Although a person should not make requests on Shabbat for his needs, this applies only to his physical needs; it is permitted, however, to make requests for his spiritual needs.
Sources and Explanations
This emerges from the words of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Halichot Shlomo (Tefillah, chapter 14, ot 11), who writes: “It is permitted lechatchilah (from the outset) to say on Shabbat the prayer of Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah that precedes learning, since a request regarding spiritual matters is not included in the request for needs that is forbidden on Shabbat.”
This is also implied by the words of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (siman 288, se’if 8), who permitted one observing a ta’anit chalom (fast over a disturbing dream) on Shabbat to say ‘Aneinu’ after concluding his tefillah, including it in ‘Elokai Netzor’, and to say ‘Ribbon HaOlamim, galui veyadua’ etc., as on a weekday. “It is also permitted to say ‘Elokai ad shelo notzarti’ etc., or other requests for forgiveness of sins, and one may also confess and say ‘chatati, aviti, pashati’. They only forbade saying supplications on Shabbat in order to request in them one’s needs for livelihood, or healing for a sick person in one’s home, and similar bodily needs; but regret over sins is good to say every day.” End quote.
However, Piskei Teshuvot there remarks: “The conclusion of the Mishnah Berurah’s words, ‘since it is not in the language of confession,’ is not written in the words of the Maharam Mintz (siman 87), nor in the Magen Avraham (se’if katan 11), nor in any of the other Acharonim who cite his words. However, it is correct according to the Kabbalah of the Arizal, of blessed memory, that one should not say any ‘confessions’ whatsoever on Shabbat, and likewise not the text ‘Hareini mochel’ that precedes the Shema recited at bedtime; and according to this Kabbalah, other expressions of regret over sins should also not be said, for what is the difference?”
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 3: Laws Before and After Saying Tehillim, Halacha 10 (p. 39 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
