When Everything Is Just Beginning
Starting something new takes courage. You have put in the research, the planning, the late nights. But somewhere inside, there is a quiet voice asking: will this work? Will Hashem bless what I am building? That feeling is not weakness. It is the recognition that no amount of effort succeeds without His hand in it.
You are not the first person to feel this way. Every Yid who ever opened a shop, signed a lease, or launched a venture has looked up and asked Hashem for help. Kapitel 1 of Tehillim (Psalms), the very first words Dovid HaMelech (King David) placed at the opening of the entire sefer, is the tefillah for this moment. It describes a person whose work is blessed because their foundation is built on Torah and yiras Shamayim (awe of Heaven). When you say this kapitel for your new business, you are building it on the strongest possible foundation.
Before You Say This Kapitel
Before you speak to investors, clients, or partners, speak first to Hashem. Take a moment to say these words:
Ribono Shel Olam, I am beginning something new. I have done what I can with the kochos You gave me, and now I place this work in Your hands. Please bless this business with honest parnassah. Help me build it on emes and on chesed. Keep me far from dishonesty and from partners who would lead me astray. Let me earn my livelihood in a way that brings kavod to Your Name. Elokah d’Meir aneni.
If giving tzedakah, add:
In the zechus of the tzedakah I am giving for Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, please open the gates of parnassah for me and for my family. Ribono Shel Olam, I am supporting Your children in Eretz Yisrael. Please support the work of my hands.
Tehillim Kapitel 1: The Full Prayer
אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב
כִּי אִם בְּתוֹרַת יְהֹוָה חֶפְצוֹ וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה
וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל פַּלְגֵי מָיִם אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ וְעָלֵהוּ לֹא יִבּוֹל וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ
לֹא כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים כִּי אִם כַּמֹּץ אֲשֶׁר תִּדְּפֶנּוּ רוּחַ
עַל כֵּן לֹא יָקֻמוּ רְשָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְחַטָּאִים בַּעֲדַת צַדִּיקִים
כִּי יוֹדֵעַ יְהֹוָה דֶּרֶךְ צַדִּיקִים וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד
Ashrei ho'ish asher loi holach ba'atzas resha'im uv'derech chata'im loi omod uv'moishav leitzim loi yoshov.
Ki im b'soras Hashem cheftzo uv'soiroso yehgeh yoimom voloyloh.
V'hoyoh k'eitz shosul al palgei mayim asher piryo yitein b'ito v'oleihu loi yibol v'chol asher ya'aseh yatzliach.
Loi chein horesh'o'im ki im kammotz asher tid'fenu ruach.
Al kein loi yokumu resha'im bamishpot v'chata'im ba'adas tzaddikim.
Ki yoidei'Hashem derech tzaddikim v'derech resha'im toiveid.
Ashrei ha'ish asher lo halach ba'atzat resha'im uvderech chata'im lo amad uvmoshav letzim lo yashav.
Ki im betorat Hashem cheftzo uvtorato yehgeh yomam valayla.
Vehaya ke'etz shatul al palgei mayim asher piryo yiten be'ito ve'alehu lo yibol vechol asher ya'aseh yatzliach.
Lo chen haresha'im ki im kammotz asher tidfenu ruach.
Al ken lo yakumu resha'im bamishpat vechata'im ba'adat tzaddikim.
Ki yodea Hashem derech tzaddikim vederech resha'im toved.
Fortunate is the person who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the path of sinners, nor sat in the company of scoffers.
Rather, in the Torah of Hashem is his delight, and in His Torah he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, whose leaf does not wither, and everything he does shall succeed.
Not so the wicked; rather, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For Hashem knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Kapitel 1 is the opening to all of Tehillim. The Gemara in Brachos (9b) teaches that Kapitel 1 and Kapitel 2 are really one unit, placed at the very front to establish the foundation for every tefillah that follows. Dovid is telling us: before you ask Hashem for anything, make sure your path is straight. Build on Torah, not on the advice of people who cut corners. When you say this kapitel over your parnassah, you are declaring that your venture will be built on that foundation.
