The well-known Maggid, HaRav Baruch Rosenbloom, spoke about the power of Perek 91 of Tehillim in his weekly shiur.

“HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau said at the beginning of the war that each person should say “יושב בסתר עליון.” Why? Because the Gemara in Masechtas Shavuos (Daf 15) says that this mizmor is mesugal (propitious) to be saved from harm – therefore it’s called the שִׁיר שֶׁל פְּגָעִים – that’s what the Gemara says. You say it – and you’re saved from harm. This mizmor is the mizmor of protection. Why? Just as a sukkah is called “יחביאו צל תחת כנפי השכינה” – and Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to everyone – ‘Gather to Me in the sukkah and you’ll be protected there.’ When we enter the sukkah – we have protection from the מקטרגים – the prosecutors. At a time that the Midas HaDin is taut – you don’t have a sukkah, you don’t have a reason to enter a sukkah. Hakadosh Baruch Hu sat us in the sukkah throughout Sukkos. The incident [October 7 massacre] was not on Sukkos. When did it happen? After the Din was completed [on Hoshanah Rabba]. When were in the sukkah, we were protected. After we left the sukkah, this disaster occurred.”

“Do you want to continue as if in a sukkah? “יושב בסתר עליון,בצל שגי יתלונן” – that’s how we’ll be protected from מזיקים. Do you know who said this mizmor in order to achieve victory? The תשב”ץ writes – we’re noheig during Chanukah to light the candles after we sing Maoz Tzur and Neiros Halulu to sit and say “יושב בסתר” seven times. The תשב”ץ asks – the Magen Avraham brings it – why should we say “יושב בסתר” seven times? What happened? When the Chashmanoim went out to war against the Yevanim, 13 men said this mizmor and were victorious over thousands and tens of thousands of Yevanim. What was their secret? The תשב”ץ and the Magen Avraham write – they said “יושב בסתר.” What protected them? This mizmor – the שִׁיר שֶׁל פְּגָעִים. When you say this mizmor, you’re surrounded, surrounded with the צילא דמהימנותא – that’s the secret of protection.”

“If so, after we learned this secret, we’ll just add one additional thing – that the “אבודרהם” writes – Reb Dovid Avudraham writes – ‘When you end Shabbos, you say “יושב בסתר עליון.” Why? He writes that in the entire mizmor, there’s no letter zayin. For whoever says this mizmor won’t need כלי זין [weapons].”

“You want to be protected? You have protection – “יושב בסתר עליון בצל שדה יתלונן.” You requested from Hakadosh Baruch Hu to hide you under the kanfei hashechinah – like Noach was protected when he went into the teivah.”

“Say this mizmor and tell everyone you know – say this mizmor every day during these times so that Hakadosh Baruch Hu will protect us. It’s not just a segulah – like the Chinuch writes – the Chinuch writes that a person who says this mizmor is mechazeik in bitachon.

The Chinuch writes in מצוה תקי”ב:

מִזְמוֹרִים אֵלּוּ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם דְּבָרִים יְעוֹרְרוּ נֶפֶשׁ הַיּוֹדֵעַ אוֹתָם, לַחֲסוֹת בַּשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּלְהָשִׂים בּוֹ כָּל מִבְטַחוֹ, וְלִקְבֹּעַ בִּלְבָבוֹ יִרְאָתוֹ וְלִסְמֹךְ עַל חַסְדּוֹ וְטוּבוֹ, וּמִתּוֹךְ הִתְעוֹרְרוּת עַל זֶה יִהְיֶה נִשְׁמָר בְּלִי סָפֵק מִכָּל נֶזֶק..

A person who relies on Hashem – “יפול מצידך אלף, ורבבה מימינך, אליך לא יגש.”

“.רק בעיניך תביט ושלומת רשעים תראה”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)