Tehillim, Chapter 47 By Leslie Portnoy There is only one Torah mitzvah that must be performed on Rosh Hashanah, namely, to hear the shofar sounded. There are differing customs as to many aspects of the ritual surrounding the performance of this Mitzvah, but one practice that is near-universal is the recital beforehand of the 47th chapter of Tehillim. We say it as a community, seven times over. When a bit of research reveals that this custom is of relatively recent origin, one is constrained to wonder why. Why do we recite any psalm communally? Why Psalm 47, and not some other chapter of Tehillim? Why seven times? The communal recitation is clearly designed to “get us in the mood”. In many synagogues, each individual says it quietly at his own speed. However, this means that some finish early and stand waiting, while others take their time – with the almost inevitable consequence that some start talking. That is why many Rabbis say that this recital should be a communal one, with everyone joining in, word by word. I have already mentioned that the practice is of relatively recent origin, but the association of this psalm with 38 | Rosh Hashanah 2021
Rosh Hashanah is very old indeed. In Massechet Sofrim, one of the so called “Minor Tractates”, dating from the Geonic period (the eighth century of the current era), the various chapters of Tehillim that were read in the Temple on special days are enumerated. The prescribed psalm for Rosh Hashanah is given (Sofrim 19, 2) as this Mizmor, chapter 47 of Tehillim. There were special tehillim for many other special days, but those are largely ignored in modern times. The revival of the practice to read Psalm 47 on Rosh Hashanah is relatively recent. It is mentioned in the Siddur of R. Yaakov of Emden, written in the period 17451748. It is said that the earliest editions of the Roedelheim Siddur, early in the 19th century, did not mention it, while later editions did. It seems likely that the practice of saying this Mizmor before Tekiat Shofar has its origins in Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, the study of which was becoming more and more widespread at the time when the practice seems to have taken root. Certainly many of the words in Psalm 47, and many of the ideas expressed in it, are highly relevant to Rosh
