Tehillim · A Psalm for the moment
Which Psalms are said for sustenance (parnasah)?
For parnasah — sustenance, one's livelihood — the custom is to turn to Psalm 23 and Psalm 145, the Ashrei, whose words place our daily bread in the open hand of Hashem.
The psalms of the custom
There is a long-standing custom to say Psalm 23 and Psalm 145 for parnasah — livelihood, the sustenance of a household. Psalm 23 is the shepherd's psalm: the Eternal is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 145, known as the Ashrei, carries the verse that has become the heart of this practice: פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת־יָדֶךָ — You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Where this rests
This is a custom (minhag), a practice handed down rather than a legal ruling, and it rests on the psalms themselves. Psalm 145 is built as an alphabetical hymn of praise, and at its center stands פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת־יָדֶךָ — the affirmation that the same hand which feeds every creature feeds you as well. Psalm 23 answers it with quiet trust: even in the valley, the table is set.
What to do
Say Psalm 23 and Psalm 145 with unhurried attention, and when you reach פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת־יָדֶךָ, let the words rest for a moment. Many add these psalms in the morning, when the day and its work lie open before them. This is orientation, not a ruling; for how to weave it into your own prayers, ask your rabbi or community.
Source: Custom (minhag); Psalms 23 and 145 (the Ashrei).
When livelihood weighs on you, Kolí (the Tehillim for the moment you are living) can open these very psalms to the words your day needs.
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