Listen to 3 Beautiful Renditions of the Jewish Prayer for Healing, Mi Shebeirach
Mi Shebeirach, the Jewish prayer for healing, is one of the most meaningful prayers in Judaism. We pray for healing and strength for not only those who are looking for a physical cure for their illness, but those who need spiritual healing too.
During services, there are different ways that your loved one might be included in the healing prayer. You might add your name to a list of people who are in need of healing and the rabbi calls out their names before the Mi Shebeirach prayer is sung. The rabbi might also have congregants stand in place at their pew and have them say the names aloud of their loved ones who need healing.
The prayer itself is so powerful that there are many ways to feel its effect. You don’t have to be in services to say these words. They are oftentimes said by families or friends on many occasions. And, someone who is ill in the hospital can listen to any of these three beautiful versions of the prayer on Youtube or Spotify and be touched by the melody.
If you would like to learn a bit more about the Mi Shebeirach prayer, I highly encourage you to watch this video created by Bimbam. They do an excellent job of explaining the meaning and rituals surrounding the Jewish prayer for healing.
Once you do that, I have included my three favorite versions of the Mi Shebeirach prayer for you to listen to.
Mi Shebeirach Lyrics written by Debbie Friedman
While it is traditional for someone to say the Mi Shebeirach prayer on behalf of a person or people that need to be healed, I encourage anyone who could use some healing to watch this video of Debbie Friedman performing the Mi Shebeirach live. Listening to her sincerity and the beautiful melody should provide you some sense of comfort.
Mi shebeirach avoteinu
M’kor hab’racha l’imoteinu
May the source of strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing
And let us say Amen
Mi shebeirach imoteinu
M’kor habrachah l’avoteinu
Bless those in need of healing with r’fuah sh’leimah
The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit
And let us say Amen
While Debbie Friedman’s version of the Mi Sheberach is, without question the most popular, there are two other beautiful melodies that I want to share with you as well. The first is by American singer-songwriter Craig Taubman and the second is by Cantor Lisa Levine.
Mee Shebayrach Lyrics by Craig Taubman
You’ll notice that the Mi Shebeirach transliteration is a bit different in Craig Taubman’s version of the Jewish healing prayer. That’s because you can technically transliterate the Hebrew phonetically however you want. I bring this up because if you are looking for a copy of this song on Spotify or Youtube, you will want to spell the prayer with the two “EE’s” and the “AY,” otherwise Craig’s version might not show up for you.
Craig’s rendition is also the most similar to the actual prayer as the lyrics are strictly in Hebrew; there are no English words included in his composition.
Mi shebeirach avoteinu
Avraham, Yitzhak, v’yaakov
Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, v’Leah
Hu yivarech virapei
Et hacholeh
Mi shebeirach avoteinu
Avraham, Yitzhak, v’yaakov
Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, v’Leah
Hu yevarech virapei
Et hacholim
El na r’fa na la (4x)
Mi Shebeirach Lyrics by Lisa Levine
I absolutely fell in love with Lisa Levine’s version of Mi Shebeirach and felt compelled to share. You never know which prayer will speak most to those in need of healing.
The chords in Lisa’s Mi Shebeirach really remind me of the classic song, Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.
Mi she-bei-rach a-vo-tei-nu
Av-ra-ham, Yitz-chak v’-Ya’-a-kov
Mi she-bei-rach i-mo-tei-nu
Sa-ra, Riv-ka, Le-ah v’-Ra-cheil
May the One who blessed our mothers
May the One who blessed our fathers
Hear our prayer (4x)
And bless us as well.
Bless us with the power of Your healing. Bless us with the power of Your hope.
May our hearts be filled with understanding and strengthened by the power of Your love.
Mi she-bei-rach a-vo-tei-nu
Av-ra-ham, Yitz-chak v’-Ya’-a-kov
Mi she-bei-rach i-mo-tei-nu
Sa-ra, Riv-ka, Le-ah v’-Ra-cheil
May the One who blessed our mothers
May the One who blessed our fathers
Hear our prayer (x4)
And bless us as well.
Mi Shebeirach: Hebrew Prayer for Healing
If you would like to speak the Mi Shebeirach prayer, here is a version you can read in Hebrew and in English.
Mi Shebeirach avoteinu v’imoteinu,
Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov, Sarah, Rivkah,
Rachel v’Leah, hu yivarech virapei et hacholim ____________.
HaKadosh Baruch Hu yimalei
rachamim aleihem, l’hachalimam, u-l’rapotam,
ul’hachazikam, v’yishlach lahem m’heirah r-fuah,
r’fuah shleimah min hashamayim,
r’fuat hanefesh ur’fuat hagoof, hashta
ba’agalah u-vizman kariv, v’nomar, Amen!
May the One who blessed our ancestors, Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, bless and heal those who are ill [names]. May the Blessed Holy One be filled with compassion for their health to be restored and their strength to be revived. May God swiftly send them a complete healing of body and spirit, and let us say, Amen.
Which version of the Mi Shebeirach prayer do you find to be the most moving? Let us know in the comments below! And, if you’re ready…learn more Hebrew on the BMA blog!
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I loved all versions of Mi Shebeirach. Each version touched me in a very special way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2swFOBy65I
This is my favorite version listened to it thousands of times probably.