Jewish prayers for healing?
06/18/25 6:37pm
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The best Jewish prayer for healing is a personal prayer that comes from the heart, and a person could always talk to God in their own language, in their own voice, and ask for what they hope for, what they need, and what they want.
That said, Judaism does have prayers that are specifically for healing. One is found in a part of the prayer that's called the “Amida,” where we stand with our feet together and we read silently, and in that prayer, there's a verse called “Rifa'enu,” and it says, “God heal us.” That prayer is said three times a day—morning, afternoon, and evening. It's part of the morning service, the afternoon service, and evening service.
Another way to do a prayer for healing is to read or recite the different psalms that were written by King David. Each one has a different message, and there are select psalms that are specifically for healing. Psalm 20 is often used, but there are other psalms as well.
The third most common prayer for healing is done in the synagogue when the Torah is being read. Just before they finish reading the Torah and they put it away, there's something called a “Mishaberach,” which is where people can line up in the synagogue to receive a prayer for healing, and you don't need to be religious or knowledgeable to line up, all you need to know is the person's name and the person's mother's name. You come to the front, and whoever's leading the service, you whisper to them the person's name and the person's mother's name, and a Mishaberach is made.
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That said, Judaism does have prayers that are specifically for healing. One is found in a part of the prayer that's called the “Amida,” where we stand with our feet together and we read silently, and in that prayer, there's a verse called “Rifa'enu,” and it says, “God heal us.” That prayer is said three times a day—morning, afternoon, and evening. It's part of the morning service, the afternoon service, and evening service.
Another way to do a prayer for healing is to read or recite the different psalms that were written by King David. Each one has a different message, and there are select psalms that are specifically for healing. Psalm 20 is often used, but there are other psalms as well.
The third most common prayer for healing is done in the synagogue when the Torah is being read. Just before they finish reading the Torah and they put it away, there's something called a “Mishaberach,” which is where people can line up in the synagogue to receive a prayer for healing, and you don't need to be religious or knowledgeable to line up, all you need to know is the person's name and the person's mother's name. You come to the front, and whoever's leading the service, you whisper to them the person's name and the person's mother's name, and a Mishaberach is made.
If you're looking for a Jewish prayer for healing, I recommend reading Psalms (Tehillim). You can investigate the Scripture to find specific prayers, verses, or songs for emergencies and sickness. If someone is sick, I also tell them “Washlemah,” which means “a whole healing.” This isn’t a prayer, but I use this often to wish someone a complete recovery.
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