Health-Care Worker's Prayer

HEALTH-CARE WORKER'S PRAYER

Attributed to Rambam, Rabbi Moses Maimonides

יִתָדוֹבֲעַּב ליִחְתַמ יִנֲאֶׁש םֶרֶט ,ןוֹיְלֶע לֵא ליִּפַמ יִנֲא ,ךיֶּפַּכ יֵרוּצְי תֶא אֵּפַרְל הָׁשוֹדְקַה יִתָניִחְּת תֶא ץֶמֹא יִל ןֵּתִּתֶש ,ךְדוֹבְּכ אֵסִּכ יֵנְפִל בַר ץֶרֶמוּ ַחוּר …הָנוּמֱאֶּב יִתָדוֹבֲע תֶא תוֹשֲׂעַל

אֶּפָרֶל ליִחְתַמ ךֶתָרְזֶעְבוּ ךְתָוְצִמְּב ,ךְתָדֻקְּפְּב יִתָנָבָהְּב ךיֶּפַּכ יֵרוּצְי תֶאְׂשִנָהְו הָמָרָה ךְניִמיִּב קָרְׁש האָיֵלְמָה האָָרְבָה לָע ,תֶוָמ לָעְו םיִיָח לָע תוֹטָלְחָהָה יִתָחָלְצָה לָע ,יִלוֹח לָעְו .יִתָדוֹבָעְּב יִנוֹלְׁשִּכ לָעְו הֶלוֹחָה יוּפִּרְּב

לֹאְׁשִל אָּבַה ,לֵבוֹס לֹּכ לַע טיִּבַהְל יִנֵּכַזְת ,םָדאָ לַעְּכ ,יִתָצֲעַּב ,אֵנוֹשְׂו דיִדְי ,יִנָעְו ריִׁשָע ןיֵּב לֵּדְבֶה יִלְּב תֶא קַר יִנֵאְרַה וֹל רַצַּב ,עַרְו בוֹט שׁיִא תַרוֹתְּל יִתָבֲהאַ ,םָדאָָה הֶיְהִּת תֶמֶאָה קַר ,יִחוּר תֶא קֵּזַחְּת האָוּפְרָה ,יַלְגַרְל רֵנ איִבָהְל לוֹכָי יִתָדוֹבֲעַּב ןוֹיְפִר לֹכ יִּכ הָלֲחַמוּ ןוֹיָלִּכ ,ןוּנַחְו םוּחַר הוהי אָנאָ .ךיֶּפַּכ ריִצְיִל יִנֵצְּמאְַו יִנֵקְּזַח .יִּבְרִקְּב עַּטִּת םֵלָש ַחוּרְו ,יִׁשְפַנְבוּ יִפוּגְּב

םיִׁשָעָמֲה לֹּכ ןוֹדאָ ,הָתאַ ךוּרָּב .תוֹאָרְבָהֲה לֹּכ אֵרוֹבוּ Dear God, Before I begin my sacred work of healing the beings whom You created, I ask You for strength of spirit and vitality to carry out my art faithfully. With Your guidance and assistance, I now begin the healing work on those whom You created, with humility and understanding that life and death, healing and illness, and the success or failure of my healing art are not in my hand, but in Your great, supernal power. Give me the merit to see the humanity of any sufferer who seeks my counsel, without any bias between rich or poor, friend or foe, good or evil. In the moment of a person’s suffering, let me see only their humanity. Let my love of healing strengthen my spirit. Let truth guide me – because in my work, any laxity on my part can bring illness and death to those whom You created. Please, compassionate God, give me courage, and physical and emotional strength, and endow me with wholeness of spirit.

Blessed are You, Master of all endeavors and Creator of all healing.

THINK

While this prayer is attributed to Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, or by the acronym Rambam, it’s likely that it was written after his lifetime. Maimonides was a prolific and influential medieval Sephardic Jewish Torah scholar and philosopher. He was also a preeminent physician and astronomer.

CONNECT

Health-care workers interact with patients during some of the most important moments of their lives– at births, crises, and at their deathbeds. These special moments can be burdened by uncertainty and fear but can also be fertile with spiritual significance.

REFLECT

At special moments, what makes the presence of another nurturing? How might prayer affect a healthcare worker? How might prayer affect other professionals? What prayer could you say before beginning to provide service, in whatever form that may take?

PERSONAL PRAYER

Dear God, As I am entrusted with the sacred art of healing, prepare my hands to do Your awesome work. Prepare my heart to see all those who are suffering as made in Your image. Prepare my mind to learn from those who came before me and teach those who will follow me. Prepare my spirit to comfort those entrusted to my care. Prepare my soul to be nourished by the holy work You have gifted me.

— Kelly Hamann, Registered Nurse,

West Hartford, Connecticut