Question:
Hello, what kind of prayers are permitted when a jew starts up with you? Tosfos in Gittin daf zayin according to one answer forbid praying against enemies, but is not tehillim full of such prayers? May one ask that ones own efforts against enemies be successful, or at least that they should leave you alone? Or when saying tehillim which mentions enemies, can you have them in mind?
Answer:
Hello,
It depends on the conditions and who the enemies are. In general, it is correct that we may not daven that our Jewish enemies should be punished. There is no need to daven for it, as Hashem sees and knows what is going on. We may however daven that Hashem cause that the person should stop hurting you and leave you alone. Regarding Dovid Hamelech, this is good question because we do see that he did daven against Doeg and Achitofel? There are a few suggestions given to explain this. (However, an important preface to all of this is that I am not saying this as halacha, rather as a form of discussion, without any halachic conclusions.) There are those who say that one may only not daven that shomayim punish the person if there is a way that the din can be done by bais din etc., however in Dovid’s case there wasn’t anything in Bais din that he would have been able to do. Other idea given is that they were considered a rodef (pursuer to kill), and then it is permitted.
A person can daven that the person stop doing what they are doing, without mentioning that it should be done in a way of punishing them, or that they should do teshuva
I have attached a copy of something I saw in a sefer, שיח יום שטיין (בענין מוסר דינו לשמים). which brings these and other suggestions.
Best wishes
