18

Is it possible to say a Mi SheBerach for a sick baby who has not yet been named? If so, how is it done?

And if one cannot say a Mi SheBerach, is there another prayer that can be said?

What if there are twins? Would all twins have to be prayed for in plural?

msh210
  • 73,729
  • 12
  • 120
  • 359
Martha F.
  • 555
  • 3
  • 17
  • 4
    What I've seen done is "Tinok(et?) Ben/Bat [mother's name]" but I dont think have a source that it works. – Baal Shemot Tovot Mar 28 '12 at 19:06
  • Same here as l'. – YDK Mar 28 '12 at 19:28
  • 2
    What @l' mentions is the standard way of doing it. I cannot comment on what to do for twins of the same sex. – Seth J Mar 28 '12 at 19:52
  • 1
    I once saw a rabbi instruct a couple to name the child (male) early (before the bris) so that he could be prayed for by name. – Double AA Mar 28 '12 at 20:49
  • 1
    Come to think of it, the case in my comment above was two twin boys! I don't know if that influenced the decision... – Double AA Mar 28 '12 at 21:23
  • 3
    I've also seen Tinok/et ben/bat Mother's Name done in practise, but I have no source. As for twins, why wouldn't we pray for each one seperately? That is, why assume the need to pray for both together and change the form to a plural form? Simply pray for one Tinok ben Mother, and then pray again for the other Tinok ben Mother. Again, though, this is my conjecture without a source. – Shemmy Mar 29 '12 at 02:43
  • According to Kabala (see Likute Moharan 174, Ben Yehoyada 34a or 34b) one should not pray for someone who is sick with their name. – Hacham Gabriel Mar 29 '12 at 21:57
  • @HachamGabriel, which maseches in the Ben Y'hoyada? – msh210 Mar 29 '12 at 22:03
  • @msh210 Berachot. – Hacham Gabriel Mar 30 '12 at 01:28
  • @HachamGabriel See Yabia Omer O"C 2:11 (specifically אות ה) – Baal Shemot Tovot Mar 30 '12 at 04:09
  • @msh210 Ben Yehoyada Berachot 34 (or around there). – Baal Shemot Tovot Mar 30 '12 at 04:10
  • @l' did you read the Zach? He says, for sick people you don't say their name because it is like they have a Kitrug on them, but just for Hatzlaha, Parnasa etc. you can say their name. (see Likute Moharan 174). – Hacham Gabriel Mar 30 '12 at 15:10
  • @HachamGabriel I didn't know we use Likutei Moharan for halacha. I say the Yabia Omer and he quotes ben yehoyada, but doesn't conclude like him 100% – Baal Shemot Tovot Mar 30 '12 at 15:35
  • We don't, but I didn't want to you to think I was misinterpreting BY, so I included the LM. – Hacham Gabriel Mar 30 '12 at 17:29
  • call him or her whatever you want. If God does not know who you are talking about, we've got bigger problems! – mevaqesh Aug 11 '16 at 05:06

2 Answers2

5

A few years ago there was a tehilim drive for a sick baby pre-bris and the tehilim name being used was Tinok Ben Aviva until they were eventually able to do a bris. The child's father is an established Rabbi , currently leading this congregation and many congregations used this name worldwide, so I assume this is the accepted practice. Not sure how to handle twins though... Presumably you would use the plural form.

Yaakov Kuperman
  • 1,952
  • 10
  • 15
-1

Per Rav Yitzchok Silverstein if the Bris will not be on time and you want to give the child a name it is best to give it prior to day number 8. However if for any reason it did not occur and now the child is unwell you are allowed to give a name even after day number 8 prior to having a Bris.

http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/assia/pagim-2.htm

?האם נתן לתת שם לתינוק זכר לפני המילה

ומי שיודעים בו שאי אפשר למולו בזמנו, ורוצה לקרותו בשם, עדיף שיקרא לו בשם קודם ח', שעדיין אינו ערל. ובספר חמודי דניאל כתב גם שעדיף לקרא לו שם לפני ח'. כמובן שכל זה הוא רק לכתחילה אבל אם לא קראוהו בשם וחלה ורוצים להתפלל עבורו מותר לתת לו שם כדי שיתפללו עבורו

Gershon Gold
  • 139,471
  • 12
  • 231
  • 553
  • 2
    That's interesting, but doesn't answer my question. If the parents want to wait for the bris, how do you pray for the child before he is named? – Martha F. Mar 30 '12 at 02:48