha on this one? My inclination would be to say that they Mishna Brura would really rather you not say t'hillim on Tisha b'Av, but he would not go so far as to tell you it is forbidden. The Dirshu edition brings more poskim... on both sides the issue. More breadth and depth, but no clarity.

Baruch HaShem, I live in Chicago and am able to ask R' Fuerst about things like this, thus avoiding paskening by inclination. I try to ask my questions in person; there is much to be learned by the way the rav answers and nuances you can't catch over the phone. One day before mincha, I asked whether one permitted to say t'hillim on Tisha b'Av, the rav answered immediately, "Oh, so you saw that Sha'ar HaTziyun?" No, I had not seen it; I only know about it because when I replied, "What Sha'ar HaTziyun?", R' Fuerst pulled out his Mishna Brura, turned straight to the place, pointed to it and said, "This one." (I find it very inspiring how much Torah R' Fuerst literally has at his fingertips.)

Bottom line: if you say t'hillim every day (I, for example, endeavor to say the entire sefer t'hillim each month according to the accepted daily cycle), then you can certainly say what you normally say according to the cycle. Why? Because you have made it part of your סדר היום/agenda. (It was a חידוש to me that סדר היום includes things that I have made part of my personal סדר היום, even though it is not part of סדר היום set by our sages.)

What about saying t'hillim for someone who is sick? That, R' Fuerst, is less clearly permissible, but we pasken that is it permitted. Before speaking with R' Fuerst, I would have thought just the opposite. Upon further reflection, though, I remember that once when my wife was having surgery, I told R' Fuerst  that I had brought my gemara to the hospital -- it would be a few day stay -- but should I say t'hillim during the surgery. R' Fuerst told me that it is always better to learn, but if one is too distracted to learn, then at least he can say t'hillim. That is to say, the best activity to increase merit for the one undergoing treatment is to learn on their behalf. If you are just not up to that, then you can say t'hillim instead of learning. Saying t'hillim for someone who is sick is not a t'fila -- nor even in place of t'fila; it is in place of learning. Why specifically t'hillim, I asked? That's the way David HaMelech set up t'hillim, the rav answered.

One last point: I asked how am I supposed to learn that Mishna Brura... what should be my take away? My inclination on the position of the Mishna Brura is correct, and now has a haskama.

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