Tag Archive for "healing" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘healing’

For the People of Turkey (Prayer After the Earthquake)

Posted on: October 23rd, 2011 by tobendlight

In the days after an earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, I wrote two prayers: one for the people and one for first responders. Here they are, revised after an earthquake struck Turkey today. I have either revised these prayers or used elements of them in prayers after earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, as well.

In Devastation (Prayer for the People of Turkey)
G-d beyond my understanding,
The earth has turned violent,
Sweeping our brothers and sisters off their feet,
Crushing homes and lives,
Upending dreams,
Toppling the foundations of hope and sustenance.
A shallow breath beneath the rubble
And wailing in the streets.
The injured and the dead.
The new widow,
The new orphan,
The newly bereft turn to You
Divine Source of abundance and grace.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of Turkey,
And the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
May a world of justice, righteousness and mercy
Come swiftly to their aid.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Turkey Your protection,
Your radiance,
And Your peace.

Prayer For First Responders (to the Earthquake in Turkey)
Crisis and chaos,
Confusion and loss,
A scene of sweeping destruction,
The first responders arrive
Among the breathless and dazed,
The frenzied, driven wild with fear and grief,
The incapacitated, the dead,
The weary, the lost, the injured,
And survivors forcing themselves
Beyond their limits
To fight devastation.

G-d whose ways are secret,
Bless these first responders with endurance
To be of maximum service in this moment of immeasurable need.
Bless their limbs with strength,
Their eyes with courage,
Their hands with gentleness,
So that they become a source of hope and love.
Give them the tools they need in the days and hours ahead.
Protect them from physical harm,
Shield them from emotional pain,
And guard them from taking this trauma into themselves.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of Turkey.
Let the world rally on their behalf.
May the deeds of the first responders
Find favor in Heaven
And bring healing on earth.

Postscript: In a sad twist, Israel has offered to send relief which Turkey has rejected.

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For Cancer Treatment

Posted on: September 12th, 2011 by tobendlight

Several of my friends and family members are at various stages of cancer treatment. This is for them and all who are fighting this disease. Options for adapting this prayer to an individual circumstance are shown in [brackets]. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

For Cancer Treatment
Today is the day,
G-d of old,
That I [begin to receive][begin another cycle of]
Treatment for my cancer,
This disease,
This intruder,
This malaise that has invaded my body.

Grant healing power to the [surgery][radiation][and][chemotherapy]
To which I surrender myself with [courage][fear][hope][strength][and] [_______ (add words that best describe your feelings)].
Reduce the side effects
And eliminate any complications from this procedure.
Grant me a full and complete recovery from this disease.
Grant me the clarity to make sound choices for my treatment and my life.
Grant my family comfort and relief.
Ease their burdens and ease their minds.
Grant my physicians insight and perseverance.
Grant my caregivers knowledge and skill.
Grant scientists and researchers tools and understanding to develop new treatments for this cancer, speedily, in our day.

G-d of compassion,
Grant me a path to healing.
See me through this day and the days ahead with dignity.
Strengthen my resolve to live fully and to love deeply.

Blessed are You,
G-d of health and healing.

Postscript: Other healing prayers include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery,” “For a Critically-Ill Child,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Father” and “For Healing the Spirit.” Thanks to the friends and family who assisted with this prayer. Most asked not to be named. You know who you are. I appreciate your wisdom.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Memorial and Yizkor Prayers

Posted on: September 4th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a list of memorial and yizkor prayers — as well meditations and prayers on grief and mourning — with brief descriptions and links to each prayer. Some are written in the form of traditional yizkor prayers and focus on classic themes of mourning. Others address modern social issues, such as organ donation and death by violence. Here’s a link to prayers for Yom HaShoah. To read a particular prayer, click on the title.

Yizkor Prayers

In Memory of an Organ Donor – For an organ donor
At the Hand of Violence – For one who dies by violence
Yizkor for a Lone Soldier – For a Lone Soldier in the IDF
After a Sudden Death – When death comes out of the blue
At the Hand of Anti-Semitism – For those who die as the result of anti-Semitism
Yizkor for First Responders – To be said for first responders, particularly those died in the line of duty; part of “A Liturgy for 9-11”

Memorial Prayers

On Lighting a Memorial Candle – A meditation
At the Hand of Terror – For all who died as a result of 9-11
Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders – For 9-11 first responders
At the Hand of Terror II – A 9-11 memorial
In Memorium: Sandy Hook – A memorial prayer
For the Children of Newtown – For victims and survivors
After a Deadly Anti-Semetic Attack – A memorial prayer
Bombing at the Boston Marathon – For victims and survivors
Munich Massacre Memorial Prayer – A memorial
The Soldiers on this Mountain – Har Hertzl welcomes new heroes

