Although the virtue of reciting Tehillim is exceedingly great, nevertheless the virtue of in-depth Torah study is greater than reciting Tehillim with devekut (cleaving to Hashem).
Sources and Explanations
The Gaon Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, in his sefer Nefesh HaChaim (chapter 4, ot 10), elaborates at length to prove that the merit of in-depth Torah study is greater than reciting Tehillim with devekut. He writes: “Regarding the matter of engaging in Torah lishmah (for its own sake), the clear truth is that ‘lishmah’ does not mean devekut, as most people now think. For our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the Midrash that King David, peace be upon him, requested before Him, may He be blessed, that one who engages in Tehillim should be considered before Him, may He be blessed, as if he were engaging in Nega’im and Ohalot. We see that engaging in the halachot of the Talmud with in-depth study and toil is a more exalted matter and more beloved before Him, may He be blessed, than reciting Tehillim. And if we were to say that ‘lishmah’ specifically means devekut, and that the entire essence of engaging in Torah depends on this alone — surely there is no devekut more wondrous than reciting Tehillim properly all day long! Furthermore, who knows whether Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, blessed be He) agreed to this, for we do not find in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, what answer He, may He be blessed, gave to his request (as we find in Bava Batra 17a: ‘And the other one — that was a plea for mercy that he was requesting’). Moreover, for the purpose of devekut it would have sufficed to have one tractate, or one chapter, or one mishnah, with which to engage all his days with devekut. Yet this is not what we find among our Sages, of blessed memory, who said of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai that he did not leave aside Scripture, Mishnah, halachot, and aggadot, etc. That is, because he constantly considered in his heart that he had not yet fulfilled the obligation of engaging in Torah lishmah with what he had learned until then, he therefore was diligent all his days to constantly add learning, from day to day and from hour to hour.”
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 1: The Virtues and Merits of Saying Tehillim, Halacha 7 (p. 12 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
