רְפָאֵנוּ ה’ וְנֵרָפֵא. הושִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה. וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּותֵינוּ כִּי קל מֶלֶךְ רופֵא נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אָתָּה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’, רופֵא חולֵי עַמּו יִשרָאֵל – Heal us, Hashem, and we shall be healed, save us and we shall be saved, for You are our praise. Bring complete healing to all our wounds, for You are God and King, the faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You, Hsahem, Who heals the sick of his people Israel.
Health
Of all the prayers that might be hard to relate to, this isn’t one of them.
This subject triggers the strongest and most visceral emotions in people and is the one people can say with the most intensity and with good reason.
Health is the foundation upon which all other blessings rest.
A healthy person wants many things; a sick person only wants one.
Without health, all the blessings in the world fall flat. If you or someone you love is unwell, the richness of life dims, and everything else is background noise.
For most people, this blessing is usually the most relatable and straightforward blessing to connect with, reminding us of our shared vulnerabilities and hopes.
Eights and Healing
Our sages placed the blessing for health as the eighth blessing in the Amida.
The number eight is associated with circumcision, the obligation of which begins on the eighth day of birth. Circumcision is closely associated with our ancestor Avraham and is associated with healing.
The Torah describes how Avraham sat at the entrance to his tent under the scorching sun three days after his circumcision. During this vulnerable moment, he was visited by three angels, each bearing a different purpose. Among them was Raphael, the angel of healing, whose presence underscores a deep bond between the act of Bris and the divine aspect of healing.
The narrative of Avraham, sitting at the entrance of his tent under the scorching sun merely three days after his circumcision, provides a rich backdrop to this connection. During this vulnerable moment, he was visited by three angels, each bearing a different purpose. Among them was Raphael, the angel of healing, whose presence emphasizes the association between circumcision and healing.
The manifestation of divine healing in response to circumcision is deliberate and suggestive; there is no indication that if Avraham had broken his arm, he would have received this visit.
Circumcision is a powerful symbol, far more than an exterior sign on our bodies; Judaism’s initiation ritual for men symbolizes the action we are called upon to take to enhance our world, a living articulation of the covenant itself to elevate, refine, and improve the world around us. It suggests that our base instincts and desires can be controlled and subordinated to the meaning and purpose of life in service of the Creator.
When Avraham first practiced circumcision and committed himself to meaning and purpose, it introduced the power of divine healing into the world.
In a certain limited sense, there is a reflection of the similarity between circumcision and sickness, where if we can find meaning and purpose in sickness, we might discover healing.
(Or is it in our search for healing we might discover meaning and purpose in sickness)
Ancestors
A recurring theme in the stories of our ancestors is that they all frustratingly experienced the challenge of infertility.
We live in a world that, for all appearances, seems random. Unfortunately, things statistically occur for reasons we cannot understand. The best thing we can do is take our sage’s view and do what we can with our challenges.
But patterns tell stories; when a pattern emerges, that is something to take note of and consider. Our matriarchs were infertile in three separate instances, and they were not closely related. Our sages conclude from these stories that the Creator desires righteous prayers, the kind of prayers that emerge from moments a person progresses in their righteousness. In the moments we transform, the inputs in the Divine equation change; perhaps the outcome for the person you were before was this, and the outcome for the person you are becoming is that.
Avraham circumcised himself with commitment and was met with healing.
All our ancestors turned to the Creator for healing with commitments about the lives they would lead; their requests were eventually met with healing.
If their model is an example, sickness is a catalyst and stimulus that raises our awareness of our boundaries and limitations so that we turn to, connect with, and lean on the Creator; healing transcends the simple physical recovery and is intimately linked to spiritual alignment, reflecting a holistic return to spiritual health and alignment within the covenant.
We turn to the Creator for renewal and ultimate healing in every sense, for physical and spiritual well-being – רְפָאֵנוּ ה.
