What is hebrew prayer for good health?

The most well-known Hebrew prayer for good health is the Mi Shebeirach (מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ), a communal blessing invoking healing of body and soul (refuat haguf v'refuat hanefesh — רְפוּאַת הַגּוּף וּרְפוּאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ). Beyond this, Jewish tradition offers numerous prayers and verses for health, woven throughout Tehillim (Psalms), the Amidah, and daily liturgy.

Key Takeaways

The Mi Shebeirach is the primary communal prayer for healing, recited in synagogue, often after Torah reading.
The Amidah (the central daily prayer) contains a dedicated blessing for healing — Refa'einu (רְפָאֵנוּ) — recited three times daily.
Psalm 119:17 and other Tehillim (especially Psalms 6, 41, and 69) are traditionally recited for healing.
Torah teaches that refuah (healing) ultimately comes from God, as stated in Exodus 23:25 [Source 4].
The tradition holds that God always prepares the refuah (remedy) before the makkah (affliction) [Jastrow, citing Megillah 13b, Source 7].

The Core Prayers for Health

1. The Mi Shebeirach (מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ)

This is the most widely known healing prayer in Jewish practice. It is recited in synagogue, often when someone is ill:

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וִירַפֵּא אֶת הַחוֹלֶה... "May the One who blessed our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — may He bless and heal the one who is ill..."

It concludes with a request for:

רְפוּאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּרְפוּאַת הַגּוּף "Healing of soul and healing of body."

2. Refa'einu — The Healing Blessing of the Amidah (רְפָאֵנוּ)

Every Jew recites this blessing three times daily in the Amidah (the standing prayer). It reads:

רְפָאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה וְנֵרָפֵא, הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה, כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה "Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved, for You are our praise."

This blessing is drawn from Jeremiah 17:14. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 119) rules that one may insert a personal prayer for a specific ill person within this blessing.

3. Psalm 69:14 — A Cry for Divine Response

The retrieved source [Psalms 69:14] offers a powerful personal plea:

וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ יְהֹוָה עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלֹהִים בְּרׇב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶֽךָ "But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at a time of favor. O God, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, answer me with Your true salvation."

This verse is recited during Mincha on Shabbat and is understood as a prayer for divine grace and yeshua (salvation/healing).

4. The Promise of Health in Torah

Exodus 23:25-26 [Source 4] contains a foundational divine promise regarding health:

וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּבֵרַךְ אֶת לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּךָ "And you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from your midst."

Rashi on this verse notes that this blessing is contingent on faithful service to God — connecting health to spiritual well-being.

5. Psalm 119 and the 72-Letter Name

Many traditions recite specific sets of Tehillim for healing. Psalm 119 — the longest chapter in Psalms — is arranged by the Hebrew alphabet, and select verses spelled out by a sick person's name are a common custom.

Additionally, Psalms 6, 20, 22, 41, 88, 103, and 142 are traditionally associated with healing and are often recited for the ill.

The Theology Behind Healing in Jewish Thought

Deuteronomy 11:13 [Source 2] teaches:

וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֺתַי... לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וּלְעׇבְדוֹ בְּכׇל לְבַבְכֶם "And it will be if you surely listen to My commandments... to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and soul."

This is part of the second paragraph of Shema, understood by the Rabbis as linking spiritual devotion to physical and material well-being.

The Jastrow dictionary [Source 7], citing Megillah 13b, records the Talmudic principle:

אין הקב"ה מכה את ישראל אלא אם כן ברא להם רפואה תחילה "The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not afflict Israel unless He has already created the remedy in advance."

This reflects the deeply hopeful Jewish view: healing is always possible, because God prepares it before the wound even falls.

Practical Custom: Changing a Sick Person's Name

The Talmud [Rosh Hashanah 16b] lists changing one's name (shinui hashem) as one of four things that can avert a bad decree, including illness. It is therefore a widespread custom to add a name of healing — such as Chaim (life) or Chaya (living) — to a gravely ill person's name.

For personal guidance on reciting prayers for healing or halachic questions regarding caring for the ill, consult your local rabbi or posek.