Praying for Healing: It's Not Just the Mi Sheberach When it comes to Jewish healing prayers, the Mi Sheberach gets all the glory.

 

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brought to you by   Praying for Healing: It's Not Just the Mi Sheberach When it comes to Jewish healing prayers, the Mi Sheberach gets all the glory. That’s the paradigmatic Jewish prayer for healing, recited communally each week during Shabbat services and set to a beloved melody by the late songwriter Debbie Friedman.  But a separate prayer for healing is recited each weekday during the Amidah prayer. The Refaeinu blessing is based on a verse in the Book of Jeremiah and makes plain that in the traditional Jewish view, all healing ultimately comes from God.  The link between the spiritual and physical dimensions of human well-being is further emphasized by the blessing’s placement in the Amidah and the tradition of reading the section of Jeremiah from which Refaeinu is drawn on the same Shabbat when the Torah portion deals with the terrors that will befall the Jewish people if they don’t follow God’s laws.  GET TO KNOW THE REFAEINU   Read the Text of the Refaeinu The Sefaria website offers the text and translation of the Refaeinu blessing, in the context of the full Amidah. READ IT NOW   The Jewish Healing Movement Jewish tradition has a lot to say about healing, and many practices have survived across the generations. But in the 20th century, a new tradition of Jewish healing took root in America that drew on the power of community and Jewish ritual to support the sick. LEARN ABOUT IT   Medicine as a Jewish Obligation The stereotypical Jewish doctor is most likely a modern invention, but the affinity between Judaism and the medical profession is longstanding. In fact, many Jewish texts have been cited in support of the idea that medical treatment is a religious obligation. FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE Prayer has been the foundation of Jewish ritual and practice for thousands of years, but you may still wonder how and why to say the prayers in the canon. At My Jewish Learning, we invite you to explore the deeper side of prayer. Each week we'll share a unique exploration of a particular Jewish prayer, plus offer background materials and more to enhance your understanding. In the meantime, you can explore all of MJL's prayer resources here. EXPLORE MORE PRAYER