Tehillim 149 and the Recitation of “Shema Yisrael” Before Bedtime
Tehillim 149 and the Recitation of “Shema Yisrael” Before Bedtime
Tehillim 149:5,6
- “Ya'lezu chasidim b'chavod, y'ranenu al mishkevotam. Romemot Kel bigronam, v'kherev pifiyot b'yadam” - (The pious rejoice in His glory; they sing joyfully upon their beds. The praise of G-d is in their mouths, and a double-edged sword is in their hands);
- “al mishkevotam” (upon their beds) - in bed;
- “Romemot Kel bigronam” (the praise of G-d is in their mouths) - the prayer of Shema;
- “v'kherev pifiyot b'yadam” (a double-edged sword) - a romach (spear);
“Shema” consists of 245 words, plus 3 additional words from the prophet—“Hashem Elokim Emet” = 248;
248 is the gematria of the word “romach”—a spear—and corresponds to the 248 limbs of the body. The “spear”—the “double-edged sword”—stands guard and protects the Jew from impure forces, the mazikim.
One recitation of Shema at night slays 1,125 mazikim when Shema is recited with kavanah and focused attention.
Mazikim are destructive angels created by the sin of wasting seed. This sin can be rectified only by fasting for 84 fasts.
One recitation of Shema at night nullifies 84 fasts.
The Zohar HaKadosh (Part III, 211a) teaches that “one who recites Shema in bed at night slays tens of thousands of demons encountered at night.” (Rabbi Chaim ben Yosef Vital, “The Gates of Holiness”)
(Based on a lesson by Rav Daniel Cohen, “Sha'arei HaEmet”)
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Tags: The Hidden Meaning of Tehillim, Shema Yisrael, Tehillim 149, Tehillim 149 and "Shema Yisrael" Before Bedtime, Shema Before Bedtime, Tehillim 149 and Reciting "Shema Yisrael" Before Bed, Kriat Shema al HaMita
