Tehillim · A Psalm for the moment
Which Psalms are said before an operation?
Before an operation, the custom is to say Psalms 20, 23 and 91 for refuah — healing — mentioning the patient by their own name and their mother's, and to give tzedakah, so that medicine and prayer go forward together.
Three psalms for healing
Before surgery, a well-loved custom is to say three psalms for refuah — healing. Psalm 20: may the Eternal answer you in the day of trouble. Psalm 23, the shepherd's psalm of trust even in the valley. And Psalm 91 — the psalm of dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, long said as a prayer of protection.
Name, mother's name, and tzedakah
The custom is to mention the one who needs healing by their own name together with their mother's name — the form used in a mi sheberach, the prayer for the sick — and to give tzedakah (charity) alongside the psalms. This is a custom, not a ruling, and it never stands in place of the doctors. The tradition is emphatic: medicine and prayer belong together, the skilled hand and the trusting heart at once.
What to do
Before the operation, say Psalms 20, 23 and 91, naming the patient as [name] son of [mother] or [name] daughter of [mother], and set aside a gift for tzedakah. Then place your full trust in the care of the medical team. For anything touching the halachah — the practical law — of the day itself, ask your rabbi.
Source: Custom (minhag); Psalms 20, 23 and 91.
In the tense hour before surgery, Kolí (the Tehillim for the moment you are living) gathers Psalms 20, 23 and 91 so you can say them for the one you love.
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