“By David a psalm, the earth is to Hashem and its fullness, the inhabited land and those who dwell in it.”
Many have the minhag to say chapter 24 of T’hilim on Rosh HaShanah night, before the completion of davening Maariv. This psalm is a composite of three separate parts:
- The first verse speaks of Hashem as a Creator and of His ownership of the world.
- The next section focuses on mankind and how it can achieve high moral and spiritual stature.
- The last four verses emphasize G-d as King and welcome Him into the holy gates of the Temple.
According to the Arizal (Pri Eitz Chayim 25:87) it is the minhag to say this mizmor, of LaShem HaAretz U’m’loah. It is brought down in the s’farim ha’k’doshim that saying this mizmor is a s’gulah for parnasah, for one’s livelihood. The Midrash explains: “Everything that klal Yisrael eats in this world is in the z’chus of emunah in HaKadosh Baruch Hu.”
Psalm 24 brings the blessing of prosperity because it promises Hashem’s blessing to those who serve Him with sincerity. On Rosh HaShanah, we want to be zocheh to a year of parnasah; therefore the s’gulah for that is to accept upon ourselves with emunah sh’leimah, complete faith, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu was, is, will be, and “His kingdom reigns over all” (T’hilim 103:19). If one will have the complete faith, he will therefore be zocheh to have parnasah.