Magic of Medicine
In an age of unprecedented medical advancement, modern medicine’s feats look like what our ancestors would call magic and witchcraft. We can see inside the body and cure illnesses with potions. However, the advanced technologies and treatments present a spiritual challenge; our laparoscopic surgeries, understanding of microbes, and specialized therapies make it easy to overlook the divine role in healing.
Historically, limited medical knowledge meant that turning to God in prayer was often the only recourse in the face of illness; before the discovery of antibiotics in the twentieth century, a simple ear infection would be fatal three-quarters of the time.
Today, with the advances in scientific understanding in multiple fields, healthcare outcomes for everyone are dramatically better, even without turning to the divine. The reality is that people who don’t turn to God have excellent health outcomes; studies have failed to demonstrate that prayer improves health outcomes.
Doctors and nurses who dedicated their lives to science and medicine are heroes who save lives and deserve genuine and heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
While that is true, we must also remember that they are not the source of healing; we must see past the surface and recognize the angel’s name is Rapha-El – God is the healer. Doctors, nurses, science, and medicine are necessary and vital. Following what the experienced and trained professionals have to say is essential. Still, we must remember that they are tools, instruments, and vehicles for divine healing because only the Creator heals – ‘רְפָאֵנוּ ה.
Whatever Providence has in store does not negate human agency; the instruments of healing are not just tools of science but also instruments of divine will.
Part of what we must pray for is to access and encounter the right instruments and messengers at the right moment, whether it’s the right referral, the right advice, the right treatment – ‘רְפָאֵנוּ ה.
Every healing is a partnership between human endeavor and divine blessing, urging us to maintain humility and gratitude, regardless of the sophistication of our tools. Even as we marvel at the capabilities of modern medicine, we continue to recognize and honor the divine source from which all healing ultimately flows – ‘רְפָאֵנוּ ה.
Miracles
A man once came to the Chazon Ish asking for a blessing to heal from a particular respiratory disease. The Chazon Ish blessed him and instructed him to move to a specific town, and he recovered. Years later, the Chazon Ish explained that there is a halachic debate about the status of an animal with this respiratory disease and whether it would survive or not; the Chazon Ish sent the man to the jurisdiction of the authority who ruled that the animal could survive, affirming life and the potential for recovery.
This story is an anecdote. It is not data or science. It isn’t good life advice. It might not be true. But it’s a reminder of where ultimate healing comes from when things line up and work out.
In the world of medicine and health, clinical precision and scientific evidence reign. However, the spiritual dimension also exists and invites us to see beyond the immediate physical remedies. It reminds us that while we pursue the best possible medical care, our hearts, and hopes should be aligned with a higher source of healing. Medical professionals and patients alike could say a short prayer before a visit, a simple acknowledgment that while humans can provide care, only the Creator can ultimately offer healing.
This approach does not diminish the value or necessity of medical expertise; rather, it enhances it by framing medical practice as a divine service, integrating faith with action, and encouraging a holistic view in which spiritual health and physical health are interconnected and the healing process is as much about the soul as it is about the body.
It’s not down to the right doctor, treatment, dosage, or timing. That could be how healing manifests, but that’s not where healing comes from.
Healing comes from one place – ‘רְפָאֵנוּ ה.
Let us be healed – וְנֵרָפֵא
When something is wrong, you can treat the symptom, or you can treat the cause. Treating the symptoms is acceptable and even necessary in the short run – because it hurts! Medicine is critical for immediate relief and comfort. But in the long run, you also need to treat the root cause of the systemic issue.
You can tape over the leak, paint the mold, and turn it off and on again. That’ll work until it doesn’t.
We aren’t seeking temporary relief from pain and discomfort; we seek comprehensive and holistic healing that restores balance and wellness at the most fundamental levels.
Let us be healed – וְנֵרָפֵא.
You have to want it
This blessing suggests that there are two parts to healing: God sending healing and our bodies receiving it – רְפָאֵנוּ ה’ וְנֵרָפֵא.
