Mi Sheberakh: May the One Who Blessed
By Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub
Reprinted with
permission of the National Center for Jewish Healing, a program of the Jewish
Board of Family and Children’s Services.
One
of the central Jewish prayers for those who are ill or recovering from illness
or accidents is the Mi sheberakh,
whose name is taken from its first two Hebrew words. With a holistic view of humankind, it prays for physical cure as
well as spiritual healing, asking for blessing, compassion, restoration, and
strength, within the community of others facing illness as well as all Jews,
all human beings.
Traditionally, the Mi sheberakh is said in synagogue when
the Torah is read. If the patient
herself/himself cannot be at services, a close relative or friend might be
called up to the Torah for an honor, and the one leading services will offer
this prayer, filling in the name of the one who is ill and her/his
parents.
Increasingly, the Mi Sheberakh has moved into other settings
and other junctures. Chaplains,
doctors, nurses, and social workers are now joining patients and those close to
them in saying the Mi Sheberakh at various junctures--before and after surgery,
during treatments, upon admission or discharge, on the anniversary of diagnosis,
and more. We present it to you here, in
English translation and in transliteration from the Hebrew, as a resource for
you as you confront the challenges of illness.
Please note: The transliterated text below presents the
prayer with correct pronouns for male and female patients. The word before the slash is for males, the
one after for females.
The prayer in English translation
May the One who blessed our ancestors --
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah --
bless and heal the one who is ill:
________________ son/daughter of ________________ .
May the Holy Blessed One
overflow with compassion upon him/her,
to restore him/her,
to heal him/her,
to strengthen him/her,
to enliven him/her.
The One will send him/her, speedily,
a complete healing --
healing of the soul and healing of the body --
along with all the ill,
among the people of Israel and all humankind,
soon,
speedily,
without delay,
and let us all say:
Amen!
The prayer in Hebrew transliteration
Mi Sheberakh
Avoteinu: Avraham, Yitzhak, v'Yaakov,
v'Imoteinu: Sarah, Rivka, Rachel v'Leah,
Hu yivarekh virapei
et haholeh/haholah _____________ ben/bat ______________
HaKadosh Barukh Hu
yimalei rahamim alav/aleha,
l'hahalimo/l'hahlimah,
u-l'rap'oto/u-l'rap'otah,
l'hahaziko/l'hazikah,
u-l'hay-oto/u-l'hay-otah.
V'yishlah lo/lah bim-hera
r'fuah shlemah,
r'fu-at hanefesh u-r'fu-at hagoof,
b'tokh sh'ar holei Yisrael v’holei yoshvei tevel,
hashta ba'agalah u-vizman kariv,
v'no-mar, Amen!
Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub,
CSW, is the Rabbinic Director of the National Center for Jewish Healing
and the New
York Jewish Healing Center.
The National
Center for Jewish Healing (NCJH) helps communities better meet the spiritual
needs of Jews living with illness and loss.
Working closely with a network of Jewish healing centers and programs,
both nationally and internationally, it develops Jewish healing resources and
leadership and offers consultation, publication, training, and referral to
community resources.
