Ch. 5, Halacha 18 – Reciting Well-Known Tehillim Chapters by Heart Is Permitted

Sources and Explanations

The Gemara (Gittin 60b) states: “Rabbi Yehudah bar Nachmani, the meturgeman (spokesman) of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, expounded: It is written (Shemot 34:27), ‘Write for yourself these words,’ and it is written (Shemot 34:27), ‘For according to (al pi) these words.’ How so? Words that are written, you are not permitted to say by heart; words that are oral, you are not permitted to say in writing.”

Now, we find several places where the poskim were lenient to say written words by heart, and we will enumerate them:

A. The Shulchan Aruch (siman 49) rules leniently, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam (cited in the Beit Yosef), to recite by heart things that are commonplace and fluent in everyone’s mouth. He writes: “Although we hold that written words you are not permitted to say by heart, anything that is commonplace and fluent in the mouth of all, such as Keriat Shema, Birkat Kohanim, the passage of the Tamid, and the like, is permitted.” According to his words, one may be lenient only with mizmorim that everyone knows, such as (Tehillim 121) the mizmor ‘A song of ascents: I lift my eyes to the mountains,’ or (Tehillim 23) ‘A mizmor of David: Hashem is my shepherd, I shall not lack,’ and the like, but not with mizmorim that not everyone knows, even if the person reciting them is accustomed to them. As the Magen Avraham (49:1) puts it: “But if it is not fluent in the mouth of all, even though it is fluent in his own mouth, it is forbidden.”

B. The opinion of the Tur (ibid.) is to forbid only things through which one discharges others of their obligation, and according to his view, reciting chapters of Tehillim by heart is permitted, since they are not said in order to discharge others of their obligation. He writes: “My master, my father, the Rosh, of blessed memory, would say that we do not say ‘written words you are not permitted to say by heart’ except to discharge others of their obligation, but for each individual himself it is permitted. Therefore, the custom in Ashkenaz is that when the shaliach tzibbur reaches pesukim in the tefillah, such as ‘Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem,’ and ‘Hashem shall reign forever and ever,’ he is silent and the congregation says it, each one on his own.” The Beit Yosef cites in the name of Rabbeinu Peretz, who wrote that only regarding discharging others of their obligation do we say the rule of written words, but not regarding oneself; and this is also cited in the Bach and the Magen Avraham.

C. Rabbeinu Yonah writes in the name of Rabbi Shlomo Min HaHar (cited in the Beit Yosef, ibid.) that the prohibition was stated only regarding things that were never given to be said to fulfill an obligation. For example, Keriat Shema, which one may recite by heart even though he is not reciting it for the sake of the obligation — since it was given to be said by heart for the obligation, he may say it even not for the obligation, as many times as he wishes. According to this opinion, since the mizmorim of Tehillim are never said as an obligation, it is forbidden to say them by heart.

D. The Beit Yosef (ibid.) cites the view of the Kolbo, who wrote regarding the passage of the Tamid and Birkat Kohanim, that people were accustomed to say them by heart; although written words you are not permitted to say by heart, because of “It is a time to act for Hashem” they practiced leniency in this, since it is impossible for everyone to bring a book to read from every morning. If so, it is possible to be lenient also in reciting Tehillim by heart for this reason, in a place where it is difficult to bring the book.

E. The Beit Yosef further cites there, in the name of the Kolbo (siman 13), that the mizmor “May Hashem answer you on the day of distress” — one says only its first pasuk quietly, because written words you are not permitted to say by heart. And this is the reason regarding Keriat Shema, which we say quietly, and likewise several pesukim. And for two or three pesukim, since they are fluent, there is no concern. It emerges from his words that a few pesukim that a person knows are permitted to be said.

F. The Beit Yosef further cites in the name of “some say” that it is forbidden to say by heart only with the chant of the cantillation (te’amim). Therefore, here too, if one does not say the mizmorim with their cantillation chant, it is permitted.

G. In the Yerushalmi (cited in the Kolbo, ibid.) they explained that this applies specifically to reading from the Sefer Torah, lest people say something is missing from there, but in other places there is no prohibition, especially in tefillah. Accordingly, reciting Tehillim is permitted.

H. The Darkei Moshe (ibid.) cites the Hagahot Alfas, who wrote that the prohibition to say it by heart applies only to an individual, but for the tzibbur together it is permitted, and therefore they respond “Mi Chamocha” etc.

I. Tosafot (Bava Kamma 3b, s.v. Kedimetargem) wrote that a blind person may say them by heart because of “It is a time to act for Hashem,” and the Mishnah Berurah (49:1) wrote that the same applies if one is in prison and cannot obtain a Chumash there. Accordingly, only in a case of very great need such as this is it permitted to say by heart.

J. The prohibition was stated only regarding what is written in the Chumash, and not in Nevi’im and Ketuvim; so wrote Tosafot, Temurah (14b, s.v. Devarim).

Now, the Sephardim rule in accordance with the Shulchan Aruch, and therefore they must be stringent not to read chapters of Tehillim that are not commonly known to all other than from the book. So too Rabbi Chaim Palagi (in the introduction to his book HaKatuv LeChaim) cited regarding those who learn Tehillim by heart, and he writes: “And from the elders I gain understanding, from what our great Rabbi, the renowned Gaon, Maran my grandfather, of blessed memory, may his merit protect us, wrote in his awesome book Chikekei Lev (Orach Chaim siman 13), where he expressed astonishment at some of those who fear Hashem who read the book of Tehillim by heart, that it is not proper to do so, since written words you are not permitted to say by heart; and he disagreed with the Rav Chavot Yair.”

However, Ashkenazim may be lenient on the strength of the ruling of the Mishnah Berurah (49:6), who writes: “The Magen Avraham writes: One who examines the Beit Yosef will see that there are various opinions regarding the reason for permitting saying these things by heart. Therefore one should be careful not to say anything by heart other than what is mentioned here in the Shulchan Aruch. In the Responsa Chavot Yair he permits saying the entire book of Tehillim by heart, for since it is to arouse the mercy of Hashem, it is like tefillah. And it seems to me that one may rely on him, since in any case the opinion of the Ateret Zahav and the Gra is like the poskim who hold that only to discharge the many of their obligation is it forbidden.” End quote. In truth, although the Mishnah Berurah was lenient, the Mateh Efraim (siman 619, se’if 23) wrote to be stringent, and he further raised an additional problem with reciting the words by heart, namely corruption of the wording when the book is not before him. He writes: “Some say Tehillim every day, and because of their familiarity they say it by heart. One should not do so, for written words you are not permitted to say by heart; and also, because sense and experience testify that it is not comparable: one who says from the text sees what is before him — which is hard and which is soft, especially in the letters bet, gimmel, dalet, kaf, peh, tav, where his eyes see whether they have a dagesh or not; whereas one who says by heart, without doubt errs greatly and exchanges dagesh for rafeh and rafeh for dagesh, and does not distinguish to read properly in every place what is vocalized with patach or tzeirei, and all the pauses (etnachtot). Every God-fearing person should seek out a book of Tehillim printed precisely with vowels and with the cantillation of the etnachta, and give it to a knowledgeable person who understands the obscurities of printing errors, which commonly occur, whether something missing or something extra or a change in the vowels; and he should say from the book and be precise to say it slowly, paying attention to the vocalization, and his recitation will be accepted and favorable in uprightness.”

From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 5: How to Say Tehillim and Precise Pronunciation, Halacha 18 (p. 75 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.