Tehillim · A Psalm for the moment
Which Tehillim do we say before a journey?
Before a journey the custom is to say Tehillim (Psalm) 121 — the psalm of the road — together with Tefilat HaDerech, the traveler's prayer.
The psalm of the road
Before we set out, the tradition gives us Tehillim (Psalm) 121: אשא עיני אל ההרים, esa einai el heharim — I lift my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come. It is the psalm that answers its own question with the Guardian of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps — the One who watches the going out and the coming in. It is a small act of trust laid down at the doorway before the first step.
The source and its companion
The source is Tehillim 121 itself. On the road it is said together with Tefilat HaDerech, the traveler's prayer, which asks the Eternal to lead us in peace and return us in peace. The psalm sets the heart; the traveler's prayer makes the request.
What to do
Before you leave, say Tehillim 121, and once you are genuinely on your way say Tefilat HaDerech. The exact wording and the right point to say the traveler's prayer are worth checking with your siddur or your rabbi, so the blessing lands as the tradition intends.
Source: Tehillim 121.
When you are about to set out, Kolí (the Tehillim for the moment you are living) hands you Psalm 121 for the road, so the first thing you carry is the Guardian who does not sleep.
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