Grief

After Shiva – For healing in the quiet after a shiva ends
For the Bereaved – A prayer for healing from grief after a death
For Bereaved Children – For children facing a loved-one’s death
Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child – A moment of sorrow
This Wound – Seeking G-d’s help to heal
Shall I Cry? – Love is a thing of this earth
For Healing the Spirit – A call to heal
Regarding Old Wounds – Let go of the past
R’fuat HaNefesh – Healing the soul
Private Meditation of the Death of a Beloved Public Figure – For scholars, teachers and others

Meditations Near the End of Life

Near the End: A Meditation – On reaching the end
Angel of Rest – When the angel of death arrives
Things Break – On the fragility of life
Every Beginning – Every beginning brings an ending
Dwelling Place – This is my dying place
Gather Me – My bones will not be left behind
Season of Sorrow – A season for every emotion
On the Journey to My Child’s Passing – A parent’s prayer

Yom Kippur Meditation II

Posted on: August 31st, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a meditation to be recited after the Yom Kippur confessional prayer. It can also be used during the Hebrew month of Elul as preparation for the High Holy Days, the Yamim Noraim. It is the companion piece to “Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Meditation After the Yom Kippur Vidui
For the sins I’ve committed against myself,
And for the sins I’ve committed against others,
I offer a new heart.

For the sins I’ve committed against my family,
And for the sins I’ve committed against my friends,
I offer new understanding.

For the sins I’ve committed against children,
And for the sins I’ve committed against adults,
I offer new restraint.

For the sins I’ve committed against men,
And for the sins I’ve committed against women,
I offer new vision.

For the sins I’ve committed against neighbors,
And for the sins I’ve committed against strangers,
I offer new insight.

For the sins I’ve committed against the powerful,
And for the sins I’ve committed against the weak,
I offer new wisdom.

For the sins I’ve committed against nations,
And for the sins I’ve committed against peoples,
I offer a new voice.

G-d of generations,
Source of forgiveness and grace,
For the sins that I remember,
And for the sins that I’ve forgotten,
I offer myself, in humble service,
To You, Your Word and Your Holy Name.

Postscript: Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim. Here’s a focused list of prayers for Elul, another one of prayers for Rosh Hashana, a list of prayers for Yom Kippur and one more for Sukkot. And here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Photo Source: Va-yehi Or

Yom Kippur Meditation I

Posted on: August 30th, 2011 by tobendlight

Confession – vidui – is not a major theme of Jewish daily prayer, but it becomes central on Yom Kippur when a communal confession is traditionally recited five times. Here’s a new meditation to prepare for a thorough and honest self-assessment. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui
G-d of Old,
Judge and Sovereign,
Healer and Guide:

Today I recount my deeds,
The sins I’ve committed,
The blessings I’ve bestowed.

Today I recall my year,
The challenges I’ve faced,
The decisions I’ve made.

Today I reach into my heart,
The moments of anger,
The moments of love.

By Your command
G-d of Mercy,
I lay bare the secrets within me,
Light and darkness,
My gentle hand and my clenched fist,
My strength and conceit,
Anger and fear.

By Your command
G-d of Wisdom,
I open myself to see truth,
Beauty and degradation,
The holy and the profane,
The victorious and the guilty.

By Your command
G-d of Salvation,
I reclaim all that I am
And all that I’ve done,
My pride and my shame,
Returning to You
So that I may redeem my days
With awe and righteousness.

Photo Source: The Eden Center

Prayer After Hurricane Irene: Safety After Violent Weather

Posted on: August 27th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a prayer of gratitude for safety and healing after a major storm. It’s difficult to capture in one prayer the unique experiences of individuals and the range of outcomes from weather events. For those who experienced Hurricane Irene days ago, please excuse the tardiness of this offering. For those who have yet to experience the storm, please see “Safety During a Hurricane.” Optional language is shown in [brackets].

After Irene: Safety After Violent Weather
G-d of heaven and earth,
Source of All,
The storm has passed.
Earth, sea and sky are quiet.
The tempest moved on.

Thank you for the kinship of neighbors and friends
As we work together to clean up after violent weather.
Bless those who were injured with healing and recovery.
[Bless those who lost family or friends with comfort and hope.]
Provide food and clothing, warmth and comfort, to all in need.
Thank you for providing safety and shelter
To my [family][friends][neighbors][parents][children].
Thank you for the emergency and rescue workers
Who kept watch and risked their lives for our community.
As we return to our daily lives,
We pray for the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.

Blessed are You, our Rock and our Shelter.

Postscript: Another example of a prayer after violent weather: this spring I wrote “After the Tornadoes.” Other weather and disaster related prayers include: “In Devastation (For the People of Haiti),” which I then rewrote as “In Devastation (For the People of New Zealand)” and used as part of a prayer “For Japan.” I used the prayer “For First Responders (to the Earthquake in Haiti)” as the inspiration for a prayer called “Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders.”

