Individual petitionary prayer and Judaism

[nancylebov]

It looks as though I misrepresented the status of individual petitionary prayer in Judaism. I'd been told by an observant Jew (and heard the same from another Jew whose level of observantness I don't know) that it's forbidden in general. Optimistically assuming that this is correct, it's actually only forbidden on the Sabbath (which seems to be reserved for prayers of thanks), but perfectly well allowed the rest of the time.

Here's a take on the question which includes

I suggest that it is time to acknowledge this reality and reinstate the opportunity for petitionary prayer in the Shabbat Amidah.

Knowing that the Rabbis frowned on such prayers didn’t stop our ancestors from saying the “mi shebeirach” prayer for healing on Shabbat. They even inserted a disclaimer in the prayer, the words “Shabbat hi milizok,” which can be loosely translated as “we know that we’re not supposed to cry out to You on Shabbat, but we’re going to do it anyways....” So there is precedent in the tradition for my suggestion.

Please note that I have no opinion about whether the Amidah should be changed or what the status of individual petitionary prayer should be or whether not doing it on the Sabbath contributes to the quality of the day. However, I'm charmed by there being a word for "we know there's a rule, but we're going to break it anyway". A stiff-necked people, indeed.

I try to forgive other people's ignorance, considering that I can't even get the details right about what is either my own culture or at least the culture next door.

Comments

[andrewducker]

Stiff-necked is an understatement. If there are two Rabbis in a room then there are three opinions. Four, if you count God's, and they probably wouldn't.

[llennhoff.livejournal.com]

The idea behind the prayer for sick people on Shabbat (Misheberach for cholim) was supposed to be that by announcing the names of those who needed praying for, other members of the congregation could do so after Shabbat. In practice it doesn't work that way:

1. Many people send out email lists of people who need to be prayed for during the week
   
2. Hardly anyone listens to the names of the sick people when they are recited (*)
   
3. Some congregations, anxious to avoid the delay of having everyone come up and say their individual name, have the chazzan pause and ask everyone to say the name quietly to themselves simultaneously, thus defeating the alleged purpose of the custom.
   

(*) Some do, though. I had someone come up to me after services at a Shabbaton to ask how I knew the (now late) Bostoner Rebbe, as I had added his name to the list.

There are lots of other petitionary prayers said during the torah service though, and I don't have an explanation as to why this is permitted. Another interesting gotcha - during the week the generic mishiberach prayer goes give the listed people goodies 'because he will donate to charity ...' On Shabbat the prayer goes 'because he will pledge to donate to charity ....'

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

I suppose it says something about me that I find it hard to think of "stiff-necked" other than as a term of praise: This is someone who will not bow their neck in submission, and, by extension, someone who maintains their integrity.

[jonbaker.livejournal.com]

There's also petitionary prayer in the grace after meals, in the 3rd (Racheim) paragraph. The Vilna Gaon wrote an alternate text that is not petitionary, but it did not catch on widely.

Elokai Netzor, as well as many of the morning blessings, are petitionary, and everybody says them too.

Another potential rationale for the prayer for the sick on Shabbat is that saving a life trumps Shabbat, so one should only pray for cases that are life-threatening.

That also cuts down on the number of names the gabbai has to read.

[avram]

So Jim Morrison was wrong, then?

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

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[avram]

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