Understanding Kapitel 1 for a New Business
Ashrei ho’ish asher loi holach ba’atzas resha’im “Fortunate is the person who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked.”
The very first word of Tehillim is ashrei, fortunate. Dovid HaMelech opens by defining success in moral and spiritual terms, not only in material ones. In the commentary I checked, Metzudas Dovid explains this more cautiously: the praised person is one who does not let his heart be drawn after the advice of the wicked, and who keeps far enough away not to be pulled into their path. When you are building a new business, that message matters. You will hear pressure to compromise, to rationalize, to blur lines. This pasuk teaches that real hatzlachah does not begin with bad counsel. It begins with refusing to build on it.
Uv’soiroso yehgeh yoimom voloyloh “And in His Torah he meditates day and night.”
This pasuk describes steady Torah attachment, day and night. Chazal in Menachos 99b, commenting on a parallel pasuk in Yehoshua (“v’hagisa bo yomam valayla”), teach that even reciting Shema morning and evening counts as fulfillment of this ideal, though the broader aspiration is ongoing Torah engagement. For someone starting a business, that does not mean abandoning work. It means remaining anchored in Torah while you work. Morning and evening, in the office and at home, your decisions, speech, and standards should reflect that you are living as a Yid. For someone starting a business, that does not mean abandoning work. It means remaining anchored in Torah while you work. Morning and evening, in the office and at home, your decisions, speech, and standards should reflect that you are living as a Yid.
K’eitz shosul al palgei mayim “Like a tree planted beside streams of water.”
The image here is stability and nourishment. In the Radak, the comparison is straightforward: just as a tree planted by streams of water does not dry out because it is constantly supplied, so the righteous person does not lack what he needs. Just as the tree gives fruit in its season, so too a person’s deeds succeed in their proper time. For a new business, the lesson is not speed but rootedness. What matters first is where and how you plant it. Build on Torah, integrity, and yiras Shamayim, and let growth come in its proper season.
V’chol asher ya’aseh yatzliach “And everything he does shall succeed.”
ehillim describes the person shaped by the earlier pesukim as someone whose deeds prosper. That does not have to mean immediate profit or an easy path. It means that when a person’s life is rooted properly, his work is under Hashem’s brachah. A business may still have slow periods, pressure, and setbacks. But Kapitel 1 teaches that enduring success grows from a clean foundation.
How to Say This Tefillah
Kapitel 1 is short, only six pesukim. You can say it before you open your business each morning, or at night when the day’s work is done and you have a quiet moment with Hashem. Some people say it before a meeting, a pitch, or a signing. Others keep it as part of their daily Tehillim. There is no wrong time to ask Hashem for a brachah on your parnassah.
You can say it sitting or standing, at home, in your office, or even on the way to work. If you are not comfortable with the Hebrew, use the transliteration or the English. Hashem hears every language.
Before you begin, set your kavanah (intention). You might say quietly in your own words: “Hashem, I am about to start my day. I am asking You to guide my hands, my words, and my decisions. Let this business bring honest parnassah to my family and bring kavod to Your Name.”
Tefillah and tzedakah work together. When you say this kapitel and also give tzedakah in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, you are pairing your words with action. You are telling Hashem: I am not just asking for myself. I am also giving to others. Your tefillah rises and your ma’asim tovim rise with it. This is not a prayer to Rabbi Meir himself. It is a call to Hashem, asking Him to answer you in the combined zechus of this great tzaddik and your own act of kindness. After the kapitel, you may add: Elokah d’Meir aneni.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness
Rabbi Meir went to rescue Bruria’s sister from Roman captivity and persuaded the guard to free her by giving him money and teaching him to call out, “God of Meir, answer me,” in a moment of danger. To prove it worked, Rabbi Meir used the phrase to escape attacking dogs, and later the guard was also saved with those words when the Romans tried to execute him.
