Whether in times of grief, joy, or even monotonous routine, Judaism has a profound way to sooth the heart and engage the mind. King David’s Psalms, aka Sefer Tehillim. Though Jewish practice already has a formalized system for prayer, the poetry of Tehillim is something unique in that it seems to transcend regular prayer as well as the religion. Jews have used the 150 chapters to console us through the darkest tragedies of history, while praising God in the most uplifting manner conceivable. And the chapters of Tehillim are frequently recited in Christianity, as well as other religions, and even the secular world.

But what is Tehillim and why does it have this special, intimate, and universal power?

Canonically, Tehillim is found in the section of the Hebrew Bible known as Ketuvim or the writings. That placement means it sits alongside Megilliat Esther, Megillat Ruth, and Solomon’s Song of Songs. But where it is very clear when those writings took place, Tehillim isn’t so clear. Though the body of work is attributed to King David, it isn’t agreed upon whether he wrote them all. In fact, there are as many as ten authors amongst the various chapters including Adam, Moses, and the sons of Korach. So did King David simply compile those chapters? Or did King David write them with a unique form of prophecy? It is the answer to this question which will inform why Sefer Tehillim has such eternal significance.

King David’s life brought him pain, betrayal, an enormous weight of leadership responsibility, and above all, struggle. He struggled with his brothers, he had to fight Goliath, he had to hide from King Saul who tried to kill him over and over, and once finally seated on the throne he was constantly fighting wars. And he didn’t always handle those struggles flawlessly. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch puts its in the following words:

“David tasted and experienced all the bitterness which the struggle with a nature not entirely immune to error, the resulting awareness of guilt, and the right against ingratitude, envy, slander and persecution can possibly infuse into the cup of life. But David knew how to utilize every moment of both joy and affection as a means of striving upward before Hashem to clarity of thought and purity of resolve and conviction. He could turn his every thought and emotion into a song borne by the strain of his harp.”

Transforming the intense emotion of the human experience into a holy and connecting action was King David’s gift. The most difficult thing in the world is to take pain and not use it as an excuse to give up, but as a tool to propel you forward. Job ultimately failed at it, Avraham excelled at it, Yaakov struggled with it, David turned it into poetry and song to be used by all of Israel.

Sefer Tehillim is written with ruack hakodesh (divine inspiration) if not outright prophecy. Delving deeply into the final chapters gives us a look at the final days until the coming of Moshiach. Chapter 137 speaks of the exiled Jewish nation and the destruction of Jerusalem, even though during David’s reign, the first Temple hadn’t even been built yet. But David’s prophecy is more than just telling the future. Because of his gamut of experiences, he profoundly understood a myriad of perspectives. In fact, the understanding of so many perspectives is what made him such a fantastic king. True rulers are leaders who understand and thus can represent their people. Candidates who are perceived to be “out of touch” with their constituents rarely win elections. So from King David’s ability to see into other perspectives, one explanation for 9 other authors of Tehillim is that David wrote their chapters, but from their perspectives. Quite a remarkable claim. Whether it is true or not, when one reads Tehillim, especially when they’ve found the appropriate chapter, it can feel like the author is in the reader’s head.

How to Use Them

Sefer Tehillim is often used as a potent vessel for prayer. But then why do we have a regular set of prayers (the Amidah)? Especially considering Tehillim predates the formation of the Amidah.) Why not just rely on Tehillim? Though David’s words are as profound as they are moving, they are not our words. In the way that stretching can get you ready for a workout, you don’t get the benefits of exercise until you’re on the bike. So in a way, Tehillim works to help manage our emotions towards a spiritual goal. The section of the service known as pesuke d’zimrah, at its core, are chapters 145-150 of Tehillim, so get us elated for the Amidah. Other chapters are meant to bring us to a sincere and desperate place so we can pray for those in danger. Though it is important to know that in the formation of the Amidah, many verses are pulled straight from Tehillim.

But even when not being used to fuel prayer, Sefer Tehillim may be the most profound when it gives you the words to express feelings you don’t know how to deal with. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you are alone in the midst of tragedy. But because of King David’s expansive understanding of the human experience, virtually every emotion can be framed and contextualized with his writings. That soulful expression can be a lifeboat in a sea of despair and loneliness. They say that words from the heart penetrate the heart. Clearly, King David’s opus is rooted in the deepest of chambers.

This post is dedicated to the aliyah of the neshama of Batya bas Nachum.