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Inspired by the end of this answer:

Just remember that all non-Jews don't follow the Sheva Mitzvot and could [even] be in Avodah Zarah and then would...a blessing [of theirs] matter? It might even be harmful (emphasis mine)?

Is the latter notion above correct? If someone prays for another's well-being, and the prayers are not (entirely) directed towards HaShem, could that harm the person whose well-being is being prayed for?

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Seth J
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    Why should it? What did the subject of the misdirected prayer do wrong? – Dave Jun 04 '12 at 17:30
  • @Dave What do the subjects actions have anything to do with it? – HodofHod Jun 04 '12 at 17:34
  • @HodofHod I imagine Dave is assuming that someone shouldn't be punished for something they didn't do. – Double AA Jun 04 '12 at 18:13
  • @Dave, hence my question. – Seth J Jun 04 '12 at 18:14
  • @Dave If, as is popularly explained, A's praying (to God) for B's health works because B, having brought A closer to God (for A is praying), has merit, then why shouldn't it be the case that if B brings about A's serving an idol then B gets a demerit? Seems logical. – msh210 Jun 04 '12 at 18:20
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    @DoubleAA Ah, but consider Berachos 56a: Bar Hedya said to himself: What am I to do? We have been taught that a curse uttered by a sage, even when undeserved, comes to pass; how much more so of Rava's, which I deserved! – HodofHod Jun 04 '12 at 18:33
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    @msh210: on the other hand, "we can confer benefit on someone in his absence, but not a liability" (זכין לאדם שלא בפניו ואין חבין לאדם שלא בפניו). – Alex Jun 04 '12 at 18:38
  • @msh210 Is there an actual source for that idea? The more straightforward explanation would seem to be that the prayer of a righteous (or at least earnest) individual is accepted by G-d to help "tilt the Heavenly scale" in favor of a lenient outcome. There is no reason to assume that if someone prays to an idol, it will cause the scale to be tilted the other way. That would be tantamount to punishing the person for another's act (assuming that the 'prayee' did not request the misdirected prayer). – Dave Jun 04 '12 at 18:40
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    @HodofHod - A curse is the exact opposite - it's asking G-d to punish someone. (The matter of how a curse can affect even someone who is "undeserving" probably deserves its own question.) – Dave Jun 04 '12 at 18:43
  • @Dave My only point was that not always does someone have to deserve a bad thing for it to happen to him. (Note that this applies only for human values of "deserve".) What did the subject of the misdirected prayer do wrong? Switch out prayer for curse. – HodofHod Jun 04 '12 at 19:29
  • To return to the original question: How could it hurt? There is no other Power but Hashem. "They bow to nothing and emptiness," (from Aleinu). As far as I know, Gentiles are not forbidden idolatry, so a Gentile who prays to "nothing and emptiness" is not doing anything wrong, and Hashem seems to tolerate it for them. The only problem I can think of is if it was a Jew who was praying for a Jew by praying to a "power" other than Hashem, and that would only be a problem for the Jew who was doing the misdirected praying. – Shemmy Jun 05 '12 at 21:26
  • @Shemmy Isn't idolatry one of the 7 for benei noach? – Double AA Aug 05 '12 at 05:52
  • Hi @SethJ. Thank you for posting my statement. I believe it's said in Yad, Avodah Kochavim that bnei Yisrael should not give kind words to an a"kum. Althought that's just kind words and not prayers, when I come across it in my research I'll try to post more, specifically for blessings and prayers. Good post! – EhevuTov Feb 09 '15 at 18:27

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The Rambam (Avodah Zarah 11:12) forbids "whispering pesukim" for a cure (calling them "in the category of kofrim") because Torah is meant for spiritual health and not physical health. But the Lechem Mishneh there writes that the Rambam permitted a similar case earlier, of "whispering" to cure a scorpion bite, because in that case there is a sakanah. The Lechem Mishneh explains that it is permissible to do sorcery (which is forbidden) because of sakanah, because the "whispering" works and saves from the sakanah.

Maybe this can be applied to our case. If there is a sakanah, it appears to me that the Rambam (as explained by the Lechem Mishneh) would permit the praying.

b a
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  • Even if permitted, would it help or hurt the prayee? – Double AA Jun 06 '12 at 04:23
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    @DoubleAA The whole reason why it is permitted is because is helps. – b a Jun 06 '12 at 04:38
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    But Whishpering is Kishuf not Avoda Zara. How do you know praying to Avoda Zara works? – Double AA Jun 06 '12 at 04:41
  • @BA, the original question was asking about a Gentile praying to a god other than Hashem. If you read it carefully, you'll see that the question was framed in the context of an earlier question about non-Jews and their prayers. Why are you even bringing a Rambam? There is no issur for non-Jews! The question, as written, is asking if it's bad for a Jew if a non-Jew prays to an idol or other imagined power aside from or in addition to Hashem. Answers and comments should be sure to differentiate if the person praying is Jewish or non-Jewish. – Shemmy Jun 06 '12 at 11:24
  • @Shemmy There is an issur for non-Jews to worship avodah zarah. And I am using the case to prove that it is permissible to violate an issur in a case of sakanah, even though the action is not like medicine or something. – b a Jun 06 '12 at 14:34
  • It would be helpful if you would bring a source for the issur for non-Jews to worship avodah zara. Obviously, I have heard the there is not such an issur. I didn't put my response in the answer section because I don't have a source off the top of my head, but you seem very sure of what you say so I would love to learn your source. – Shemmy Jun 06 '12 at 21:32
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    @Ba, darchei emori are permitted when effective, avodah zarah is different. – Yirmeyahu Sep 04 '12 at 14:22
  • Edit the answer to use the term "incantation" instead of "whispering". – Ephraim Nov 10 '13 at 07:16