Tehillim E-Mails
Despite the fact that my HS told me that the Jewish Press is not "our type of paper," I try to read it when I get a chance. Last week's issue mentioned something that crossed my mind, but I hadn't thought to discuss. The author discussed the practice of e-mailing Tehillim names to your friends, and what to do with them after receiving these emails.If there are 100 Fwd: s on it, you don't know when it's from or whether it's still necessary to daven for this person. They usually don't tell you why. Is someone having surgery, or was someone diagnosed with a terminal illness R"L? That might clue you in on how long should you daven for this person. Maybe s/he was taken from this world before you received the e-mail. The surgery could have been done 2 weeks ago, and s/he's fine. Or the doctor made a mistake, and there is nothing wrong with him/her.
Then, when will you know to stop saying Tehillim? Hopefully, s/he will heal quickly and completely, but you won't get to know that. Nobody ever sends emails, "Baruch Hashem, this person, -----ben/bat----- is better, so you may remove him/her from your Tefillah list." Nor do they send the unfortunate news, "Baruch Dayin Emet, this person has passed. Please remove him/her from your Tefillah list." Therefore, there may be thousands and thousands of names that people recite daily unkowingly, which are completely irrelevant.
As the author in the Jewish Press does, I usually recite a Perek at the computer upon receiving the e-mail, but am stuck after that as to whether I should continue saying the name or not. Is that enough? Am I too late? Too early?
She suggests ending that practice, and establishing a web site where people can list names for Tehillim. Although, not many people would regularly visit the site. Only the ones who need to post the names. And who's to say that they will remember to update the visitors on the person's condition?
Any suggestions?
posted by Michelle @ 11:55 PM
16 Comments:
right on, this tehilim emails need to stop a website would be great as it can be monitored and remove the names that dont need tehilim
I don't understand the whole issue. Just say a few chapters of tehillim every day, regardless of whether you get an email, go to a website, or whatever. Unfortunately, there are sick people every single day. It seems like there's always someone who needs our tefillos.
While it's nice to look for and daven for specific names, I'm sure G-d still accepts tefillos that are for "all of cholei yisroel" instead of just a few names.
First off nice and interesting blog!!!
Secondly I would like to get your e-mail address since you do say Tehilim when you get an e-mail.(which I dont, for the reasons you explained, and also just as I dont take seriously the e-mails that Bill gates is tracking this e-mail and will send 10 Dollars if you forward it.. You know what I mean.. and to top it off I am usually working when I am on the puter-except when blogging)
But dont feel like you are Waisting your tehilim, cause no tefilah is ever waisted, if you pray for one that is sick, and he passes away, the tefilos will be used for another fellow Jew who needs them.
And BTW this is how it is explained this weeks Parshah, if there wasnt even 10 good people in Sdoim, why did Hashem mlet Avraham go thru all these tefilos? if there is 50, 40 , 30 and so on..
Cause Hashem wanted his Tefilos, and he is using it when some other people needs them.
First it might be a nice practice to dedicate a portion of our for names for tehillim,, if there are clear updates and reasons.
Second, there is no such thing as not needing the Tehillim, if BH someone recovers and is healthy, they still need it for a Shidduch, parnossa, children, etc...
make a list of all the peeps, and the person resp. for putting it up, should be resp. for taking it down wenever the choleh is feeling better or passes away g-dforbid.srry, not trying to be crass, just realistic.
This has always bothered me as well. My basic rule is I only say Tehillim for somebody I know (or personally know of their condition). It's great if at shul the whole Kehilla says tehillim for somebody specific, but I don't think there is a value in one person saying tehillim for somebody else they don't know to the extent that they don't even know if the person requires continued prayer.
My suggestion: If you know of somebody who needs your prayers, pray for them yourself, or specifically ask one person to pray on their behalf, and keep that person updated.
Save the email forwards for Nigerian get rich schemes.
I agree that they've gotten out of hand. I don't even like the idea of the whole shul saying them after davening. The rabbis were mesaken certain prayers, plenty of which are from tehillim (pesukei dizimrah), and after the yom, it's over. The idea that a chapter of tehillim has become standard is a form of adding to davening, which is wrong.
The last anonymous brings a good point. A Rabbi in Seminary told us that when we add the "Yehi Ratzon" in Refa'einu, we should only do it for one Tefillah a day so it should not become an "addition" to the Tefillah. I never thought about it until he mentioned it, but afterwards I realized it had become part of my Tefillah as if it was in the bracha, which is not a good thing.
As for "everyone needs tehillim," yes-that is true, but that means why not daven for EVERYONE you know? In which case, why daven for anyone speicifically? I think we should keep it to those we feel really need it, or our tefillos will take up a whole day merely listing names!
Could we move on to a happier topic?
anon.
if you dont like the topic dont click on michelles blog link and dont come here
i dont get these people
YY - your argument makes little sense. I am giving Michelle feedback, namely, that I enjoy some of the other topics more. And she appreciates feedback, as she has said on numerous occasions. It's like when you're in a restaurant and the waiter brings you a cold steak. Do you just say, "Well, I didn't have to come here," or do you ask him to heat it up?
Hi. Just wanted to let everyone know that there is such a website:
http://www.adoptacholeh.com/-they give you a tehilim name to daven for and update you on the choleh's status.
Thanks.
Luckily saying Tehillim for healthy people does not seem to show any negative effects.
Nor, however, does saying Tehillim for truly sick people demonstate any positive effects either.
I really wouldn't worry too much about it.
I agree with Rebecca. When I get a tehillim e-mail that states that a person is having surgery, I say tehillim for them, forward the e-mail to my friends who I think would take it seriously, & delete the e-mail. When I get e-mails about people who are critically injured or ill, I do the same thing, but I add the name to my tehillim list. Unfortunately, no one ever sends update e-mails, which is why I have a whole paper covered on both sides with names of people I don't know, who may have recovered or died since I got their name. It would be really nice if people sent e-mails updated us on the person, but when a close friend or family member dies, people usually have more on their minds than e-mailing everyone who's been saying tehillim for them. It would be great if they did, though.
Hi, please consider linking to my site from yours as well as telling people about the site when you send out the list of names. I think my site could really help people get the word out for people to daven for someone in need and keep it organized.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Please let me know
thanks
refuahshleimah.com
www.shirhalev.com
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