3

Are there guidelines about how sick you have to be to be included in the mi shebberach list read during the torah service? A cold? Bronchitis? The flu? Pneumonia? I'm not asking about private prayer but public prayer.

Addendum: There is no halacha for how sick you have to be to rate a mention on the public mi shebberach list. Each congregation makes its own rules. This is what I concluded after reading the comments here and at judaism.stackexchange.com/q/16430/170

(Personally, I find it distasteful to tell someone for whom the matter is very meaningful, "Sorry, you are just not sick enough to make the cut.")

Maurice Mizrahi
  • 21,770
  • 3
  • 15
  • 57
  • AFAIK, a sickness is when one is tied to the bed. In such a case he's considered "imprisoned" and needs to be freed.

    Of course, it is a matter of personal feeling and severity, theoretically, there's nothing to prohibit to say M"S for anyone who's not feeling well.

     – Al Berko Dec 24 '18 at 13:42
  • 2
    What is ever too trivial to pray for? As for using communal time, why would there be any guidance other than whatever the community allows? – Double AA Dec 24 '18 at 14:27
  • I think this is a matter of opinion. In my shul, just last week, we debated this as we have a huge list of about 50 people. As we do Mi Sheberach at each Torah reading, it becomes a torach tzibbur to read all these names on a weekday. Our rav decided to limit the list to people who are hospitalized or recovering from surgery, etc. It doesn't belong to people who have a permanent long-term illness in his opinion. It certainly does not go for someone who has just a cold or migraine. (If it did, they would be saying the bracha for me each time I ride the subway to work!) – DanF Dec 24 '18 at 16:29
  • @DanF indeed I asked once who rated to be included in the addition to refaeinu in a personal shmonei esrei, and R Tabady told me that only serious cases (e.g., people in hospitals) qualified. I specifically asked if long-term chronic sick people (but not in life danger) should be there and he advised against praying there for the same people over long periods of time – mbloch Dec 24 '18 at 16:31
  • 2
    @MauriceMizrahi I've edited that information into the question. For future reference, the best way to respond to comments asking for clarifications is to [edit] the question. (And then you can flag those comments as no longer needed, as they've done their job.) Thanks. – Monica Cellio Dec 24 '18 at 18:29
  • 1
    @DoubleAA A lot of them are ignored these days in most places I've been, but there are plenty of specific rules on the books for specific ways to not waste the congregation's time. – Isaac Moses Dec 24 '18 at 18:41
  • This seems a duplicate of https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/16430/170 – msh210 Dec 24 '18 at 20:06
  • 1
    @msh210 I agree and have put it on hold as such. Maurice, see the linked question for answers to your question. If your question is different, you can [edit] to say how and the community will review for possible reopening. It looks like the answers there are what you're looking for -- check them out. – Monica Cellio Dec 24 '18 at 20:23
  • @ Monica Cellio - I added my conclusion in my question -- No room for an "answer". – Maurice Mizrahi Dec 24 '18 at 23:36
  • I find it rather distasteful to treat the prayer for well being of the sick as actually just a ritual for the psychological well being of the healthy relative. It makes it seem like that's its sole benefit, not the divine consequence of actually healing the ill. – Double AA Dec 25 '18 at 00:33

0 Answers0