These brief rituals are designed to be accessible and supportive for folks across all life stages and experiences. Feel free to engage with them as much as you need to, and remember that healing in Jewish tradition is, like the cycle of time and the seasons, not a strictly linear process. 

The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruach HaOlam, Breath of the Universe, heal me…

I need a Healing Prayer.

But I can't do it.

I don't have the soothing words.

I'm in pain

Right now

And it's been going on for a while

And it looks like it's going to last longer than it takes to say any prayer.

So instead I offer to you a Pain Prayer:

What was solid is porous,

What was secure is scary,

And everyone wants to hurry me through my grief.

It will be so much better, they say, when this is over:

You will be transformed!

Yes, I say, but into what?

Yes, I say, but I’m not there now!

Yes, I say, but please, let me mourn first.

“Refa’aynu Adonai V’Nayrafay

Heal us God, and we shall be healed.”

Can this be true?

Where is that healing of the body, mind and spirit?

Is it in the music?

Is it in my friends?

Is it in prayer?

So I listen to the music

And I am transported away from the hurt.

I look around at my community

And I am taken care of.

I recite this prayer

And I speak to God.

I guess this is a healing prayer after all.

Baruch Atah Adonai, The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruach HaOlam, Breath of the Universe,

Healer, Healing, Healed. Amen

-Trisha Arlin

Deep appreciation to the many people and organizations whose creativity animates this booklet, including Trisha Arlin, Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky, Our Jewish Recovery and the Blue Dove Foundation. Each component is shared with the author’s permission.

“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.” — Abraham Joshua Heschel

Healing and recovery are journeys, not fixed destinations or binary modes of being. They are not linear, but neither is Jewish time—just as each year brings a new cycle of seasonality, so does the path of healing and recovery. We may go through times when it feels certain that the sun will never shine again on our bodies and spirits, but sometimes stars still sparkle across the veil of the dark. 

This book is for you, wherever you may be on that journey, so feel free to take what works and leave the rest. May it serve and support you in all the ways you need. 

• Dedicate some time to learning as much as you can about addiction and recovery. Knowing more about what your loved one is experiencing can ground you in a deeper sense of empathy and can help you to better support them. 
• Commit to becoming a dependable listener for your loved one when they need someone to talk to, but be careful about overcommitting yourself beyond your own capacity. Be clear about your own boundaries, and the kinds of support you are willing to offer. 
• Support and encourage your loved one to seek treatment. You might offer to help them find a program or attend recovery meetings with them. 
• Recognize that recovery is a challenging journey, and commit to practicing empathy and understanding for your loved one across a variety of circumstances. 
• Take time to celebrate big and small milestones with your loved one, from completing a treatment program to staying sober for a certain length of time. 
• Make sure to take time for yourself—supporting someone in recovery can be difficult. Think about ways you can practice self-care and get support from others if and when you need it.

For the caregivers,

whose hands are the manifestation of love,

whose pace is the embodiment of patience

whose voices speak gentleness

Whose being is selflessness;

May you be kept from every harm and sickness;

May you experience joy in your kindness;

May your hearts be soothed by the loving eyes

gazing toward you;

May your soul be comforted in your losses,

And may you know that you are a blessing,

Bringing Holiness into this world.

-by Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky