Davening With Feeling- Rifaenu

Teffilot are no longer required for Tzvi Dov Ben Shoshana. Thank you.

Davening for Cholim is important, right?

But what if you’re just mumbling some names that mean nothing to you? How can you make the davening more important and meaningful?

(Ok, enough questions! Nu, give us some answers!)

Alright, you asked for it. Here are a few tips to help you focus on the names.

1. Make it personal
   Add names of people you know. It’s a lot harder to be detached when it’s a sibling, relative, or friend, lo alenu. Use the emotion you feel for those people to help you feel for others. It might not be your sister you’re davening for, but it’s someone’s sister, or cousin, or mother, or friend. Make it real.
2. Learn more
   Try to find out more about some of the people your davening for. Ask the person who gave you the name, or see who else you can ask. Some people prefer to keep details quiet- you don’t have to know much. Just understand what sort of refuah you’re davening for.
3. Remember about the people
   I sometimes have a tendency to rush the names. Listen when you’re davening. Does it sound like you’re saying Zev Yisroal, Ben Esther? Or, ZevYisroalBenEsther, like it’s all one name?Just slowing down and reminding yourself ‘there are two names here. This is a person, son or daughter of someone else.’ Have in mind; the person, Zev Yisroal, the son of Esther, who is a member of Klal Yisroal. Tzvi Dov, (pause, that is one person), Ben Shoshana (that is another person.)

Try one or more of these ideas and tell me what you think. Any other tips you can share? Any names you want me to spread around?

Please note: The names mention here are names of real Cholim. Please daven for them. May this article be a zechus for their refuah shilemah, bitoch shiar cholay yisroal.

Zev Yisroal ben Esther is a teacher at my school who feel off a ladder and is in rehab.
Tzvi Dov ben Shoshana is a relative in a stroke-related coma.