Photo Source: WHSV3 News

For My Child’s Surgery

Posted on: August 16th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer is for parents to say before a child’s surgery. Gender choices are identified with a “/” slash. Here’s a related prayer “For a Critically Ill Child.” This will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

For My Child’s Surgery
G-d of health and healing,
I surrender my daughter /son to the physician’s hand,
The surgeon’s knife,
The nurse’s care,
Placing her / his body in the cradle of others,
Just as I pray for you to hold her / his soul with Your loving hands.

Bless her / his surgeon with a steady hand,
Keen vision and a passion for healing.
Bless her / his caregivers with wisdom and skill,
With compassion, focus and dedication.
Bless our family with ease and comfort,
Energy and endurance, tranquility and peace.

Source of life,
Bring Your healing power to my daughter / son
_______________ (child’s name in Hebrew or your native tongue).
Remove her / his pain,
Relieve her / his distress,
And cure her / his body, mind and spirit.
Bless her / him with strength, courage and hope
So that she / he may know life and health,
Joy and love.
And grant her / him a full and speedy recovery.

Blessed are You, G-d of mystery,
Source of health and healing.

Postscript: This prayer is adapted from “For Surgery.” Other prayers for healing include: “Upon Recover from Surgery,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father” and “For Healing the Spirit.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

For the Women of Congo and Sudan

Posted on: August 6th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer is the result of a collaboration with my friend Rabbi Paul Kipnes. When Jewish World Watch asked Paul to write a prayer “For the Women of Congo and Sudan,” he asked me if he could adapt language from two of my prayers. Paul used pieces of both prayers and added his own words and a line of Hebrew. Then, we tweaked it together. The entire High Holiday booklet is available on the JWW site. It’s a lovely piece.

For the Women of Congo and Sudan
G-d of the survivors, mourners and witnesses,

Grant strength to those still held by physical, emotional and spiritual distress from the continuing violence in Congo and Sudan. Release them from visions of rape and death, from guilt or shame, from fear or anger. Bind their wounds with Your steadfast love.

Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
Devotion to each other.

Bless those who have healed.
Bless those who suffer.

Bless those who forgive.
Bless those who cannot forgive.

Bless those who speak.
Bless those who stay silent.

Baruch Atah, Tzur Yisrael, Oseh tikvah v’nechamah.
Blessed are You, Rock of Israel, Source of hope and comfort.

The prayer is adapted with permission by Rabbi Paul Kipnes from two prayers by Alden Solovy: For the People of Norway and For 9-11 Survivors, which are © 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: As a writer, I’m honored that Paul sees something in my words that resonates for him. I am also pleased that he respected my copyright, asked for permission to both adapt my work and to publish the resulting prayer. It also appears on his blog Or Am I? See also, “Against Human Trafficking,” “Against Tyranny” and “Against Poverty.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul

Posted on: August 5th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a lovely prayer for healing the soul directed toward a specific individual. It did not, however, come off as planned. I intended to write a prayer/poem in praise of the soul. Instead, I wrote this prayer for healing the soul. It prayer appears in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. Optional language is shown in [brackets] and word choices are identified with a slash (/). To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

R’fuat HaNefesh
G-d of the spirit,
G-d of the soul, the breath and the wind,
Look with kindness and favor on __________________, (name)
My [father /mother / sister / brother / son / daughter / friend / husband / wife / partner]
Whose heart aches,
Crushed and fallow,
Whose heart yearns,
Empty and broken.
G-d of the nefesh, ruach and neshama,
Guide his / her soul
Back to wonder and mystery,
Sacred moments and glorious days,
So that he /she knows the power of Your love
And the wisdom of Your word.
May his / her soul shine,
A light and blessing
For our people Israel.

Postscript: Other prayers for healing include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recover from Surgery,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father” and “For Healing the Spirit.” All of them appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: ifDawn.com

For A Critically-Ill Father

Posted on: July 27th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a healing prayer for fathers, structured in parallel to my prayer “For a Critically-Ill Mother.” My prayer “For a Critically-Ill Child” has a decidedly different structure and tempo. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

For A Critically-Ill Father
Holy One,
G-d of health and healing,
My father’s body is failing.
Illness holds him.
Grief and fear hold me.

Ancient One,
Well of hope,
Grant my father
A quick and complete recovery.
Relieve his suffering.
Remove his pain.
Return him to health.
Restore him to life.

Rock of my heart,
Comfort and shelter,
You know the path ahead.
You know the journey.
You hear our prayers.
G-d who healed Miriam in the desert,
Bring Your healing power to my father
_______________ (father’s name in Hebrew or your native tongue)
So that he may know life and health,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Creator of fatherly wisdom and strength,
Source of love,
Rock of life.

Postscript: Other prayers for healing include: “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery” and “For Healing the Spirit.”