The Shortest Prayer
Moshe prays for his sister Miriam
When Miriam became ill, Moshe cried out with a prayer of just five Hebrew words. It teaches that a prayer for healing does not need to be long — it needs to be real.
Moshe cried out to Hashem: “Please, God, heal her, please.”
The Talmud brings Moshe’s five words to teach that a short prayer, said with the whole heart, is a full prayer.
- Say it for anyone who is ill — anytime, in any place.
- Many add the person’s name at the end.
Refa’einu — Inside the Amidah
The eighth blessing, and where to add a name
The eighth blessing of the weekday Amidah asks Hashem for healing. Right before its closing words, you may add a personal prayer for someone who is ill — by name.
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved” — the blessing is built on this verse.
The Talmud explains why healing is the eighth blessing.
One who has a sick person at home may mention him in the blessing for the sick.
- Say the blessing as usual in the Amidah.
- Before “Ki El melech…”, add the personal prayer with the name (fill in the name above and it appears below).
- Then finish the blessing.
The Prayer of Chizkiyahu
A king turns his face to the wall
King Chizkiyahu was told by the prophet Yeshayahu that he would die of his illness. He turned his face to the wall and prayed — and Hashem answered: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears.” He was given fifteen more years.
The illness, the prayer, the tears, and Hashem’s answer.
Learned from Chizkiyahu: even if a sharp sword rests on a person’s neck, he should not stop asking for mercy.
- Turn somewhere quiet — even to a wall, like Chizkiyahu.
- Say his words, then speak in your own words. Tears are part of prayer.
Mi Sheberach for the Sick
The blessing said at the Torah reading
When the Torah is read — Monday, Thursday and Shabbat — the gabbai says a Mi Sheberach for those who are ill. Give him the person’s Hebrew name and their mother’s Hebrew name. Many pledge tzedakah for the person’s recovery, as the prayer itself says.
The Mi Sheberach for the sick is printed in the siddur after the Torah reading.
On Shabbat we do not cry out in request, but we say: “It is Shabbat — we refrain from crying out, and healing will come soon.”
- Before the Torah reading, give the gabbai the name: (name) ben/bat (mother’s name).
- You can also say it yourself, privately, anytime.
- Answer “Amen.”
- This is the common short form. The full form in many siddurim also mentions the tzedakah pledged for the person — follow your siddur.
Tehillim for Healing
Dovid’s words when we have none
For generations, Jews have turned to Tehillim when someone is ill. A few verses that speak directly to illness:
Dovid’s own words about illness and Hashem’s care for the sick.
Many say Tehillim 20 for someone in distress, and the verses of Tehillim 119 that begin with the letters of the sick person’s Hebrew name. These are customs, not obligations.
- Say a few verses slowly, with the person in mind.
- A group can divide the whole book of Tehillim among themselves.
Visiting the sick — Bikur Cholim
בִּקּוּר חוֹלִים — Bikur Cholim, visiting the sick — is a mitzvah in its own right. The Talmud teaches that the Divine Presence rests above the head of one who is ill (Shabbat 12b), and that a visit takes away a small part of the person’s suffering (Nedarim 39b).
How: call, visit or send a message. Ask what they need. Don’t stay too long. And before you leave, pray for them — even in English, even one sentence.
Hebrew: Tanakh and Siddur Ashkenaz texts via Sefaria. Transliteration and English: The Mitzvah Movement. Wording differs slightly between siddurim — follow yours. Using the mother’s name is a widespread custom; many connect it to Dovid’s words “save the son of Your maidservant” (Tehillim 86:16) — later tradition. This page contains the Divine Name; if you print it, please treat it with respect. Prayer is not a substitute for medical care.
