An excerpt from Tzohar (issue no. IV), a recently published Torah compilation

Because of the many illnesses and terrible tragedies that have recently occurred, Rachmono litzlan, we are publishing several segulos for refu'ah taken from the teachings of the gedolei hadoros zt'l. Naturally, these segulos should be seen as only a supplement to carrying out our main obligations according to the Torah: doing teshuvah, exerting ourselves in tefilla, and strengthening ourselves in the full and internalized emunah that only HaKodosh Boruch Hu heals the sick and causes salvation to sprout forth, since there is none besides Him (Devorim 4:35).

1) The Kadmonim advise to say chapters 6, 30, and 142 of Tehillim after the daily tefilla.

2) Likutei Tzvi (pg. 22) writes that when someone is sick or finds himself in a crisis, he should say, with tears, the tefilla that Chizkiyohu Hamelech davened when he was sick, since he was eventually cured (Melochim II 20). In this way he will be both healed and saved from all harsh Divine judgments. See Sefer Ta'amei HaMinhogim (pg. 319), who mentions this segulah too. The Vovei HoAmudim writes that even if someone is not aroused to cry during this tefilla he should nonetheless say the tefilla "in a crying tone," and that will be considered somewhat as if he were crying. Likewise, if he says the tefilla for a long time he will be accorded the merit as if he had said it with tears. Others claim that if the sick person himself cannot say this tefilla he should ask his relatives and friends who are distressed by his condition to say it for him.

3) Maran HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein zt'l, the mashgiach of Ponevezh Yeshiva, was accustomed to tell others that a wonderful segulah for refu'ah is saying the brocho of asher yotzar word by word, out loud, with full kavono and concentration.

This brocho was instituted to thank Hashem for our health, and when someone truly realizes that everything is from HaKodosh Boruch Hu and thanks Him for this, he is zoche to the continuation of Divine kindness and a complete recovery. This is likewise the explanation given in the Chinuch (mitzvah 430), who writes, "I have a tradition from my mentors, may Hashem protect them, that anyone who is careful about saying bircas hamozone properly will be given sufficient food to eat his whole life, and in a respectable way." By saying bircas hamozone with true devotion, reading it from a printed bencher, and fully realizing that his entire livelihood is only from Hashem, a person is zoche to abundance from Heaven.

4) The Chida zy'a writes (Avodas Hakodesh, Sinsen LeYo'ir, ch. 11 and 12:2) that anyone who has suffered the effects of middas hadin, Rachmono litzlan, should immediately gather ten upright people to ask pity for him. First of all they should read all of the scattered pesukim in Tehillim that start with a letter of his name. For example, if they are praying for someone called Moshe they should recite all the pesukim starting with the letter mem, afterwards the pesukim starting with shin, and later all the letters starting with hei. Furthermore they should say pesukim that start with the letters of the names of his father and mother. [Recently a Tehillim HaChida was published, in which all the pesukim of Tehillim are arranged according to the alef- beis.]

In case of any calamity, may Hashem save us from them, when rachamim is especially needed, a person should say in the same way the letters of the name of the city in which this unfavorable condition is prevailing, Rachmono litzlan. This is a wonderful segulah to be saved from any misfortune, as is written at the end of the Kitzur HaShloh in the name of "geonei olom."

Others say that when someone is gravely sick, Rachmono litzlan, the pesukim of his name and of his father's and mother's names should be divided among the family members. They should say all the pesukim of the Tehillim with these letters for forty consecutive days. They should not divulge to the sick person himself what they are doing. It should remain a secret.

5) The Kadmonim write, "Saying Shir HaShirim is a segulah for refu'ah. If said for forty consecutive days it is a segulah for refu'ah and yeshu'ah in all matters. However, for every particular matter and request it must be said all over again for forty days."

6) It is cited in the name of the Kadmonim that before taking a medicine one should say, "May it be for a refu'ah sheleimah by the zechus of Avrohom, Yitzchok, Yaakov, Soroh, Rivka, Rochel, and Leah." He should have the kavono that refu'ah comes only from Hashem and that he is taking the medicine solely to fulfill his obligation to do some hishtadlus.

7) The sefer Tzaddik Yesod Olom of HaRav Shlomo of Zhevihl zy'a (II, pg. 39) mentions that the Rav zy'a would customarily advise people who were in a predicament or sick, Rachmono litzlan, to pray for forty consecutive days at the Kosel Hama'arovi. The sefer also writes that people living far from the Kosel can do this through a shaliach, to request of people living nearby to pray for them. See also (pg. 86) what he writes about this.

8) It is cited in the name of gedolei olom zt'l that a segulah to be saved from the terrible disease of cancer, Rachmono litzlan, is to study each day a section of Sefer Tomer Devorah of the Ramak zy'a.