Healing and a Segula for the Sick from Our Rabbi Yosef Chaim
Our Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the "Ben Ish Chai," may his merit protect us, Amen, wrote in his book Lashon Chachamim — ten fitting (worthy) men should gather, and each one of the ten men shall make an acceptance of a fast while it is still day, in this wording:
Healing and a Segula for the Sick from Our Rabbi Yosef Chaim
Our Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the "Ben Ish Chai," may his merit protect us, Amen, wrote in his book Lashon Chachamim — ten fitting (worthy) men should gather, and each one of the ten men shall make an acceptance of a fast while it is still day, in this wording:
13 Sivan 5785 | 09/06/2025 | 14:35
Acceptance of a Fast
Master of the Universe, behold I am before You in an individual fast for tomorrow, from the rising of the dawn until the emergence of the stars, so that the reduction of my fat and my blood that is diminished in my fast shall be considered and accepted and favored before You like a sacrifice of a pleasing aroma, a fire-offering to Hashem; that through this, You shall send in Your goodness and Your kindness a complete healing to the two hundred and forty-eight limbs and three hundred and sixty-five sinews of Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so]. And save him from all illness and sickness, and from any pain and blow (alt. trans. power). And annul from upon him all harsh and evil decrees. And annul from upon him all the accusers and adversaries, and grant him life—a long, good, and proper life. Please, Almighty, please heal Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so]. (Three times)
The Order of Study in the Night
In the night, they shall perform a Tikkun Karet (rectification for spiritual cutting-off) and study Torah. And before the study, they shall say this request:
For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah (Divine Presence), in fear and love, and in love and fear, behold I am ready to study Mishnah and secrets of the Torah on this night, and to banish sleep from my eyes. And may it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the study of Your holy Torah and the pain of banishing sleep from my eyes shall ascend before You for favor; and through this, You shall spare and pity and have mercy upon Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so], and heal him with a complete healing, and save him from all illness and sickness, and save him from any blow and from any pain, and annul from upon him all harsh and evil decrees, and grant him life—a long, good, and proper life. And fulfill in him the blessings which You commanded Aharon and his sons to bless Your nation Israel with love, as it is written:
"May Hashem bless you and guard you. May Hashem illuminate His face to you and be gracious to you. May Hashem lift His face to you and establish peace for you."
Please, Almighty, please heal Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so]. (and they shall say this 3 times). And may the pleasantness of the L-rd our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish upon us, and the work of our hands, establish it.
And they shall study Mishnayot of Krei'ei Moed (designated holiday readings), and the 613 commandments, and the Idra Rabba (a section of the Zohar).
And after the study they shall say:
May it be the will before You, Hashem, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the study we studied in Your holy Torah and the pain of banishing sleep from our eyes shall be considered, accepted, and favored before You; and through this, You shall spare and pity and have mercy upon Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so], and heal him with a complete healing, and save him from all illness and sickness, and save him from all blow and pain, and annul from upon him all harsh and evil decrees, and grant him life—a long, good, and proper life. And fulfill in him the blessings which You commanded Aharon and his sons to bless Your nation Israel with love, as it is written:
"May Hashem bless you and guard you. May Hashem illuminate His face to you and be gracious to you. May Hashem lift His face to you and establish peace for you."
Please, Almighty, please heal Your servant [So-and-so, son of So-and-so]. (and they shall say this 3 times). And may the pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish upon us, and the work of our hands, establish it.
The Order of Study in the Day
In the day, they shall study Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) of Krei'ei Moed, and the Idra Zuta, and Psalms.
And after the Psalms he should say Psalms chapter 91 - 7 times.
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃ אֹמַ֗ר לַ֭יהֹוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃ כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃ בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃ לֹֽא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃ מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צׇהֳרָֽיִם׃ יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃ רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃ לֹא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאׇהֳלֶֽךָ׃ כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמׇרְךָ֗ בְּכׇל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃ עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃ כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃ יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃ אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ ישׁוּעָתִֽי
(Translation according to Koren Pub.)
He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress: (my God; in him will I trust,)
that he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his pinions, and under his wings shalt thou find refuge: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night; nor of the arrow that flies by day;
nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come near thee.
Only with thy eyes shalt thou behold and see the recompense of the wicked; because Thou O Lord, art my refuge.
Thou hast made the most High Thy habitation.
No evil shall befall thee, nor shall any plague come near thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the crocodile shalt thou trample under foot.
Because he has set his delight upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
Followed by the double recitation of the following verse in Psalms 90:17
וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃
And may the pleasantness of the L-rd our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands establish upon us, and the work of our hands, establish it.
Followed then by ten recitations of Psalms chapter 121
שִׁ֗יר לַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃ עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃ אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ הִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־יָ֭נוּם וְלֹ֣א יִישָׁ֑ן שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗ר יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ יְהֹוָ֥ה שֹׁמְרֶ֑ךָ יְהֹוָ֥ה צִ֝לְּךָ֗ עַל־יַ֥ד יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ יוֹמָ֗ם הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ לֹֽא־יַכֶּ֗כָּה וְיָרֵ֥חַ בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃ יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִשְׁמׇר־צֵאתְךָ֥ וּבוֹאֶ֑ךָ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם
(Translation according to Koren Pub.)
A Ma῾alot Poem. I will lift up my eyes to the hills From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he who keeps thee will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Yisra᾽el shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and for evermore.
This is followed by 3 recitations of Psalms chapter 150
הַ֥לְלוּיָ֨הּ ׀ הַֽלְלוּ־אֵ֥ל בְּקָדְשׁ֑וֹ הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ עֻזּֽוֹ׃ הַלְל֥וּהוּ בִגְבוּרֹתָ֑יו הַ֝לְל֗וּהוּ כְּרֹ֣ב גֻּדְלֽוֹ׃ הַ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֵ֣קַע שׁוֹפָ֑ר הַ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּנֵ֣בֶל וְכִנּֽוֹר׃ הַ֭לְלוּהוּ בְּתֹ֣ף וּמָח֑וֹל הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּמִנִּ֥ים וְעֻגָֽב׃ הַלְל֥וּהוּ בְצִלְצְלֵי־שָׁ֑מַע הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בְּֽצִלְצְלֵ֥י תְרוּעָֽה׃ כֹּ֣ל הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּ֥ל יָ֗הּ הַֽלְלוּיָֽהּ׃
(Translation according to Koren Pub.)
Haleluya! Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his exceeding greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the shofar: praise him with the harp and lyre.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe.
Praise him upon sounding cymbals: praise him upon loud clashing cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Haleluya!