Many patients and families facing terminal illness and no known cure confront a profound question:

Is it appropriate to pray for a “miracle” when medical experts have determined that death is inevitable and near?

The Talmud tells a powerful story in which King Hezekiah declares: “Even if a sharp sword rests upon a person’s neck, he should not prevent himself from praying for mercy” (Brachot 10a). Commentators note that Hezekiah learned this from earlier kings who were saved from death or defeat. In war, salvation may come even at the last moment. This same principle,that our fate is never fully sealed, is echoed in discussions of prayer and repentance. According to some sages, even after a “divine decree” has been issued, it can be overturned through sincere repentance (Rosh Hashanah 16a). Following this same thought, according to some, prayer for healing, even miraculous healing, is always permissible, as a spiritual expression of hope.

Is a Prayer Ever “In Vain”?

Yet the Talmud also teaches that there are limits to what we may pray for. The Mishnah states: “One who cries out over the past, in an attempt to change that which has already occurred, offers a vain prayer (tefillat shav)” (Brachot 54a). For example, it is considered inappropriate to pray for a specific gender of a baby once the fetus has developed, or to pray that a scream one hears while returning to their city is not coming from their own house. In both cases, the outcome is already determined, and prayer cannot reverse what has already occurred.

Similarly, it is discouraged to pray for rain in a season when rain is unnatural, or to pray that 100 barrels of wine become 200. At that point, one can pray only that what exists will be preserved or yield profit (Taanit 8b). In other words, when reality has been set, prayer should not be used to undo it. Perhaps such prayers were once possible for great spiritual figures in earlier generations, but today, relying on them may reflect unrealistic expectations or misplaced spiritual confidence.

Miracles for the Many?

Still, some point to liturgical prayers, such as one said on Chanukah, that ask God to perform miracles “as in the days of the Hasmoneans” (OC 187:4). Rabbi Alexander Sender Shor suggests that perhaps such prayers are permitted when directed at the well-being of the Jewish people as a whole (Bechor Shor 21a). Others argue that we may pray for “hidden miracles,” like the military victory of the Maccabees, where divine intervention worked subtly within natural events.

In this vein, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky noted that praying for miraculous healing may be permissible because sometimes illnesses considered irreversible are unexpectedly resolved. What seems like a miracle may still fall within the bounds of nature’s hidden potential.

God’s Preference for Natural Order

Many rabbinic decisors, however, firmly state that we should not pray for healing that contradicts the natural order. Why? Medieval theologians such as Rabbi Isaac Arama and R. Nissim of Gerona explain that God prefers to govern the world through nature. If miracles were common, free will would be undermined, and human responsibility would collapse. A world of constant supernatural intervention would make moral effort meaningless. Miracles, therefore, are purposeful and rare, never to be expected or demanded.

This belief informs the deeper role of prayer. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook taught that prayer must be in harmony with reason and reality. It is not meant to force God’s hand but to elevate the soul, refine character, and strengthen our connection to God. To pray for something that contradicts natural law, such as a supernatural cure for a terminally ill patient, risks reducing prayer to self-serving magic and losing its transformative power.

Prayer as Strength and Surrender

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach reflected this in practice. He taught that when medical consensus deems recovery impossible, one should not pray for a miraculous healing. “The Talmud tells us to pray when the sword rests on the neck,” he explained, “not once it has already begun to cut.” At such times, prayer should focus on easing suffering, asking for God’s mercy, and supporting the family with comfort and strength.For Rabbi Auerbach, such restraint dignifies both prayer and the patient, while avoiding false hope or theological confusion when heartfelt prayers go unanswered.  

What Jewish Tradition Teaches Us

Jewish tradition does not ask us to stop praying in the face of suffering. Rather, it teaches us how to pray—with humility, honesty, and connection. When we pray for clarity, comfort, and courage—instead of demanding a reversal of reality—we uphold the dignity of prayer and the dignity of the person we’re praying for.

Rather than abandon prayer in the face of tragedy, Judaism asks us to deepen it. We do not pray to overturn nature but to find strength within it. When we pray for comfort, clarity, or courage—not for a reversal of reality—we affirm the true power of prayer: a sacred act of humility and connection, grounded in faith, even when outcomes remain unchanged.  

Explore more about prayer during times of illness through Ematai’s Tefilot Project.