Saying Tehillim on Shabbat is permitted only with the intention of praising Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, blessed be He), and not in order to pray for one’s needs.
Sources and Explanations
The Midrash Vayikra Rabbah (34:16) states on the pasuk (verse) “From pursuing your affairs”: “From here [we learn] that a person is forbidden to request his needs on Shabbat.”
The reason appears to be that one who requests his needs on Shabbat is moved to think about his troubles, and this keeps him from the mitzvah of oneg Shabbat (delighting in Shabbat). This is explained in the words of the Ran (Shabbat 5b in the pages of the Rif) on the statement of Chazal that one who comes to visit the sick on Shabbat says: “It is Shabbat, not a time to cry out, and healing will soon come.” The Ran writes: “He cannot ask for mercy now, for through this he would arouse weeping and be distressed; rather, he says words of consolation to them so that they will not be distressed.”
This is not comparable to the tefillot of the day, which contain requests, or to Birkat HaMazon, in which one asks for his livelihood and other things. Something that has already been fixed as the set text of the tefillah or berachah is different, since Chazal established that the text be said as it is. As the Midrash Rabbah continues there to explain: “It was asked before Rabbi Chiya bar Abba; he said to him: Those who say ‘Our Shepherd, feed us, sustain us’ on Shabbat, what is the law? He said to him: Such is the set form of the berachot.”
As for the fact that all the berachot dealing with a person’s needs, such as Refa’enu and the berachah for livelihood, were omitted from the Amidah prayer, even though they are part of the set text of the tefillah, the reason is that they did not want to impose on people the burden of praying at length on Shabbat, and not because they are requests for one’s needs. As the Mishnah Berurah explains (268:2): “By right one should pray eighteen berachot on Shabbat as on weekdays, and mention the sanctity of the day in the berachah of Avodah as on Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed; only because of the honor of Shabbat did the Rabbis not burden him, and they instituted one middle berachah for Shabbat.” We see before us that were it not for this reason, we would need to say also the berachot that contain a person’s needs. Now, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 288:6) writes: “One who fasts on Shabbat says Anenu after concluding his tefillah, without a closing berachah, and includes it in Elokai Netzor.” The Mishnah Berurah explains there (288:22): “The Acharonim wrote that it is permitted to say on Shabbat ‘Elokai, ad shelo notzarti (My God, before I was formed) etc.’ and ‘Yehi ratzon (May it be Your will) etc.,’ for asking for one’s needs is forbidden only when one requests regarding illness or livelihood and the like, where there is distress before him.”
This also appears from the words of the Chida in Responsa Yosef Ometz (siman 44) regarding the bakashah (request) that is said before the Shabbat meal: “It is written in Sefer HaKavanot that it is a good request to say before each of the Shabbat meals. However, regarding its conclusion, some have doubts and do not say the conclusion, only ‘with favor and joy upon us and upon all Israel’ and nothing more, because a person should not ask for his needs on Shabbat. Indeed, one must consider the text of ‘Berich Shemei’ written in the holy Zohar, which contains a request for one’s needs, and it is already known that it is said only on Shabbat; one can draw a slight distinction. And in the prayer before Tehillim, it is truly proper to say ‘and from there may abundance flow and be drawn upon the NaRaN (nefesh, ruach, and neshamah)’ and the like; and also our master the Arizal wrote in several places that one should intend to receive abundance himself as well.” End quote. Apparently, the slight distinction he alluded to in his words is what the poskim wrote: that whatever is the set form of the berachah may be said on Shabbat. And so too ruled Responsa Teshuvot VeHanhagot (vol. 3, siman 97): “Regarding saying Tehillim on Shabbat, if his intention is only to praise, glorify, and exalt Hakadosh Baruch Hu for His abundant mercy and kindness, this is the mitzvah of the day, and it is fine and fitting. But if he prays to request his needs, seemingly it is proper to refrain on Shabbat, for it is forbidden to pray for one’s needs on Shabbat, and it was permitted only for those who are, Heaven forbid, in danger. However, today, when due to our many sins we have become greatly soiled with sins and transgressions, we feel as in a time of danger, and perhaps this is why some have the custom to say Tehillim and ask for mercy for all their spiritual and material needs. Furthermore, when one says Tehillim, it is not evident from the text of Tehillim that it is for request and outcry, and this is like the text of the tefillah, which, as we explained, they did not forbid; and consider this carefully.” End quote.
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 2: The Proper Times for Saying Tehillim, Halacha 21 (p. 27 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
