Jewish Texts for Healing

At The End of a Relationship, from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 27
They say the heart makes no sound when it breaks.
So may the One who gave us life
bless us, whose love has found an end;
may we mourn this loss without further hurt;
may we inflict no unnecessary pain or shame on each other;
may we say nothing that brings regret;
may lost affection turn to friendship and respect;
and may we find acceptance and peace.
If our hearts make no sound when they break,
may we speak our loss to God
and find an answer.

For Adult Milestones, from from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 50
May the One who blessed our ancestors - Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Zilpa and Bilha; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - bless you as you enter into this new chapter in your life. Each and every day God renews the work of creation. May God grant you the strength to constantly renew your own creation; May you open your heart and mind to unexpected change, continuous growth, and the perpetual unsettling, liberating expansion of being alive. May you have the courage to name and sanctify this moment of change that is shaping your body and soul in the image of the Divine at this time. Blessed are You Adonai, our God, the Renewing One in the world, who has kept us alive and sustained us and allowed us to reach this moment of transformation. And let us say: Amen!

For Being Open to Change, from from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 47
Mi sheberach avoteinu v'imoteinu. O God, who blessed our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah and Hagar and who bestows miraculous things to those who are open to your blessings, send Your insight and love to me as life's journey brings change.
Like Sarah, may we have the strength to continue forward, even if we are not sure where our path will lead.
Like Abraham with his son Isaac, may we have the courage to turn challenges into blessings, even as we grapple with life's unmarked paths.
Like Hagar with her son Ishmael, may we be granted a glimpse of what is Divine, so we may turn our fear into faith.
O Source of all, who revealed the Torah to our people, let us be open to witnessing Your ways in our lives.
We bless You, O God, who guides our journeys.
And we say, Amen.

Meditation on Healing, from Mishkan R'Fuah: Where Healing Resides, Central Conference of American Rabbis, p. 7
When I panic, God, teach me patience. When I fear, teach me faith. When I doubt myself, teach me confidence. When I despair, teach me hope. When I lose perspective, show me the way - back to love, back to life, back to You.

Prayer for Mercy, from Mishkan R'Fuah: Where Healing Resides, Central Conference of American Rabbis, p. 12
Give ear, O Eternal, to my prayer,
heed my plea for mercy.
In my time of trouble I call You,
for You will answer me.
When pain and fatigue are my companions,
Let there be room in my heart for strength.
When days and nights are filled with darkness,
Let the light of courage find its place.
Help me to endure the suffering and dissolve the fear;
Renew within me the calm spirit of trust and peace.
Baruch atah, Adonai, rofei hacholim.
We praise You, O God, healer of the sick.

These Words Are True, from from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 228
These words are true:
You make our lives difficult.
You chase us with Your commands.
You force us to choose between life and death,
between slavery and freedom.
We must learn to listen,
or succumb to anguish and despair,
to the death of the spirit.
But You do not abandon us.
You give us the courage to enter our struggles,
to wrestle with the Pharaohs in our hearts,
and the Pharaohs in the world,
and to slowly free ourselves from bondage.

from The Plague of Darkness, from Mishkan R'Fuah: Where Healing Resides, Central Conference of American Rabbis, p. 14
Strengthen the stars, remove the obscuring clouds,
Unwrap the blindfold from my eyes;
Renew in my spirit fortitude and strength,
Your precious shard of brilliance, my sunrise.

On Coming Out of Dark Places, from Mishkan R'Fuah: Where Healing Resides, Central Conference of American Rabbis, p. 42
Creator,
I have been in such dark places
a flashlight was useless
I have felt fear
no words could comfort me
I seemed lost
and yet
through Your compassion and lovingkindness
I am here, now.
Blessed are You
the Guardian of all
who carries me
to a safe place.

Prayer for Renewiing Connections with God, from Mishkan R'Fuah: Where Healing Resides, Central Conference of American Rabbis, p. 61
In the intimacy of connection, I find You;'
People-Linker, You coax the renewal of friendships.
Stymied by inertia, I have neglected these ties,
Slipped the knot that binds me to my story.
So much has changed, so little has changed,
Yet the details are rich and welcomed;
Catch me up again in the warmth of sharing,
Recollecting the reasons for past nearness.
I find You in this reestablished community,
My return from self-imposed separation;
Help to continue this quest of restoration,
Precious reminders of Your Light.

You Remember Us, from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 152
Eternally, with love, You remember us, Adonai
Hatred is a human, graven thing,
but You are love; before You all hatreds die.
We have doubted our power to love, surrendering
to idols, tyrants, bigots, but You have taught
the laws of justice; You have taught us, hallowing
the rising up of the morning, to recall the mitzvot
of love, which are our life and the length of our days,
and to lie down recalling them at night.
You sustain the living with kindness, and You raise
the fallen; Source of all creation, let
Your love never depart from us; we praise
the oneness of God in ages past and yet
to come, to love that has saved us, and does not forget.

Creator, from from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 137
God acts within every moment
and creates the world with each breath.
He speaks from the center of the universe
in the silence beyond all thought.
Mightier than the crash of a thunderstorm
mightier than the roar of the sea,
is God's voice silently speaking
in the depths of a listening heart.

An Unending Love, from Siddur Sha'ar Zahav, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, p. 219
We are loved by an unending love.
We are embraced by arms that find us
even when we are hidden from ourselves.
We are touched by fingers that soothe us
even when we are too proud for soothing.
We are counseled by voices that guide us
even when we are too embittered to hear.
We are loved by an unending love.
We are supported by hands that uplift us
even in the midst of a fall.
We are urged on by eyes that meet us
even when we are too weak for meeting.
We are loved by an unending love.
Embraced, touched, soothed, and counseled...
ours are the arms, the fingers, the voices;
ours are the hands, the eyes, the smiles;
we are loved by an unending love.

God Went to India, from Cynthia Rylant, God Went to Beauty School, p. 45
To see the elephants.
God adores elephants.
He thinks they are
the best thing
He ever made.
They do everything
He hoped for:
They love their children,
they don't kill,
they mourn their dead.
This last thing is
especially important
to God.
Elephants visit the graves
of those they loved.
They spend hours there.
They fondle the dry bones.
They mourn.
God understands mourning
better than any other emotion,
better even than love.
Because He has lost
everything He has
ever made.
You make life,
you make death.
The things God makes
always turn into
something else and
He does find this good.
But He can't help missing all the originals.