It does not follow that a person will be healed just because God sends healing.
Not everybody wants to be healed or safe; not everybody wants to do what they need to do to heal. Sometimes, people’s fear of the side effects, physical or psychological, outweighs the fear of the problems themselves. An older person might waste away alone because they are embarrassed to go out and be seen in a wheelchair. Someone might not want to go through chemotherapy and lose their hair.
The healing has been sent; it is right there and frequently works. But they might not want it. This reluctance is not just about vanity or superficial concerns; it often signifies a deeper fear of losing control, facing vulnerability, or confronting the reality of one’s mortality.
Beyond a straightforward request for healing, we pray for the strength to do what it takes to receive healing, for the ability to accept and undertake the course of action required for good health – וְנֵרָפֵא.
הושִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה
We asked for the physical aspect of healing, where medicine and human effort play significant roles. We are partners in the healing process, where we utilize medical interventions and our bodies respond to them. This corresponds to God as Helper, where there is a partnership between the divine and the human; it is only helping when people are at least trying to help themselves – עוֹזֵר.
We then ask for salvation, for healing of the spirit in the times an individual’s capacity to contribute to their healing is diminished or nonexistent due to extreme frailty, psychological barriers like fear or depression, or simply the severity of the illness.
This corresponds to God as Savior, a more passive form of divine intervention where salvation is entirely dependent on God’s grace, reflecting situations where our efforts are insufficient, wholly reliant on divine deliverance – מוֹשִׁיעַ.
Sometimes, the biology of an illness will dictate the course of events regardless of the patient’s attitude and fighting spirit. These events are often beyond our control. However, patients with positive attitudes can better cope with disease-related problems and may respond better to treatments. Many physicians have seen how two patients of similar ages and with the same diagnosis, degree of illness, and treatment program experience vastly different results.
Medical professionals often observe that a patient’s will to recover can significantly influence outcomes and vice versa. It is not just the body that must be treated but also the spirit; a hopeful, fighting spirit can make the critical difference between recovery and deterioration.
For the times we might be exhausted without any fight left in us – הושִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה.
Visiting
There is a special mitzvah to visit and extend aid to the sick. Many organizations work to support sick people and their visitors by providing logistical support like kosher food and tefillin. Our sages had much to say about the merits of this kind deed. Still, it’s self-evident that showing up for people you love and showing that you care and are invested in their recovery makes a positive difference and that abandoning them in their pain and hour of need is bad and wrong.
R’ Yitzchak Hutner was a Rosh Yeshiva renowned for his wit. Sick in hospital, a student came to visit his teacher and mentor. The great rabbi asked his guest why he had come, and the young man responded that it was a great mitzvah to visit the sick. R’ Hutner challenged his visitor in characteristic form, “Am I your Lulav? Did you come to shake me?”
The correct response should probably have been that he had come to visit his beloved teacher, demonstrating his emotional support and personal connection. While many mitzvos and rituals have an accompanying blessing to initiate the action, the Rashba notes that interpersonal mitzvos do not have such a blessing; making a blessing before helping another person would be dehumanizing, instrumentalizing a person into an object you do a mitzvah with, eroding the mitzvah entirely.
The Torah has a prominent spiritual dimension, but its interpersonal aspect is coequal, interdependent, and reciprocal. It can be easy to get carried away with the spiritual trappings of helping people without being concerned about the person.
The Alter of Kelm suggests that the most pristine form of kindness is not the person who helps others because the Torah says so; rather, it is the person who empathizes with the recipient and gives because he is moved by their needs. In this reading, charity and helping others is an extension of loving your neighbor. Most people don’t eat because it’s a mitzvah to protect their bodies; they eat because they feel hungry; the Alter says to treat the needs of another the same way. Don’t help people because it’s a mitzvah. Help people because you empathize with their pain to such a degree that if they are hungry, you are hungry, and when you are hungry, you eat.
