THE MI-SHABEIRACH PRAYER FOR HEALTH: HOLIDAYS

MI-SHEBEIRACH

MI-SHEBEIRACH

(transliteration)

Mi she-beyrakh avoteynu Avraham, Yitzchak, ve-Ya’akov, Moshe, Aharon, David u-Shlomo, ve imoteynu Sarah, Rifkah, Rachel, ve Leah, hu ye-varech virapeh et:

(insert names)

be-tokh she’ar cholei Yisroel, ba’avur she anachnu mitpallim ba’avurom. Bis’khar zeh Ha-Kodosh Boruch-Hu yimalei rachamim aleyhem le ha’chalimam u le rap’otam, le ha’chazikam u le ha’ chayotam, ve yishlach lahem meheirah refuah shlaymah min ha-shamayim, refuat ha nefesh u refuat ha guf le chol ay’vareihem ve gidaihem. Yom Tov hu miliz’ok, u refuah kerovah lavoh, hashtah, ba’agalah u vizman kariv. MI-SHEBEIRACH

(translation)

God -- who blessed our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, Moses, Aaron, David & Solomon; and our matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel & Leah -- please bless and heal:

(insert names) along with all the sick of Israel, for whom we pray.

In merit of our prayer, may The Holy One Blessed Be He, be filled with compassion towards them; to restore their health, to heal them, to strengthen them, and to give them vitality. From heaven, may God grant them a complete recovery -- a spiritual and physical healing -- in body and soul.

On this Holiday we cry out to You that their healing should speedily arrive, now, quickly, swiftly.

THE AVODAH (TEMPLE SERVICE)

The height of the Yom Kippur experience in Biblical times was the service of the High priest in attaining atonement for himself, his family, and the entire nation, through sacrifices, incense and the scapegoat. All of Israel in Jerusalem and throughout were anxiously watching the intense service from dawn to dark and awaiting the sign that atonement had been granted. His day was crammed with activities, rituals, purifications, clothes-changing, sprinkling, smearing, offering—all the way until the end of the day. During this grueling process he made a special prayer to God and even uttered the holy ineffable name of God ten times that day. The Talmud related that every time the High Priest uttered the name of God, all who heard it fell down on their faces.

As a rule, Jews almost never fully prostrate themselves; our bowing is

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from the waist but not on our knees. Other religions have instituted genuflection or fullblown prostration on a daily basis, however for Jews it feels very foreign. Yet, on Yom Kippur we fully submit ourselves before God in the Alenu prayer on (Rosh Hashanah and) Yom Kippur as well as the three times during the ‘Avoda’ when we hear the name of God, we find a spot in the Synagogue and completely prostrate before God.