One should prefer saying Tehillim over saying Perek Shirah.
Sources and Explanations
At first glance, it appears from the words of our Rabbis that the virtue of Perek Shirah is greater than that of Tehillim, for Chazal said in Perek Shirah regarding David, King of Israel: “When he finished the book of Tehillim, he became proud and said before Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, blessed be He): Is there a creature in Your world that says more songs and praises than I? At that moment a frog chanced upon him and said to him: David, do not become proud, for I say more songs and praises than you. Moreover, upon every song that I say, three thousand parables are composed, as it is said, ‘And he spoke three thousand parables, and his songs were a thousand and five.’ Moreover, I am engaged in a great mitzvah. And this is the mitzvah in which I am engaged: there is at the seashore a certain species whose sustenance is only from the water, and when it is hungry it takes me and eats me. This is the mitzvah, to fulfill what is said, ‘If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you are heaping coals upon his head, and Hashem will reward you (yeshalem lach)’ — do not read ‘yeshalem lach’ but rather ‘yashlimenu lach’ (He will make him at peace with you). And so said Rabbi: Whoever engages in Perek Shirah in this world merits to learn and to teach, to safeguard, to perform and to fulfill, and his learning endures in his hand, and he is saved from the evil inclination, from evil mishap, from the beating of the grave, from the judgment of Gehinnom, and from the birth pangs of Mashiach, and he lengthens his days, and merits the days of Mashiach and the life of the World to Come. And it was taught: Rabbi Eliezer said: Whoever says this song in this world merits to say it in the World to Come, as it is said, ‘Then Moshe will sing (az yashir)’ — it does not say ‘sang,’ but rather ‘will sing,’ in the future to come. It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: Whoever engages in this Perek Shirah every day, I testify about him that he is a son of the World to Come, and he is saved from evil mishap, from the evil inclination, from harsh judgment, from the Satan, and from all kinds of destroyers and damaging forces. Resolve with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways and to keep My commandments and My statutes; guard My Torah in your heart, and let the fear of Me be before your eyes. Guard your mouth and your tongue from all sin and guilt, and I will be with you wherever you go, and I will teach you wisdom and understanding from everything. And know that everything that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created, He created only for His glory, as it is said, ‘Everyone that is called by My Name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yes, I have made him.’” End of quote.
Nevertheless, when Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was asked (testimony of Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv about his father in the book Reisha DeGaluta, p. 12) whether it is preferable to say Perek Shirah, as is the custom of many women, or perhaps Tehillim is preferable, he answered that one should say Tehillim, as has been the custom of our mothers from time immemorial. Furthermore, Perek Shirah is a Baraita, and if one does not understand what one is reading there is nothing in it, whereas Tehillim is beneficial even if one does not understand what one is saying (and see what we wrote regarding the obligation of kavanah while reading).
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 1: The Virtues and Merits of Saying Tehillim, Halacha 9 (p. 13 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
