Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 21:42:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Prayer for the Ill

QUESTION: The following comment was made on someone who couldn't say Kadish
<  <  ...You can say Tehillim (Psalms), even in English. Have in mind that the
saying of the Psalms should be a merit for your father. Think of his name
while doing so. Any of the psalms are good. Particular ones for this
situation would be Chapters 20, 30, 121, 130, and 142.>  >

ANSWER:
All correct. But let me add that the main concept of prayer is the Shmoneh
Esray. According to all opinions a person may add prayers for specific sick
people in the HEAL OUR SICK paragraph of the daily prayer. In fact many
prayer books have specific formulae for doing this. The essential formula
is to "Pray that so and so get better" and also mention the community as eg
May so and so get better among other Jewish sick people.

Finally I should mention that IDEALLY a person should add personal items in
the daily prayer---he should pray for business success in the paragraph on
food, pray for the sick in the paragraph on sick, etc.  I have been
personally praying "May G-d acquit the 13 Jews being tried in Iran among
other Jews who are falsely accused" in the Prayer paragraph beginning "May
the slanderers have no hope"

[You can find the Shmoneh Esray or Daily Prayer in most prayer books-- it
is titled the AMIDAH, literally meaning STANDING because one stands during
its recital (because one is before G-d)]

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi is Simple, http://www.shamash.org/rashi/