One should articulate the reading with his mouth. If he is unable to say Tehillim with his mouth, for example, if he is ill, or if he is in a place where there are women who are not modestly dressed, he may contemplate chapters of Tehillim in his heart. He should try to understand the words he is saying, and he should have in mind that his reading should be as Torah study.
Sources and Explanations
In the Gemara (Berachot 20b), Ravina and Rav Chisda disagree regarding whether thought is considered like speech. Concerning the Mishnah that a ba’al keri (one who has had a seminal emission) contemplates in his heart, Ravina said: This means that thought is considered like speech; and Rav Chisda said: Thought is not considered like speech.
In practice, our Rabbis the Rishonim disagreed regarding this law. The Rambam (Hilchot Berachot 1:7) ruled that thought is considered like speech, and he writes: “With all the berachot, one must make audible to his ears what he is saying, and if he did not make it audible to his ears, he has fulfilled his obligation, whether he articulated it with his lips or whether he recited the berachah in his heart.” The Rosh writes that Rabbeinu Chananel ruled the halachah like Rav Chisda, and one does not fulfill his obligation of Keriat Shema through thought until he articulates it with his lips, since thought is not like speech. Rabbeinu Yonah writes likewise (Berachot 12a in the pages of the Rif).
Maran in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 62:3) ruled like Rav Chisda, that thought is not considered like speech, and he writes: “One must make audible to his ears what he articulates with his mouth, and if he did not make it audible to his ears, he has fulfilled his obligation, provided that he articulated it with his lips.” On this the Kaf HaChaim (62:5) writes that with thought, contemplating in his heart, he does not fulfill his obligation. So too ruled the Tur, the Beit Yosef, the Bach, and the Eliyah Rabbah (ot 3), and so too writes the Pri Megadim (Mishbetzot Zahav, ot 1) that the view of the author [of the Shulchan Aruch] is that without duress, even after the fact, one does not fulfill his obligation through thought; see there. Shulchan Aruch HaRav (ot 3) writes likewise.
As for what the Shulchan Aruch writes in the following se’if, that if due to illness or other duress one read Keriat Shema in his heart he has fulfilled his obligation, this applies specifically in a case of duress. As the Yafeh LaLev (vol. 1) writes, although the Shulchan Aruch concludes in the previous se’if that one must articulate with his lips because thought is not considered like speech, here the reason is because it says “say in your hearts” regarding duress. [So writes the Orchot Chaim in the name of the Yerushalmi (Berachot 1:1), and he gives a reason for his words, because it says (Tehillim 4:5) “say in your hearts,” which implies that even through thought one fulfills his obligation, and that refers to one who is ill or under duress.] Therefore, even though we hold that thought is not like speech, duress is different.
From this we learn for our matter: just as we rule regarding Keriat Shema that one must clearly articulate the words with his mouth, the same applies to other laws. However, if he cannot do so because there are women in front of him in immodest dress, there is advice for reading Tehillim in a way that it will be considered for him as performing a mitzvah, namely that he read in his heart without speech, with the intention of understanding the meaning of the words and thereby fulfilling the mitzvah of Torah study. For regarding the law of Torah study, we learned from that which is written, “and you shall speak of them” — speech is forbidden in front of ervah (immodest exposure), but thought is permitted. Therefore, he may study the chapters of Tehillim in thought even though there are women in front of him who are dressed immodestly.
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 5: How to Say Tehillim and Precise Pronunciation, Halacha 1 (p. 60 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