Visiting the sick is not a halachic technicality or a simple social obligation. It is an act of spiritual and emotional support that is as vital to healing and recovery as any medicine and treatment; the presence of a visitor, their face, their smile, their stories, and their support can uplift the patient. Most importantly, the good wishes, hopes, and prayers you share are essential for healing; our sages teach that if you don’t pray for the sick person during your visit, you haven’t actually visited at all. Imagine the doctor coming in and checking the charts but not treating the patient!
If healing is in the hands of the Creator, doctors and medicine are tools, but so are everyone else; nurses, family, and friends are all instruments through which God’s healing can manifest. The doctor’s skill and experience will inform the treatment the body needs, but the whole person, the mind and soul, also needs healing.
We don’t need to check on the sick; sickness does not need supervision.
We visit to bring healing, sometimes in greater and sometimes in lesser forms. We lighten the mood, brighten the day, provide a welcome distraction, take their minds off things, and give them something to look forward to. And we wish them better!
If you’re visiting the sick, you’ve only done your job if tomorrow will be better because you came to visit today.
כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה
(!ed Shlomo – this needs heavy reworking for sensitivity and correctness. Why bad things happen, why bad things happen to good people, etc
Requires broader analysis of outcome distributions and probabilistic things
There is no silver bullet
People can do perfect treatment and die
People can be perfectly healthy and drop dead
Bad things happen to good people all the time)
We affirm that the Creator is the ultimate source of healing and salvation – כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
Beyond giving credit where it’s due, this touches on the relationship between human suffering, divine intervention, and gratitude.
We live in a world where sickness occurs in statistically predictable probabilities; that just seems to be how the world works.
When mature people are in pain, they ask why. When we ask why, we don’t necessarily mean the big global and universal why; we understand that the universe is much bigger than any of us. Moshe asked for this insight, which God said was beyond human comprehension. When we ask why, it is a search for meaning.
We believe that one of the qualities of sickness and healing is that they have the power and capacity to draw us closer to God and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for life and health, not to take them for granted.
By affirming that the Creator is the ultimate source of healing and salvation, we actively engage with faith and reliance on Divine Providence by acknowledging that imperfections and pain can have a purpose; it neutralizes the sting of suffering ever so slightly and takes the edge off by framing illness within a larger, meaningful context. Perhaps if we have learned that lesson early enough, the pain itself becomes redundant, not because the physical discomfort necessarily ceases, but because its purpose as a catalyst for spiritual growth diminishes.
If a student doesn’t do their homework, it might be understandable for a teacher to give the student detention until they complete their work. If the student has done everything expected and gets detention anyway, the teacher is harsh and unfair.
We do not believe in a Creator who is gratuitously cruel or vindictive; there is always a lesson to be learned from our challenges, and there is always meaning to be found if we search hard enough.
While the emotional and existential struggles that come with pain and suffering are real, Judaism frames them within a context of growth and ultimate good, which can be a difficult yet powerful perspective where humans are actively engaged with Divine will and their challenges through prayer, reflection, and growth.
Why get sick
Only the Creator can grant health, but why create sickness?
This is an expression of the question of theodicy, the problem of evil. Why does a God who is good let bad things happen?
The question is far too good; it has stood the test of time.
It is a product of the simple and factual observation that our universe is a complex place that is hard to make sense of.
But what we affirm is that whether in sickness or in health, we will praise the Creator is the ultimate source of healing and salvation – כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
It remains true even when we are hurting, even in dark moments and hard times. However lofty and remote it might be to attain, our sages suggest we bless the Creator for bad times as well as good times כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
Sure, everyone is super thankful in the event of miraculous stories. But it’s entirely inadequate for leave gratitude for when everyone lives happily ever after; we mustn’t overlook the recognition of God’s hand in the middle of the storm before the story concludes. Even in the midst of hardship, the very capacity to endure and eventually overcome affliction is, in itself, a form of divine kindness that is worthy of gratitude – כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
The power of sickness to frame health is hard to overstate.
