Kavana All questions

How do I pray for someone I hurt?

Pray for their good, not for your relief. The temptation is to ask that they forgive you, which is really a prayer about your own comfort. Ask instead that they heal, that what you damaged be repaired in them, that their life be full. And do the material thing: say it to them plainly, without excuses and without requiring absolution in return. Prayer is not a substitute for an apology; it is what you can offer for their sake.

The work has a name: tikkun — repair: not erasing what happened, but mending, as far as it can be mended, the thing you broke.

From the sources “I acknowledged my sin to You… and You forgave.” — Psalm 32

What you can do

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