Tehillim · A Psalm for the moment
Which Tehillim do we say to give thanks?
To give thanks, the custom is to say Tehillim (Psalm) 100, Mizmor letodah, the psalm of thanksgiving, and Psalm 136, the great Hallel, with its refrain ki leolam chasdo — for His kindness is forever.
The psalms of thanksgiving
Gratitude in Jewish life is not a mood we wait for — it is a practice we take up. To give thanks, the tradition reaches for Tehillim (Psalm) 100, מזמור לתודה, Mizmor letodah, the psalm of thanksgiving; and Psalm 136, the great Hallel, whose every line answers itself with כי לעולם חסדו, ki leolam chasdo — for His kindness is forever. Line after line the refrain returns, until thanks stops being a thought and becomes a rhythm.
Where this comes from
The source is Tehillim 100 and 136. Psalm 100 is the shorter, brighter call to serve the Eternal with gladness; Psalm 136 is the long, steady drumbeat of gratitude that carries all of creation and all of Israel's story under that one unbroken refrain of kindness.
What to do
When something good has arrived — the news you hoped for, the danger that passed — say Mizmor letodah, Psalm 100, and if you have the time, let Psalm 136 carry you line by line. Baruch Hashem — say the thanks out loud, and let the words do what a full heart cannot quite say on its own.
Source: Tehillim 100 and 136.
When something good arrives and you don't want it to pass unmarked, Kolí (the Tehillim for the moment you are living) opens Mizmor letodah for you, so gratitude has words the moment it stirs.
Open Kolí