When starting a business, the obstacles can sometimes seem impossible. When we daven with the words “Elokah d’Meir aneni” we are asking Hashem to answer us in the merit of this great tzaddik. Even more so, giving tzedakah in the zechus of Rabbi Meir is asking Hashem to hear your tefillah in the merit of this great tzaddik and your own act of chesed. Generations of Yidden have called out in this zechus at moments when they needed Hashem to open a door.
Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities was founded in 1799. The organization supports Torah scholars and the poor in Eretz Yisrael. When you give tzedakah through this fund, your chesed reaches families in the Holy Land, and your tefillah is strengthened by that kindness.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness
Tefillah And Hishtadlus
Davening for Hashem’s brachah does not replace doing your part, as hishtadlus and tefillah go hand in hand. Here is what that looks like when launching a venture.
Write a clear business plan. Know your numbers, your market, and your costs before you sign anything. Consult with a rav about the halachos of business: ribbis, ona’ah, honest weights and measures. If you are taking on a partner, put everything in writing. A handshake is beautiful, but a contract protects both sides.
Speak to a financial advisor or accountant before you commit large sums. Understand what you can afford to lose and what you cannot. Make sure your family’s basic needs are covered before you take on risk. If you are leaving a steady job, have a runway of savings that lets you breathe.
Build relationships with integrity. Pay your suppliers on time. Be honest with your customers. Return calls. Show up when you say you will. These are not just good business practices. They are the middos that Dovid HaMelech describes in Kapitel 1, the very qualities that draw Hashem’s brachah into your work.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Business Blessing
Kapitel 1 of Tehillim is the opening of the entire sefer, and it describes the person whose work Hashem blesses: someone who avoids bad counsel, delights in Torah, and is rooted in the right values. Saying this kapitel when you are starting out puts your venture on the strongest foundation. The pasuk “v'chol asher ya'aseh yatzliach” promises that everything such a person does will succeed.
You can say Kapitel 1 at any time. Many people say it in the morning before starting their workday, or in the evening when they can focus without distractions. Some say it before a specific event like a meeting, a launch, or a signing. The main thing is to say it with kavanah, with your heart directed to Hashem.
Tzedakah pairs your tefillah with a real act of chesed. You are caring for Hashem's children while asking Him to care for your livelihood. The Gemara teaches that tzedakah has the power to sweeten harsh decrees. Giving in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness adds the merit of this great tzaddik to your own act of kindness.
Rabbi Meir was one of the greatest Tannaim, teachers of the Mishnah. The Gemara in Avodah Zarah 18a-18b records that the words “Elokah d'Meir aneni” in a moment of crisis were answered with miraculous salvation. Giving tzedakah in his zechus is asking Hashem to hear your prayer in the combined merit of this tzaddik and your own act of giving. Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities supports Torah scholars and families in Eretz Yisrael.
Kapitel 1 does not promise that every business will make money. Dovid HaMelech says that a person rooted in Hashem is like a tree planted by streams of water, one that bears fruit in its season and prospers in what it does. The point is not that every deal or every quarter will be profitable. The point is that a life and livelihood grounded in Torah and yiras Shamayim stand under Hashem’s brachah. The fruit comes "in its season"—with steadiness, purpose, and lasting value, not necessarily with immediate visible gain. So Kapitel 1 speaks about true hatzlachah and enduring brachah, not a guarantee of constant short-term profit.
A Blessing for Your New Beginning
Starting a venture requires bitachon. By turning to Hashem before you begin, you are setting the right foundation for your livelihood.
May Hashem bless the work of your hands. May He send you honest customers, trustworthy partners, and steady parnassah. May your business grow like a tree planted beside flowing water, strong in every season, bearing fruit at the right time. May you never need to compromise your values to earn your livelihood. And may the day come soon when you look back at this beginning and see clearly how Hashem’s hand was guiding you every step of the way.
You can submit a prayer request to the scholars at the kever of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias at no cost. They will daven for your success by name through Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities. And if you would like to give tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus as well, your act of chesed will accompany your prayer.
