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Answers · Tehillim

Tehillim, a Psalm for the moment

Which Psalm for grief, for someone ill, for the road, for thanks — and what the best-loved Psalms actually say. Each answer with its source.

24 answers, each with its source

A Psalm for the moment

Which Tehillim do we say in mourning?In mourning it is customary to say Tehillim 23, 16 and 91, plus the psalms spelling the name of the one who died. Kaddish is separate.Which Tehillim do we say for someone who is ill?For a refuah, healing, it is customary to say Tehillim 20, 30, 41 and 103 with the person's name and their mother's name, joined to tzedakah.Which Tehillim do we say before a journey?Before travel the custom is Tehillim 121, esa einai, the psalm of the road, said together with Tefilat HaDerech, the traveler's prayer.Which Tehillim do we say to give thanks?To give thanks, the custom is Tehillim 100, Mizmor letodah, and 136, the great Hallel, ki leolam chasdo — for His kindness is forever.Which Tehillim do we say for the peace of Israel?For the peace of Israel we say Psalm 122, 'ask for the peace of Jerusalem'; in wartime we add Psalms 83 and 130.Which Tehillim do we say during childbirth?For a safe birth it is customary to say Psalms 20 and 100, together with tzedakah, as the family prays for mother and child.Which Psalms are said for sustenance (parnasah)?Custom points to Psalms 23 and 145 (the Ashrei) for parnasah, sustenance, resting on the verse 'You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing.'Which Psalms are said in a moment of distress?In distress the tradition says Psalm 130, 'Out of the depths I call to You,' and Psalm 142, the cry when there is no air left to breathe.Which Psalms are said before an operation?Before surgery the custom is Psalms 20, 23 and 91 for healing, with the patient's name and mother's name, and tzedakah — medicine and prayer together.Which Psalms do we say for the people of Israel?In hard times the community says Tehillim for the whole people of Israel — Psalms 121, 130, and 20 — best said together.Which Psalms do we say on a yahrzeit?On a yahrzeit we light a memorial candle, say Kaddish, and read the psalms that spell the person's name, together with Psalm 119.

Psalms explained

What does Psalm 23 say?Psalm 23, "Hashem is my shepherd, I shall not lack": trust that walks with us through the valley of shadow. Said on Shabbat afternoon and in mourning.What does Psalm 121 say?Psalm 121: "from where will my help come?" — from the Eternal, the Guardian of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps. The traveler's psalm.What does Psalm 130 say?Psalm 130, "Mimaamakim" — "from the depths I called You." A cry from the lowest place, added to prayer during the Ten Days of Teshuvah.What does Psalm 27 say?Psalm 27, "Hashem is my light and my salvation": trust in the face of fear, and one request — to dwell in the house of the Eternal. The psalm of Elul.What is Psalm 91?Psalm 91, 'Yoshev beseter elyon,' is the psalm of protection — the Talmud (Shevuot 15b) calls it the song against harms, said at night and in danger.What does Psalm 20 say?Psalm 20 is a prayer for someone else in distress: 'Yaancha Hashem beyom tzarah' — may Hashem answer you on the day of trouble.What is the Ashrei, and why is it said three times a day?The Ashrei is Psalm 145; the Talmud (Berachot 4b) teaches that saying it three times a day earns a share in the world to come.

The book of Tehillim

How is the Book of Psalms divided among several people?A chaburah divides all 150 Psalms among its members so each says a portion — completing the whole book in a single sitting, often for a sick person or at shloshim.In how many days do you say the whole Book of Psalms?The Book of Psalms has traditional divisions to complete it in one day, over a week, across a month by the date, or by its five books.What is a mizmor, and what is the book of Tehillim?Tehillim is the book of Psalms, 150 in all; a mizmor is a single psalm. It is the prayer book of the Jewish heart.Why did King David write the Tehillim?King David, the sweet singer of Israel, gave voice to the psalms out of a whole life of falling and rising, sorrow and praise.What do we say before sleep (the bedtime Shema)?The bedtime Shema and Psalm 91, entrusting your soul to the Eternal for the night, as taught in the Talmud, Berachot 60b.What is the Psalm of the day (shir shel yom)?Each weekday has its own psalm — the one the Levites sang in the Temple — said after Shacharit, as Mishnah Tamid 7:4 records.
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