Hayom Yom 1 Elul - Starting the first of Elul recite three chapters of Tehillim

כְּשֶׁהָיָה הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק בֶּן תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִיםWhen the Tzemach Tzedek was nine years old,אָמַר לוֹ רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵןthe Alter Rebbe told him:קִבַּלְתִּי מִמּוֹרִי (הָרַב הַמַּגִּיד)“I received a directive from my mentor (the Maggid of Mezritch)שֶׁקִּבֵּל מִמּוֹרוֹ (הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב)who received it from his mentor (the Baal Shem Tov)בְּשֵׁם מוֹרוֹ הַיָּדוּעַwho received it from [Achiyah HaShiloni], who is known to have been his mentor, אֲשֶׁר מִיּוֹם שֵׁנִי דְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל עַד יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִיםthat in the course of each day from the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur,יֹאמְרוּ בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בְּמֶשֶׁךְ הַיּוֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה קאַפּיטְלאַך תְּהִלִּיםone should recite three chapters of Tehillim. וּבְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה קאַפִּיטְלאַךOn Yom Kippur, one should recite 36 chapters:ט' קוֹדֶם כָּל נִדְרֵיnine before Kol Nidrei, ט' קוֹדֶם הַשֵּׁנָהnine before going to sleep,ט' אַחַר מוּסָףnine after the Mussaf service,ט' אַחַר נְעִילָהand nine after the Neilah service.וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא הִתְחִיל בְּיוֹם בּ דְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁIf one did not begin [this program] on the second day of Rosh Chodesh [Elul],יַתְחִיל בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בּוֹhe should begin on the day [he remembered, according to the schedule for that day,וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱסִיר יַשְׁלִיםand later] should make good the readings that he missed.Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in EnglishFor questions and follow-up: [email protected]