[Avodah] tehillim at night

[Elazar M. Teitz]

REli Turkel wrote:

<<what is the origin of the custom of not saying tehillim at night?>>

To which RZev Sero responded:

<The kepeida is not just on tehillim but on any torah shebichtav.  Al pi kabalah, from dark until midnight one should learn only torah sheb'al peh. The parts of TSBK that are in davening are not counted, because they're not there as torah but as tefilah, which is OK.  But tehillim-saying is a form of limud hatorah, so it's not appropriate at night before midnight, unless it's an emergency.>>

     I hesitate to write about topics of which I know nothing, and kabbala certainly is in that category.  But I would like to understand why the saying of L'Dovid Ori in Elul-Tishri and Lam'natzeiach in a bais eivel, which are said by Nusach S'fard at mincha rather than at ma'ariv, as is minhag Ashk'naz, for that k'peida, is considered limud rather than t'filla. (I assume that saying T'hillim for the sick falls into the category of an emergency, since I doubt that anyone could claim that it is being said as learning.)

     Another question: if, in the course of learning TSBP, one comes across a pasuk quoted from Nach, does studying the pasuk in its context in order to better understand the TSBP render study of the pasuk TSBP as well, or must one defer study of the pasuk until midnight?

     I pity the child who has not yet advanced beyond Chumash and whose father doesn't come home from work until after sunset. He can't study with his father nor get help with his homework; in fact, if the mitzvah of chinuch applies to the restriction against learning Torah shebichsav before midnight, he should probably be told not to do the homework at night -- which can cause a problem in the winter, if his school lets out late.

EMT


 

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