Refuah
/rəˈfuː.ə/noun
Healing or recovery, especially in Jewish religious and cultural contexts.
Did you know?The same Hebrew healing root appears in the name Raphael, traditionally understood as “God has healed” or “God heals.”
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רְפוּאָה (refu’ah)
“Healing, cure, or restoration”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רָפָא (rafa)
“To heal or restore health”
Second Temple and Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
רְפוּאָה (refu’ah)
“Healing or medical treatment”
Medieval Jewish usage
Hebrew/Yiddish
refuah
“Healing, commonly appearing in blessings and religious expressions”
Modern English
English
refuah
“A Jewish loanword for healing or recovery, especially in “refuah shlemah,” meaning “complete healing””