Jewish Prayer for Surgery
In Jewish tradition, prayer for someone facing surgery centers on the Mi Sheberach (מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ), literally 'the One who blessed' — a prayer recited on behalf of a person who is ill or about to undergo a medical procedure. It's traditionally offered during the Torah reading in synagogue, when someone is called up for an aliyah on behalf of the patient, though it's also prayed privately, over the phone, or at a hospital bedside before an operation. The prayer asks God to grant refuah shleimah — 'a complete healing' — of both body (refuat haguf) and spirit (refuat hanefesh), while also invoking blessing on the doctors and caregivers involved.
Many Jewish patients and families recite a version of it the night before surgery or in the hospital waiting room. This page offers an English rendering of the traditional prayer along with the ideas behind it, written respectfully for anyone wanting to understand or use this practice before an operation.
The Traditional Mi Sheberach for Healing (English Rendering)
May the One who blessed our ancestors — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah — bless and heal the one who is unwell, because those who love them pledge to give charity on their behalf. In reward for this, may the Holy One, source of blessing, be filled with compassion for them, to restore their health, to heal them, to strengthen them, and to grant them a complete recovery — a healing of body and a healing of spirit — swiftly and soon. And let us say: Amen.
A Prayer Before Surgery, in the Spirit of the Mi Sheberach
God of our ancestors, be with me (or with the one I love) as we go in for surgery today. Grant refuah shleimah — a complete healing of body and spirit — and give the surgeons and every member of the medical team wisdom, steady hands, and good judgment. Let this operation go well, and let a swift and full recovery follow. Amen.
A Short Prayer to Say Before Going In
God of healing, grant a refuah shleimah — a complete healing — through this surgery, and let it be soon. Amen.
A Prayer for the Family Waiting
Source of all comfort, be with the family gathered while their loved one is in surgery. Ease their worry, give them patience through the waiting, and bring good news soon. Amen.
A Prayer for the Medical Team
May the hands of every doctor, nurse, and surgeon caring for this patient today be guided with skill and wisdom, as instruments of healing. Amen.
Scripture to pray
For I am the Lord, who heals you.— Exodus 15:26
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.— Psalm 41:3
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mi Sheberach prayer for surgery?
The Mi Sheberach is the traditional Jewish prayer recited for someone who is sick or facing a medical procedure, asking God for refuah shleimah — a complete healing of body and spirit — and invoking blessing on the doctors caring for them. It's one of the most recognizable healing prayers in Jewish liturgy.
When is the Mi Sheberach recited before surgery?
It's traditionally said during a synagogue Torah service, when a family member or friend receives an aliyah on the patient's behalf, but it's also commonly prayed privately at home the night before surgery, over the phone, or quietly in the hospital waiting room — there's no requirement that it happen in synagogue.
Do other faiths have a prayer before surgery too?
Yes — Islamic tradition includes specific du'as (supplications) asking Allah for shifa (healing) before a medical procedure, and many in Hindu tradition turn to prayers or mantras such as the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra for protection and healing before surgery. Each tradition brings its own words to the same universal moment of entrusting an operation to a higher power.