Maimonides Prayer

Attributed to Moses Maimonides, a Jewish physician, born in Cordoba (1135-1204).
It is supposed to have been written by a German physician, Marcus Herz, who published it in 1793 as "The daily prayer of a physician before going out to visit his patients. According to a manuscript in Hebrew, by a famous Jewish physician of the 12th century, who worked in Egypt.
English version: Gonzalo Herranz.
Checked on 22 September 2004.

The Physician's Daily Prayer (Prayer of Moses Maimonides)

Almighty God, You have created the human body with infinite wisdom. Thou hast combined in it ten thousand times, ten thousand organs, which act ceaselessly and harmoniously to preserve the whole in its beauty: the body which is the sheath of the immortal soul. They work continuously in perfect order, agreement and dependence.

However, when the frailty of the subject or the unbridled passions of the soul upset that order or break that harmony, then one force clashes with another and the body disintegrates into the original dust from which it came. Thou sendest disease to man as a beneficent messenger, announcing approaching danger and urging him to avoid it.

You have blessed the earth, the mountains and the waters with healing substances, which enable your creatures to alleviate their sufferings and cure their diseases. You have endowed man with wisdom to alleviate his brother's pain, to diagnose his diseases, to extract the healing substances, to discover their effects and to prepare and apply them as best suits each disease.

In Thy eternal Providence, Thou hast chosen me to watch over the life and health of Thy creatures. I am now prepared to devote myself to the duties of my profession. Support me, Almighty God, in this great work to do good to men, for without Thy financial aid nothing I do will succeed.

Inspire me with great love for my art and for Thy creatures. Let not the thirst for gain or the ambition for renown and admiration spoil my work, for they are enemies of truth and love of humanity and may divert me from the noble duty of caring for the welfare of Thy creatures.

Give strength to my body and spirit, that they may always be ready to help in good cheer the poor and the rich, the bad and the good, the enemy as well as the friend. Grant that in the suffering I may always see a human being.

Enlighten my mind to recognise what is presented to my eyes and to discern what is absent and hidden. May I not fail to see what is visible, but do not allow me to arrogate to myself the power to invent what does not exist; for the limits of the art of preserving the life and health of Your creatures are tenuous and indefinite.

Let me not be distracted: let no extraneous thought divert my attention when I am at the bedside or disturb my mind in its silent deliberation, for great and complicated are the reflections that are needed in order not to harm Your creatures.

Grant that my patients may have confidence in me and my art and follow my prescriptions and my committee. Drive away from their side the charlatans and the multitude of the officious and know-it-all relatives, cruel people who with arrogance spoil the best purposes of our art and often lead to the death of Your creatures.

May those who are wiser be willing to help me and instruct me. May I thank them heartily for their guide, for our art is very extensive.

May the foolish and the mad censure me. May the love of profession strengthen me against them. May I stand firm and care neither for their age, their reputation, nor their honour, for if I were to yield to their criticism I might harm your creatures.

It fills my soul with gentleness and serenity if some senior colleague, proud of his greater experience, wants to displace me, despises me or refuses to teach me. May that not make me resentful, because they know things I do not. May I not be embarrassed by their arrogance. For, although they are old, old age is not the master of passions. I hope to reach old age on this earth and live in Your presence, Lord Almighty.

Make me modest in everything except the desire to know the art of my profession. Let me not be deceived into thinking that I already know enough. On the contrary, grant me the strength, the joy and the ambition to know more every day. For art is endless, and the mind of man can always grow.

In Thy eternal Providence, Thou hast chosen me to watch over the life and health of Thy creatures. I am now ready to devote myself to the duties of my profession. Help me, Almighty God, in this great work to do good to men, for without Thy help nothing I do will succeed.