Parashat Beha’alotecha • Numbers 8:1–12:16
There are times when life is so overwhelming that simply making it through the day feels like a triumph.
Times when you are stretched past your breaking point, and still need find the strength to continue a journey you didn’t choose and don’t want to be on.
Times when coping with uncertainty is more challenging than you dreamed possible. Times when you struggle to stay grounded in gratitude and maintain a semblance of equilibrium while showing up for people you love.
The past few months have been among the most challenging times I can remember. Two years ago, I moved back to my childhood home outside Philadelphia to be with my parents. My mom’s vision continues to decline, and her dementia progresses. My dad, who turned 95 last month, spent much of April and May in the hospital and rehab, and is just completing his second round of radiation. Most challenging of all, in October my daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 triple negative breast cancer and has just completed her 21st round of palliative chemo.
I consider myself somewhat of a wordsmith, and yet I do not have words to describe this excruciating journey.
There is so much to hold.
So much to keep track of.
So much that is not in my control.
This week, Torah meets me right there.
At the opening of Beha’alotecha, the third Torah portion in Bamidbar, the Book of Numbers, Aaron is instructed to raise up the lights of the menorah.
Sometimes the work we are called to do is to show up as our best selves. To be a conduit of kindness. To use our innate gifts to make a difference for others.
Parashat Beha’alotecha holds one of the briefest and most powerful prayers in all of Torah.
When Miriam is stricken, Moses cries out: “El na, refa na la” — Please, God, heal her. Although I wrote the prayer, Healing Light, a few years ago, it has taken on new meaning for me as I walk beside loved ones who are coping with unimaginably hard things.
Healing Light
Source of Hope and Healing,
My loved one is suffering, and I feel powerless.
Help me provide comfort and reassurance
in the face of this health challenge
and the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen.
El na, r’fa na la—Please heal them!
Minimize their pain; calm their mind
and bolster their spirits.
Grant me the ability to be
an ongoing source of strength and support.
Allow me to anticipate their wants
and advocate for their needs.
O God, help me remember
that it is more important to listen than to talk.
Bless us both with courage and clarity
if difficult decisions must be made,
and the time to make them thoughtfully.
Thank you for the gift of our lives,
which are in Your hands,
and our souls, which are in Your keeping.
May we continue to grow closer to You
and may our faith be stronger than our fears.
Source of All,
shine Your healing light on my loved ones
and on all those who are suffering.
Grant them a R’fuah Shleimah—
restore them to health!
If you know someone who is struggling physically, emotionally, or spiritually, I invite you to explore the healing prayer collection in ZenScribe. When people are facing illness, surgery, chronic conditions, hospice, or the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next, it can be hard to find words. ZenScribe is a resource that allows you to create personalized prayers to offer comfort and support. I hope you will use the templates as a starting point to express what is in your heart.
Because words matter.
Prayer matters.
Presence matters.
And sometimes a tangible reminder of what we are praying for helps.
Personalize, print and share the prayers in your heart.
Beha’alotecha is not only about lifting light and crying out for healing; it is also, in its own way, about belonging. It contains the story of people who say, in effect, What about us? Is there room for us too? And Torah answers by making space. That feels like a powerful teaching for Pride Month.
Every soul deserves dignity.
Every soul deserves blessing.
Every soul deserves to be seen, honored, and welcomed as fully themselves.
In a world that can be so quick to exclude, I am proud to be part of a caring Jewish community. Pride Month invites us to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives, visibility, courage, and belonging. It also invites us to keep doing the work of creating communities where people are safe, supported, cherished, and fully embraced.
Guided journaling questions
- What helps you hold onto hope when so much feels uncertain?
- When you pray for healing, what are you most deeply asking for?
- What does belonging mean to you, both spiritually and communally?
- Who in your life right now most needs tenderness, blessing, or encouragement?
Closing blessing
May the glorious colors
of the rainbow
be a reminder that hope endures.
May healing light surround you,
and those you love.
May all who are walking difficult paths
be embraced by supportive communities,
and blessed with strength, courage, and companionship.
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