When someone is sick and recovers, is the recovery a miracle? Or is it that the body functioned normally before and does once again?
Sickness reveals the abundance of blessings we are showered with every single day, the continuous miracles without which we have nothing at all. For every day you and your loved ones wake up, for every breath, every sight, every scent, and the list goes on forever; count your blessings, be thankful, and do not take them for granted – כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
This blessing is about integrating recognition of God’s greatness and gratitude into every aspect of life, not just in challenging times of sickness or recovery, but also in everyday normalcy as well, to live with gratitude and an orientation of praise for every part of daily living – כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה.
וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּותֵינוּ
The Hebrew word for wound or strike carries deep symbolic weight, particularly when considering the Ten Plagues in Egypt – מַכּות.
In a broader context, it represents any form of affliction or injury that leaves a lasting impact, whether physically, emotionally, or psychologically.
When you bump yourself, the sharp pain may disappear quickly, but it will leave its mark as a bruise; most immediate symptoms are temporary but can leave more serious, more lasting effects. The experience of being sick can be similar, altering a person’s outlook long after the illness has passed; the aftereffects of an illness can be subtle yet profound.
This can manifest as increased caution, fear, or a shift in how one approaches life and makes decisions; the strike of being ill spills over into the psychological and emotional imprint it leaves. Sometimes, athletes aren’t the same after an injury; even after complete rehabilitation, they won’t push their bodies in the way they once did. Someone who has been seriously ill may become more cautious, perhaps overly so, affecting their quality of life and decision-making. They might also experience a shift in their worldview, seeing life as more fragile or themselves as more vulnerable.
Our prayers often include a plea for the healing of the soul alongside the healing of the body, acknowledging that the scars left by illness are not always visible and that the journey to recovery is not only about the physical cessation of disease but also about overcoming the fear and trauma that may have been inflicted.
When someone is sick, especially for a long period, they don’t just suffer physically. The isolation, the disruption to normal life, and the fear can lead to a profound sense of despair or feeling “cursed,” as if the sickness is a form of divine punishment or neglect.
So we ask God for an uplifting healing, a healing that lifts our spirits and makes up for what we have missed; our headspace needs healing too – וְהַעֲלֵה.
And we ask for healing that is complete, that cures physical symptoms and beyond, restoring balance to the mind and spirit as well as the body, recognizing that true recovery encompasses all aspects of a person’s being – וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּותֵינוּ.
In moments we might otherwise feel forgotten or punished, we reaffirm that the Creator is faithful and merciful, that the experience of illness is a part of a larger, compassionate divine plan rather than a curse – כִּי כֵּל מֶלֶךְ רוֹפֵא נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אַתָּה.
Statement
In our prayer structure, the formula typically includes the blessing itself, a statement summarizing the theme of the blessing, and then the formal closing of the blessing.
We have asked for healing in all its forms, and sum up why we have asked the Creator for healing; because that is what He does – כִּי כֵּל מֶלֶךְ רוֹפֵא נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אַתָּה.
While prayer in general and the Amida especially have an inclusive approach that covers pretty much anything we could imagine, the prayer for healing just feels different when there is someone and something specific in mind.
The best time to pause and think about the specific people and things and add personal supplications or expressions is at the summarizing statement and before the closing of a blessing, where we define the Creator as the final address and recourse for what we need. Our prayers are customizable and flexible and allow for the individual expression of our needs and desires.
(ed! Shlomo – need help with this.
If God withholds things from us to build a relationship, then turning to God is part of the process of getting what we need.
When someone has trouble with fertility, digestion, or mental health, it all falls under the category of healing.
For all the stories of magical cures, magical healing, and old women having babies, there are many unfortunate stories of people who did not get those things. We need constant reminders that God is our trustworthy healer —rofei neeman.
