"Nishmat Segula" - Missed a Day

Hi Rabbi, I am reciting Nishmat Kol Chai daily for forty days leilui nishmat (on behalf of someone who passed away). I am doing this forty day nishmat with forty other women. I missed one day, is there something I can do to make up for it or should I begin a new 40 day cycle?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

First a few words about the practice of reciting Nishmat for 40 consecutive days.

The primary citation for reciting Nishmat (beyond Shabbat and Yom Tov when it is a vital part of the service) comes from Rabbi Eliezer Papo where he writes that, "We have a tradition from Rabbi Yehudah Hachassid regarding the prayer 'Nishmat Kol Chai’ that when a person is in trouble, he should accept upon himself to recite Nishmat when he will be saved from the trouble. It is to be recited with thanks and song in the presence of a minyan.” (Chesed L’alafim, OC 281:4)

Many later authorities cite the teaching of Rabbi Papo.

So if you said that you would recite it for '40 days' then just add another day. However, if you said that you would recite the Nishmat for 40 consecutive days then you need to start again. 

This idea is also cited in the Kaf Ha'chaim and it is a tremendous merit to do so, as Nishmat is a tremendous praise of Hashem.

The idea of reciting it 40 days evolved due to the symbolism in the number 40, such as Moshe Rabbeinu spending 40 days on Mt. Sinai and the Jewish people wandering in the desert for 40 years, and other such connections. But there is no true connection between Nishmat and reciting it for 40 days.