For Maos Chittin Click Here

Praying for sick, proper way to say the name

Question:

I’ve seen, that when praying for a sick person, one shouldn’t use honorifics, just Ploni ben Plonis. My question:

  1. If the sick person is a kohein , is it correct to add kohein or levi to the name ?
  2. Also, when making a keil maleh, would the same rules regarding honorifics apply, or is it just when praying for the sick?
    Thank you very much.

Answer:

What you are writing is correct, that when a person is talking to Hashem, such as when davening for a sick person[1], we say the person’s name without any titles. This is because in front of Hashem no one is “elevated”.

  1. Hakohen is considered an honorif, and not an essential part of the person’s name, therefore when saying Tehillim, it is said without the word Hakohen.
  2. It applies when saying Kel Maleh[2].

Sources:

 

[1] ספר חסידים (מרגליות) סימן תת

אדם שמתפלל על אביו אם הוא חולה לא יאמר תרפא אבא מארי או לאדוני אבא רפא כי שלמה אמר דוד אבי וכן אלישע אמר (מ"ב ב' י"ד) איה [ה'] אלהי אליהו ולא אמר אדוני אבל עבד אברהם אמר (בראשית כ"ד כ"ז) אלהי אדוני אברהם כי לא היה בן חורין.

[2] נטעי גביראל פע"ב סע' ז' בשם שו"ת חיים שאל ס' ע"א.

 

 

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

  1. Thank you for your answer.
    I’m sorry though, I didn’t understand point number one. Could you please say it again.

    1. That when we daven for a Kohen that is sick we just say his name without adding the word Hakohen

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *