Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 125

Regarding the Matter of Reciting Psalms

Regarding the matter of reciting Psalms, he spoke with one and said to him that the essence of reciting Psalms is to say all the Psalms about himself, to find himself within each and every Psalm. And he asked him, of blessed memory: How? And our master, of blessed memory, explained to him somewhat, that all the battles that David the King, peace be upon him, requested that Hashem [G-d] save him from them, all must be explained about himself regarding the battle of the yetzer hara [evil inclination] and its forces, and the like in other Psalms [and as explained above in Likutay Moharan II:101]. And he asked him: How should he explain about himself from the verses where David the King, peace be upon him, praises himself, such as: "My soul guarded, for I am pious" [Psalms 86:2], and the like? He answered him: This too must be explained about himself, for one must judge himself favorably and find in himself some merit and good point, that in the aspect of this good point he is in the aspect of a pious one [chasid] and the like. And our master, of blessed memory, said to him: Behold, regarding Yehoshafat it is written: "And his heart was lifted in the ways of Hashem" [II Chronicles 17:6], that in the ways and service of Hashem he lifted his heart somewhat. Further, our master, of blessed memory, said to him: Behold, in the morning we say at the beginning: "What are we, what is our life," etc., and we greatly diminish ourselves. And afterward we say: "But we are Your people, the children of Your bris [covenant]," etc., that afterward we strengthen ourselves and lift ourselves, and we recount our greatness and pride ourselves that we are His people, the children of His bris, the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc. For so one must conduct himself in the service of Hashem, as above. And see this in the first book [Likutay Moharan I:282] on the verse: "I will sing to my G-d while I exist".

Be strong, be strong, be strong.