There are a total of 36 psalms that are introduced with the word Mizmor. The simple meaning of the word “mizmor” is “musical accompaniment,” but the root word zameir also means “pruning,” as in “tizmor karm’cha–prune your vineyard” (Sefer VaYikra, Parshas B’Har). A tree cannot flourish if its vitality is sapped by damaged bark and diseased branches. Cutting away the undesirable portions assures the continued growth of a thriving tree. Without regular pruning, a tree will fail to produce fruit. The same concept of pruning a plant to increase growth also applies to spiritual development. Proper pruning involves identifying and ridding ourselves of undesirable traits and modes of action that sap our energy. Such inner work is difficult, but its rewards are unequaled.
According to Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe (Levush, 1530-1621), there is an evil force in this world created from all our sins that prevents our t’filos from reaching the Kisei HaKavod – the eternal throne. The psalms prune away these obstacles. When we say T’hilim, these forces are destroyed and our t’filos are able to reach the highest point, the Kisei HaKavod. This is the reason we say T’hilim before Sh’ma and Sh’moneh Esrei. T’hilim chases away spiritual forces that might disrupt our prayers and allows our t’filos to rise.
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List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(Please recite Psalms 91, 102, 103, 121, and 130.)
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Yaffah 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 Yaffah
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 Yaffah
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