Who do you say Tehillim for?

Motek

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 1:04 pm

Do you have a list of names that you daven for, keeping them in mind in Refa'einu or when you say Tehillim?

Who makes it on your list?

I've been wondering about this lately. If I added every name that I came across on the Internet, in articles, that I hear about, I would have hundreds of names. Is that really what we are supposed to do - go through hundreds of names when saying Refa'einu? Go through hundreds of names when saying Tehillim?

Don't the words "rofei chol amcha Yisrael" include all sick people?

Then I notice that high-profile people needing a refua make it on my list, like those who were in major news stories. Why should they be listed personally on my list any more than anybody else - because they had an article written about them?

Any words of wisdom about this?

ceo

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 2:27 pm

You're right-- how can you say tehillim for everyone, all the time? Usually, when my husband or I hear a name or a story, we will daven for that person one time, and that's it. Not because we don't care, chas v'shalom, but because if we spent time saying a heartfelt tefilla for every person that we got an email about, or read an article about, or whatever, then I would probably be spending most of my time saying tehillim than doing other things (ie- housekeeping, taking care of my kids, etc. Also, many times I will get an email saying "please daven for Ploni- he is in serious condition." I often don't get an update about Ploni, and I don;t know if I should continue saying tehillim, etc..

If we have a personal connection with someone, then we will say more frequently.

chocolate moose

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 2:31 pm

Motek wrote:

If I added every name that I came across on the Internet, in articles, that I hear about, I would have hundreds of names. Is that really what we are supposed to do - go through hundreds of names when saying Refa'einu? Go through hundreds of names when saying Tehillim?

I've been to gatherings where ppl indeed pulled out pages after page of names. If you don't know the person, I'd sayto do tehillim once. Otherwise, to keep them on a list for years doesn't make sense.

Shmais, for xample, is only taking names of lo oleinu horribly sick ppl.

Ruchel

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 3:14 pm

Quote:

Do you have a list of names that you daven for, keeping them in mind in Refa'einu or when you say Tehillim?

I had a name list that I compiled and printed for my kalla mikve (printed it at home in France, shlepped it to Jeru along with the wedding dress and veil and stuff lol), and used the same for my wedding. For my daughter's birth, I actually used the very same paper list, but I had added some names by hand.

Apart from that, I do those that I remember. I don't go and check my list.

Quote:

Who makes it on your list?

anyone who asked, for himself or someone else, for any reason. Including non Jews. Just anyone in need.

Quote:

Then I notice that high-profile people needing a refua make it on my list, like those who were in major news stories. Why should they be listed personally on my list any more than anybody else - because they had an article written about them?

This is true, especially since they will be on the list of many others!
When I read what you wrote, I remember a conversation I had maybe 10 or more years ago with my dad. I don't remember why it started, but he told me to make sure to not forget those others had forgotten. He himself kept in his thoughts and prayers many people who had no family, or who died alone. He still had in his mind precise people, like a street seller who had left all his family in Poland and he was caught and sent to the camps and he never came back, and my father thought it was good to pray for him as probably no one else in the world did, or still did.

Another "who to pray for" story:
My mother told me every day, as a kid, she saw her grandmother in prayer, and once she asked her what she was doing.
- I am praying
- who do you pray for?
- First, the family
- and then?
- all the Jews
- and then?
- all the human beings

mummiedearest

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 3:25 pm

personal story:

my brother had a serious injury a few years back. b'h he recovered quicker than expected. his name made its way around on the email lists. a year after he recovered, a friend called me to ask how my brother was. I asked her why and she told me she got his name on email as in dire need of tehilim, he had just sustained an injury. she knew about the injury the year before and wondered whether it happened again.

well, that's email for you. they don't stop, and people somewhere in timbuktu are probably still saying tehilim for my lil bro.

so I don't say the names on the email lists. I've gotten the same email about the same girl two years apart. even if you send an email to say they've recovered, not everyone will get it.

IF SENDING A CHAIN TEHILIM EMAIL PLEASE INCLUDE THE DATE AND YEAR IN THE MESSAGE ITSELF SO IT WILL NOT BE DELETED WITH ALL THE FORWARDING ADDRESSES.

mummiedearest

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 6:15 pm

GAMZu wrote:

Quote:

IF SENDING A CHAIN TEHILIM EMAIL PLEASE INCLUDE THE DATE AND YEAR IN THE MESSAGE ITSELF SO IT WILL NOT BE DELETED WITH ALL THE FORWARDING ADDRESSES.

Brilliant. (As usual Wink

)

thanks

didn't realize I was usually brilliant. or do you mean it's usually brilliant to include the date?

hmm...

Rutabaga

Tue, Apr 15 2008, 6:22 pm

Whenever I get an email to say tehillim for someone, I daven right then for the person. Then I delete the email. If it is someone I know personally, then I add them to my short list of people I daven for on a more regular basis.

I know a lot of neighborhoods that have tehillim groups that meet once a week. They daven for a whole list of people, and just make sure to update the list a couple of times a year.

Speaking of tehillim, my grandfather was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It has already spread to the liver and is inoperable. Can you please take a moment to daven for Aharon Mechel ben Rachel? Thanks!