A person who does not find free time to recite Tehillim is permitted to recite Tehillim and engage in his work at the same time.
Sources and Explanations
In the laws of Birkat HaMazon, the Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 183:12): “It is forbidden to recite a blessing while one is engaged in his work.” He then repeated it a second time and wrote (191:3): “It is forbidden to do work while reciting the blessing.” The Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 5) writes that the same applies when one is engaged in tefillah or in any other blessing, and that this is included in the Torah’s statement (Vayikra 26:21), “And if you walk with Me casually (keri),” meaning that the mitzvot should not be with us as a matter of mere chance and happenstance. The Taz (ibid., se’if katan 1) added that it is also forbidden to engage in something else while one is occupied in fulfilling a mitzvah.
The Ben Ish Chai (Parashat Chukat, ot 5) explained that even a light task is forbidden, and he gave examples. He writes: “It is forbidden to recite a blessing while engaged in one’s work, even a light activity, such as drying one’s hands or putting on one’s garment and the like. And here in our city, where there is great heat in the summer days, and people are accustomed to fan the face and body with an implement called a ‘marwaha’ (a fan made of palm leaves), one must be careful not to fan with one’s hand with this implement during Birkat HaMazon, for this is considered an activity. For Birkat HaMazon and the Amidah prayer have the same law in these matters, and there is no difference between them except in this matter, that the tefillah is said standing and Birkat HaMazon is said seated. And behold, due to our many sins, many of the unlearned belittle Birkat HaMazon, reciting it very quickly, and some engage in some activity during the blessing, and also wink with their eyes, gesture with their lips, fiddle with their fingers, and the like; and one must rebuke them for this with wise moral instruction.”
However, there is a difficulty from the words of the Shulchan Aruch (63:7), who writes that one who was engaged in his work and wished to recite Keriat Shema need not stop his work except until he recites the first paragraph. The Mishnah Berurah there (se’if katan 19) also raised this difficulty and left it as requiring great further study. The Pri Megadim (Mishbetzot Zahav 191:1) set out to resolve this, explaining that Keriat Shema is considered like Torah study, and one is permitted to engage in his work while studying. According to this distinction, one may also be lenient while reciting Tehillim, which is considered like Torah study, for so King David, peace be upon him, requested, that one who recites Tehillim should be considered like one who is engaged in Nega’im and Ohalot.
However, we have found another approach in resolving the matter. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav (siman 183, se’if katan 14) writes: “It is forbidden to do work while reciting the blessing, because it appears as though one is blessing in a casual and incidental manner. Even a light activity is forbidden to do, even though it does not prevent him from concentrating. And needless to say, one should not engage in something to which he must set his mind, even if it is a matter of mitzvah, such as Torah study, for he thereby turns his heart away from the intentions of the blessing. And this is not proper lechatchilah (ideally) with other blessings as well, since they all require kavanah lechatchilah according to all opinions. And likewise with Keriat Shema, even from the second paragraph onward; whereas manual work was prohibited only in the first paragraph of Keriat Shema.” The sefer Tehillah LeDavid (191:1) explained the words of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav based on the words of the Taz, who wrote that one should not engage in something to which he must give his mind; therefore, engaging with one’s hands, which does not involve a lack of kavanah, is permitted.
And from the fact that the Shulchan Aruch HaRav permitted engaging in manual work, we learn for our case as well that certainly, while reciting Tehillim, one may also attend to his needs through the work of his hands during his recitation.
From the sefer “Shaf Veyativ – Laws of Saying Tehillim” by Rabbi Shay Tahan, Chapter 7: What Is Forbidden and Permitted When Saying Tehillim, Halacha 18 (p. 130 in the print edition). Translated from the Hebrew original.
