Birkat Refua - June 30, 2025

You will note that there is a break in the middle of this bracha; that is because many have that custom to insert a personal request:

In contrast to the previous bakashot, this one seems pretty simple and straightforward. But, of course, let's take a closer look.

רְפָאֵֽנוּ יהוה וְנֵרָפֵא - heal us and we will be healed

Why repeat? What does the second part add? Look at Geula - just says redeem us; it doesn't then go on to say "and we will be redeemed".

הוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה - save us and we will be saved

What salvation is this referring to? Healing I understand, but how is this related?

כִּי תְהִלָּתֵֽנוּ אָֽתָּה - for you are our praise

Usually the request is followed by a justification - look at Geula - redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name; because You are a Mighty Redeemer. So, shouldn't this say: "Heal us for you are a [insert adjective] healer"? How does the fact that HaShem is the subject of our praise relate to healing? This is even more pronounced because the expected justification (for you are a merciful healer) appears at the end of the beracha. Why two justifications?

רוֹפֵא נֶאֱמָן - a faithful healer

What does faithfulness have to do with healing? (There is no other blessing or request in which HaShem's ability to bless us is described as "a faithful ability").

רוֹפֵא חוֹלֵי עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל - who heals the sick of his people Israel

In Geula, the praise was attributed to the relationship with Israel - understandably so. Redemption is a concept with a specific meaning within Jewish history; it is a religious concept. But, healing? Isn't that universal? Compare to asher yatzar ...

1. Heal us and we will be healed

So, it seems that Chazal had a Biblical source. Let's look at what Yirmiyahu's need for healing was ...

Verse 13 describes what happens when one forsakes the fount of living waters. The what?

So, the healing that Yirmiyahu sought was not a physical healing from a sickness, but the opposite of forsaking HaShem. It is a plea for closeness to HaShem. And, perhaps we can further infer, that the closeness to HaShem will result naturally in physical health, vitality and vibrancy.

That can explain the double language. Heal me and I will be healed. Bring me closer to you, HaShem, and I will be physically healed. Heal me spiritually and I will be cured of illness.

2. Save us and we will be saved

Now, the reference to salvation makes more sense. The real goal of the beracha is the presence of HaShem in both our spiritual and physical lives. If we attach ourselves to the fount of living waters, we will be physically healed and have other physical achievements - vitality/vibrancy - and therefore be saved.

3. For you are our praise

Rashi on Yirmiyahu explains that we praise HaShem for being our healer and savior.

So, in a sense, our praise serves as a reason for our being granted health. Especially after we recognize that the health is a direct result of our closeness to HaShem and not a separate action/gift. "For you are our praise" does NOT mean that we praise HaShem - but that HaShem is the very goal of our lives; he is omnipresent. We identify as the people that carry HaShem's name on our lips - we bear HaShem's name. This can explain the unusual use of the noun תְהִלָּתֵֽנוּ - by becoming closer to HaShem, we praise HaShem and are praise of HaShem - we act and therefore we are the object as well. Weird.

4. And bring a complete healing for all of our ailments - וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּוֹתֵֽינוּ

With our introduction, we turn to the specific request - healing our illnesses and wounds. Only after understanding the praise-justification for the process do we return to the request for physical cures.

The beracha has two separate parts, and therefore two separate justifications.

5. Faithful healer

Unlike the prior language that is based on Yirmiyahu, I am (and Rav Bick is) unaware of a Biblical source for "faithful healer".

So, maybe we can look here:

The faithful diseases are ones that successfully fulfill the divine mission for which they were sent.

Ibn Ezra goes further - faithful diseases are those that have no cure; that are permanent and untreatable. That implies that a faithful healing is one that is permanent.

6. Chatimah

So we arrive at the question of what is the connection between healing and the Jewish people. There is an explicit reference to this connection in the Torah, after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds and the Song of the Sea:

Note that the Jewish people were not sick at this time; they had just crossed the sea. They had been spared the plagues in Mitzrayim. The verse is clear that HaShem is promising that the people will not become sick. (Vaccine vs antidote)

If you live by the Torah; if you are close to HaShem - you will not get sick. It isn't saying that HaShem is like a witch doctor that will remove maladies. It is saying that by being close to HaShem you will live a life without illness. Because HaShem is the healer. So, that explains why this is not universal, but particular to the Jewish people.

Addendum - Circumcision

Refua is the 8th beracha.

One might think that the healing refers to the physical healing of the wound. Or, given what we have discussed, it refers to the brit itself - to the covenantal bond between the newborn and HaShem. Circumcision is the physical symbol of that covenantal relationship.