Perhaps you have faced this situation before … a friend or a loved one suddenly falls ill or requires an emergency surgery. You want to recite Tehillim on behalf of this person. But what chapters of Tehillim should you say that are most appropriate for healing? And how can you make this a more meaningful experience?

Enter Ematai, a relatively new organization that helps individuals to navigate aging, illness, and end-of-life care with Jewish wisdom and halachic knowledge.

The organization launched a new Tefilot Project, which attempts to guide individuals through the process of selecting appropriate prayers at the time of illness or need.

“For many people, a book of Tehillim is the first thing they reach for in times of uncertainty, finding solace in its familiar words,” said Rabbi Shlomo Brody, the executive director of Ematai. “Others feel unsure about which prayers to say, how they relate to illness, or even where to start. Some turn to Google, searching for ‘prayers for the sick’ or ‘prayers for healing.’ At the heart of it, everyone is looking for a way to connect to God and feel supported.”

Sickness is often a time for reflection and prayer. We seek to feel closer to God, and we ask for his mercy. And prayer is a vital part of finding emotional strength at a time of medical uncertainty.

Rabbi Brody has selected several chapters of Tehillim that he feels are appropriate to recite at a time of illness: 6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 30, 121, 130, and 142. “There is no minimum or maximum amount of time to recite these Psalms,” he said. “The most important thing is that they are heartfelt.”

Why do we recite Tehillim on behalf of those who are ill? Rabbi Brody explains that praying during a time of illness is a natural religious instinct. “In times of distress, when one’s fate or that of a loved one feels particularly uncertain, we turn to God with the hope that He might provide salvation.”

In the Torah, we see this with figures like Moshe, who prays for his sister Miriam. “Oh God, please heal her” (Numbers 12:13). We even see the success of such prayers from figures like Hagar, the wife of Avraham, who beseeches God for the salvation of their baby Ishmael. Chazal added that the heartfelt prayers of the sick themselves—even the wordless cries of a baby—are most impactful in Heaven (Breishit Rabbah 53:14). As these stories indicate, no set text is necessary to beseech God.

Over the centuries, however, the Tehillim have been utilized as a text for many Jews to express their feelings to God. Some of the chapters seemed to have been composed for specific occasions, like war. “How long will my enemy have the upper hand,” King David declares in Chapter 13. The powerful words of the Tehillim are frequently utilized for other circumstances as well, especially when the texts are more generic. Prayers like “Out of the depths I call to You, God” (Chapter 130) can be applied for many circumstances.

Ematai has included the appropriate chapters of Tehillim to recite at the time of illness on its website, ematai.org, in both Hebrew and English. Also included on the website are articles to deepen your understanding of prayer during illness, short insights and reflections to inspire you as you pray, and videos from Jewish community leaders offering encouragement and meaningful messages.

Rabbi Brody also outlines specific prayers to say based on specific situations. Besides the Tehillim, there are special prayers to be recited before and after a medical treatment, prayers for personal recovery, prayers of gratitude for being healed, prayers to be recited at the time of a critical illness, bedside prayers on behalf of the terminally ill, and vidui prayers immediately before the time of death.

Ematai’s team of Rabbi Brody, Rebbetzin Bassie Taubes, and Rachel Secunda has written brief explanations for each prayer, which provide additional meaning and inspiration to those who might be reciting them for a friend or a loved one who is ill.

Rabbi Brody also stresses the importance of combining the recitation of these prayers with a commitment to performing good deeds and donating charity.

If you would like to dedicate a tefilah in honor or memory of a loved one, sponsorship opportunities are available for specific chapters of Tehillim or entire resources. Reach out to [email protected] for more information.

Our Jewish community is particularly good at finding the best doctors and hospitals to most effectively treat a disease or illness that we might unfortunately incur, and we often can find support groups to help us navigate through the difficult medical challenges that lie ahead. We now have an organization that can better guide us through the spiritual part of illness, too. Thank you, Rabbi Brody and Ematai.