This blog is generally not of the ranting sort. Perhaps informational or inspirational but not a rant. Today I bring you some of my thoughts on a issue I think plagues our Jewish Nation: the Mi Shebairach. When people started saying Mi Shebairach it was for the sick people of the town or perhaps a relative. Now with the advent of the internet and email many people have lists a mile long. This is extremely problematic especially in a shul that has one for every possible scenario: the state of Israel, the POW, the MIA and the list goes on and on. There is no question that there are many sick people who need a refuah and should be in our prayers. The problem is one of decorum. When you extend these ideas out too far it invites lots of gabbing. This talking then extends itself into either the Torah reading or the prayer services. The answer I believe, lies in the Gabbbai asking everyone to insert the name of the sick while saying the Mi Shebairach. Instead of waiting for everyone to go through their names, trying to remember it while others wait in line: you get the picture. For all you gabbais out there, this rants for you...
15 comments:
Our shuls solution was to move the Mi Sheberach for cholim to Mincha.
Anon, interesting....
here's an idea , tell the gabbers to shut the heck up.
I frequent a shul that does the full list you describe in front of an open aron kodesh - and if theres even a cough noise during the mi shebereach it stops until theres silece. how else can it have any meaning if people arent listening along with kavanah?
They can all listen but a mi shebairach should not take 10 min. to finish. I think it's a tirchah d'tzibur too take so long a time to finish it. There is a shul in Far Rockaway that has a lon list but they have 3 people reading it at the same time and everyone says amen at the end as that is what is required. It's easy to say everyone should be quiet but we are talking about shul and most are not quiet to begin with.
Whats the tircha? Where are people running shabbos morning?
Imagine the tircha of the people being prayed for and it wont seem like such a tircha.
If only people ha a fraction of the kavannah during mi shebeirach like that of a year in israel kid at amukah
Anon, I see who I'm dealing with....
Why do we make sure to roll the sefer torah to the right place before davening? What's the problem? A few minutes doesn't hurt nobody...It is considered tircha d'tzibur. That's why it's done in advance. Sorry but you are dead wrong.
"dead wrong" ???
who your dealing with???
rolling the torah???
Is this what you plan to teach your children?
Imagine if the sick person was your parent or friend or child? Imagine if the israeli solder was your son or daughter or brother?
Imagine the pain the sick people are going through (the real tircha) and then compare it to the "tircha" of 6 extra minutes of idle chatter to make it to the booze and stale cake?
"Dead wrong?"
We go to shul to pray. Mi Shebeirach is a paryer. If not then, pray tell where and when wont it be a tircha?
You compare praying for peopel's welfare to rolling the torah. Yes it is rolled before services to prevent "tircha" of the tzibbur. Because they wont know what to do with themselves and it will delay part of the service.
If you see mishebeirach as an annoying segway with nothing for you to do while it is going on, the obviously, "i see who I am dealing with" and understand your problem.
However if you understand what and why it is, it is probably the most significant part of the whole morning. Afterall, that is when everyone collectively gets to daven for OTHER PEOPLE and not just their own selves.
Because they wont know what to do with themselves and it will delay part of the service.
You mean they can't look over the parsha or something to that effect.
Regarding your comment and to reiterate what I said previously, I'm not saying g-d forbid to do away with it rather I feel it has been dragged out to to a point it was not meant for. Whether you like it or not it does not assist with keeping talking to a minimum, hushing people rarely works and just drags out the service. If you like to Daven somewhere where shachris takes 4 hrs that's your prerogative but no one should force their idea of frumkiet on others. Not everyone is up to the task to listen to a 10-15 minute
mi shebairach service perhaps you are. Many people don't know what to do with themselves when they here a gizzilion names so the same concept should apply.
i know many people that would gladly trade the extra 3 minutes of mishebeirachs in exchange of the extra 6 minutes of showboating quasi singers who feel the need to belt out their own poorly constructed renditions of the latest sad shloimeeshwekeee durge for kedusha. Now THAT is a tircha dtzibruah and a waste of time!
I feel sorry for you. Maybe you should go to a different shul or comunity.
Who ever said it takes 4 hours? Who ever said this was an issue of "frumkeit" (whatever that means) . Take out a stop watch next time, I doubt any mishebeircha lasts 10-15 minutes. (except when some rich guy needs to make a blessing for every single person in his extended family in the shuls that do that at every aliyah).
What happens when one of the impatient congregants has the sick relative? then suddenly they are serious about it. Its like the people who are nonchalant about kadish until it is their turn to say it.
What happens when one of the impatient congregants has the sick relative? then suddenly they are serious about it.
Anon, you really have not been reading this post. Many people bring in names from other place NOT their relatives. Most people these days are just bring in names they heard about.
Instead of reading every single name simply insert the name during the bracha has the same effect. I'm not sure what your problem is. Also there is no reason to feel sorry for me..you don't know me:)
i know many people that would gladly trade the extra 3 minutes of mishebeirachs in exchange of the extra 6 minutes of showboating quasi singers
Anon,
As do I, That's why I don't shlep out the Davening when I do daven ( and people appreciate that I' don't)PS I have no use for cake.
even without shlepping, those "tunes" are so annoying.
I know many shuls that when they say the MIA mi shebeirach they say the full hebrew name but also the persons last name for identity purposes. perhaps if that was done by the sick people bracha people would understand better.
There is nothing wrong with the custom of "please insert the name" which is catching on everywhere.
But tio say such harsh things as you did, well...thats just cold, man.
say such harsh things as you did, well...thats just cold,
Not sure what's so harsh about what I said. The idea though of saying a Mi Shebairach for every conceivable possibility where is it going to end. They keep adding on ones by us.
tunes are so annoying well in many shuls they prefer it. I guess it depends where you are coming from
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