TEMPLE HIGHLIGHTS | RABBI'S MONTHLY COLUMN

Mi-Shebeirach shows us how serving others in our community can incur God's blessings

From the study of Rabbi Knight

Editor’s note: From time to time throughout the year, in addition to Rabbi David Stern’s columns, other members of our clergy will be contributing columns in this space.

The Mi-Shebeirach for Volunteers

May the One Who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, bless this entire congregation, together with all holy congregations: them, their sons and daughters, their families, and all that is theirs, along with those who unite to establish synagogues for prayer, and those who enter them to pray, and those who give funds for heat and light, and wine for Kiddush and Havdalah, bread to the wayfarer and charity to the poor, and all who devotedly involve themselves with the needs of this community and the Land of Israel. May the Holy One Praised be God reward them; may God remove sickness from their midst, heal them, and forgive their sins. May God bless them by prospering all their worthy endeavors, as well as those of the entire people Israel. And let us say: Amen.

-Adapted from Siddur Sim Shalom.

The Mi-Shebeirach L’Cholim is known as the “prayer for the sick.” Traditionally, the prayer is only recited after the Torah is read on Saturday mornings. However, the prayer is so well regarded that it is now customarily included in the Shabbat evening services of many Reform congregations. At Temple Emanu-El, we often sing Debbie Friedman’s melodic adaptation. The Mi-Shebeirach L’Cholim petitions God for the healing of those who are unwell and in need of physical and emotional comfort. The prayer asks God for a refuah shleimah, a complete healing of body and soul.

As Jews, we confront the struggles of illness through prayer and through action. Our tradition maintains that prayer is only part of a holistic approach to healing. We are also commanded to visit the sick. We are commanded to go beyond ourselves, sometimes even despite ourselves, in order to bring the warmth of companionship to an afflicted member of our community. While modern medicine treats pain, prayer and bikkur cholim (our Jewish obligation to visit the sick) respond to the isolation and the suffering of those who are in need.

This synergy of prayer and action is not limited to caring for the ill. Indeed, the fusion of deed and creed—prayer and action—is the very essence of our faith. Our rabbis and sages understood that neither prayer nor action exists within vacuums. As the medieval Jewish philosopher Bahya ibn Pakuda wrote, “Prayer cannot rebuild a broken bridge or make a desert bloom, but prayer can rebuild a broken will or water an arid soul.” Prayer motivates us towards action and life experiences motivate our prayers.

The dynamic relationship between prayer and action is best captured in a special Mi-Shebeirach that was written in France some 800 years ago. The prayer is known as the Prayer for the Community. Designed to be recited after the reading of the Torah, the Mi-Shebeirach for the Community highlights the various ways in which congregants can incur God’s blessings by participating and giving to the community. The prayer asks God to bestow blessing upon the people who donate their money and their time to the synagogue. Interestingly, the gift of time was understood by the prayer’s authors to be an equally important commodity as money. Without a doubt, the gift of your time is integral to thesuccess, preservation, and growth of our congregation.

Welcoming and greeting our members and visitors on Shabbat, handing out prayerbooks, frying latkes, spreading cream-cheese, visiting fellow congregants in the hospital or in an assisted living community, stuffing envelopes, running games at the Purim carnival, delivering meals, tutoring at Jill Stone Elementary, chaperoning our children, or giving a tour of Temple to a visiting group—these are only some of the ways in which we engage in the actions that define us as a community.

Volunteering—the gift of our time and energy—is the way that we bring enthusiasm, warmth, and caring to every corner of our synagogue. Your time and service define our congregation because your actions help to make a vibrant community. This is why volunteering is an imperative component of a successful synagogue. And, this is why, with wisdom and gratitude, the rabbis wrote a prayer requesting God’s blessing for volunteers. Without our volunteers we would surely be lost.

On Friday, April 4, Temple Emanu-El will honor the work of our volunteers with prayer and an oneg celebration. Temple Emanu-El’s Volunteer Appreciation Shabbat will follow an 800-year tradition of expressing our thanks and requesting God’s blessing for those who donate their time and energy. As Jews said before us and as we continue to say: Mi-Shebeirach. . . May the One Who blessed our ancestors; bless the volunteers and members of Temple Emanu-El who have established a synagogue of learning, worship, and acts of loving kindness. May our volunteers continue to be blessed with strength and commitment. May we continue to work together to make Temple Emanu-El a holy congregation.

Amen.