There are 15 psalms in the Shir HaMaalos series. According to the Talmud (Mishnah Sukkah 5:4), the 15 “Songs of Ascent” (Shir HaMaalos) of T’hilim (Psalms 120-134) were sung by the L’vi’im while ascending the 15 stairs in the Beis HaMikdash. The Talmud describes that the L’vi’im would graduate from one step to the next, while playing their instruments and singing one of the 15 corresponding psalms – one Song of Ascents on each step.
Midrash Shocher Tov comments that the title of each psalm is not “A Song of Ascent” (singular), but “A Song of Ascents” (plural), because when B’nei Yisrael are worthy to ascend, they do not climb one step at a time; rather, they mount many rungs at once. As it states in D’varim (28:13), “And you shall be in constant ascent.” Conversely, if they fail to follow Hashem’s instructions, B’nei Yisrael descend many levels at once: “you will descend lower and lower (D’varim 28:43).”
Even though the Beis HaMikdash is not yet rebuilt, and we’re no longer able to bring sacrifices, we have the medium of t’filah through which to connect to Hashem. David HaMelech exclaims in T’hilim: “Hashem, s’fasai tiftach, u’fi yagid t’hilasecha – May my t’filah stand in the place of a korban to effect forgiveness for me for intentional and non-intentional sins.” Each of us has the unique opportunity to investigate our relationship with Hashem, and choose how to grow. Hashem is the source of all y’shuos, and it is important that we continue to take tangible steps to grow closer to Him.
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s
Communal T’hilim List, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
and complete the Google form.
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah (Please recite Psalms 91, 102, 103, 121, and 130.)
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Yafah bas Monavar
Chayah Sarah bas Tziporah Svetta
Shlomo ben Leah
David ben Leila
Ron ben Judith
Mordechai ben Ziesel
Kalman Moshe ben Devorah
John Douglas ben Evelyn Lorraine
Carol bas Rose
Pam bas Clara
Chayah Sheina Chanah bas Itcha
Dinah bas Tziporah
Ezra Refael ben Taoos Miriam
Sally Ronit bas Taoos Miriam
Efrayim ben Leah
Shmuel ben Monavar
Chayah Ayalah bas Tali
Chaim Yehudah ben Leah
Meir Peretz ben Chayah Malkah
Sarah bas Yafah
Rabbanit Mazal Tov Rira bas Simchah
Isaac ben Dinah
Tinok ben Moriah Temimah
Tzviah bas Sheindel
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Ziesel
Yosef Yeshaya ben Rivkah Liba
Eitan Moshe ben Malkah
Eliezer Lipa ben Lifshe
Maayan bas Devorah Hadassah
Chanah bas Shani
Noriel ben Rachel
Reuven Yerachmiel Dov-Ber ben Chayah Rachel
Yitzchak Tuvyah ben Breindel Leah
Samuel Antwi ben Amma-Baadooah
Elimelech ben Rivkah Dinah
Mordechai Chai ben Brachah Yehudis
Yoel Yisrael ben Sarah Esther
Yosef Noach ben Leah Tzivyah
Shahram Shalom ben Touran
Efrat bas Oshra
Rachel bas Shoshanah
Rivkah Reizel bas Chanah Beila
Aharon Godel ben Shprintza Reizel
Jacklin bas Yafah
Iraj ben Minor
Sharonah bas Malkah
Elisheva bas Miriam
Shlomo Yehudah Daniel Ben Eli
Shlomo Zalman ben Leah
Shoshanah Leah bas Liba
Chayah Tziporah bas Malkah Leah
Katriel ben Esther
Svetlana Orley bas Sarah
David ben Sheindel
Moshe ben Henna
Rafael ben Frecha
Chayah Tziporah bas Malkah Leah
Shoshanah Leah bas Liba
Rav Gavriel Eliyahu ben Rachel Chayah
Leah Nacha bas Esther Bryna
Yosef David ben Sarah Rosha
Malkah Esther bas Sarah