Sometimes, the sickness is better than the healing. Sometimes, the healing isn’t worth being better. We pray for our healing to be the kind that makes us feel God’s compassion.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’, רופֵא חולֵי עַמּו יִשרָאֵל – Greater Israel
We conclude our prayer affirming that God heals all the sick of Israel.
Similar to the public prayer for healing on Shabbos, whomever we have in mind is part of our wider commitment to the collective well-being of the community, not just one person’s individual needs – בתוך שאר חולי ישראל.
Our sages consistently reinforce the sanctity and power of groups; almost all sacred gatherings require a group, from prayers and sacrifices to reading the Torah and weddings – כל דבר שבקדושה לא יהא פחות מעשרה. When we stand alone in prayer, we are evaluated on our own merits; by shifting the focus from individual suffering to a collective experience and standing with and for others, we are asking for communal healing and the greater good, and it is not about us at all.
Moreover, when sickness stops you from taking up your place for greater Israel, standing for the Jewish People in public service to the community in whatever ways you are meant to, then your healing isn’t a personal indulgence either and elevates our healing from elevates the act of seeking health from a personal matter to a communal and holy endeavor of national importance.
What if it was real
When someone is waiting for a kidney transplant, they mean their prayers.
If someone is applying to participate in an experimental breakthrough clinical trial, how persuasive would they be?
Our prayers hit differently when we believe them and say them like they’re true, whether for ourselves, our loved ones, or the needs of strangers. Our prayers for healing are true, whether for sickness or heartbreak; we must feel as passionately for others, showing empathy and support and recognizing their struggles as our own.
If you and the people you love are well, may you continue to be well. Be a tool that brings joy, happiness, and healing that uplifts others, and use this prayer as a conduit to bring God’s healing into the world.
God can save us, and God can help us. If you can do the work, doing the work can be good for you; being saved is a last resort, and you don’t want that.
We’d rather have easy, pain-free lives, but that’s not up to us; that’s not how the universe works. There are some kinds of pain we need to learn to live with – al korchach ata nolad etc CITE.
We live in a world where bad things happen for reasons we cannot understand. After the fact that we live in a world like that, the best thing you can do is take our sage’s view and do what you can with our challenges; see them as a growth opportunity, to introspect and use them as growth opportunities.
We don’t get to choose our ordeals, but our sages teach that when they come, we should introspect – yefashfesh bmaasav. It’s cruel to say it to others, but in a certain sense, perhaps it is the only way to respond. We can’t know why bad things happen to us, but we can ask ourselves what we will do about it.
In a story about a deadly snake terrorizing a town, our sages concluded that snakes don’t kill people; sin does. This doesn’t work when directed towards others; the opposite of introspection is critical judgment. Our sages’ textbook example of hurtful speech is telling someone that their pain and suffering result from their sin. R’ Chaim Vittal teaches that it is beyond disgraceful to say to people that their suffering is because of their sins, whether in general or particular; it’s unknowable and entirely beyond human comprehension. That suffering could be something that substitutes for something worse or cleanses a person in some way by who they become as a result – yisruim shel ahahah.
Our sages teach that there’s an element of sin to our suffering. It doesn’t mean that anyone deserves their suffering, quite the opposite; it just means that sin is universal – ein tzadik ba’aretz. No one has the ability or wisdom to know how sin results in real-world consequences, but maybe it’s a little hook that opens the door, and that’s enough.
If you put up a steel fence around a property but leave a gap two feet wide, the fence might be bulletproof, but the perimeter isn’t secure. One point of failure, one single vulnerability that can be compromised, and there’s a way in.
No one is perfect; when people get sick, remind them it’s not their fault, and support them with love and understanding, and your prayers of course.
May you never know the pain of removing someone’s name from your prayer list because they have passed. May you only experience the joy in removing someone from that list because they have healed.