Prayer of a Sick Person

The Medrash states^[1] that a Prayer of a sick person is more beautiful than of others based on the verse in Bereishis^[2] describing how Hashem heard the voice of Yishmael when he cried out to him.

I am wondering about this concept.  Why is this type of prayer more beautiful or effective than others davening for somebody?  Why is it not more beautiful when others daven for someone else?  We see how there are so many examples in the Torah of others davening for people quite effectively, and they don’t daven for themselves in those prayers.  For example Yitzchak Avinu davens for his wife to have a child, and his focus in on his wife^[3].

The Pele Yoetz^[4]  says that a sick person should take care to treat his situation as a time in which one should use to having great advocates, by creating merits to tip the scales in the direction of merits rather than misdirected energies.  It is specifically at this moment one  should not be giving up because of fear of Divine retribution however.  And he cautions not to wait until the sickness is heavy, but instead he should immediately take heed to make his affairs in order, and strengthen himself like a lion to fulfill every aspect of a Mitzvah that comes his way, to increase, expand and make even one mitzvah more, and to not make it “light” in this time of “weighing”.

He goes on to relay a story in which there was a person on his sick-bed and “suddenly” he was stirred and strengthened himself and asked to to put on his tefillin, and at this moment going forward he was restored to his health.  He revealed a secret and said when he was sick he saw it as an opportunity to tip his scales of  his sins and merits. He immediately went to work with all his strength to fulfill his mitzvos with power, he gave tzedakah, because tzedakah saves one from death and then he poured his heart out to Hashem seeking selicha daily because the prayer of a sick person for himself is desired by Hashem.

This concept connected me to Avraham Avinu after having a Bris Milah and was sick, and then waited by the entrance of his tent^[5] to find guests^[6] , looking for a Mitzvah without delay.  His actions seem to mimic the recommendation of the Pele Yoetz when he described the sick person ; ופתע פתאם נתעורר ויתחזק- (suddenly he was stirred and strengthened himself ). Tefillah comes from the word “pilel” which is translated as judging according to Rashi^[7].

Did Avraham Avinu  therefore see his illness as an opportunity to be mispallel, as time of making his own Din V’cheshbon  (self-examination) to  find ways to maximize his existence ?

I think it is worth consideration to see this statement of שֶׁיָּפָה תְּפִלַּת הַחוֹלֶה מִתְּפִלַּת אֲחֵרִים עָלָיו וְהִיא קוֹדֶמֶת לְהִתְקַבֵּל;  that the tefillah of a sick person is more beautiful than others and and take precedence in acceptance as a special gift and opportunity Hashem gives a person with an illness. Perhaps this is why I have heard my Rebbie, Harav Simcha Weinberg, n’’y state that every time one has a pain, or experiences illness one should daven.  I think of it as Hashem’s offering a person an invitation to take this as a moment of making a choice to take responsibility for one’s life, as did Avraham Avinu, the greatest gift of all.

Meaning, to connect to what the Ramchal states in his first chapter of Mesillat Yesharim:

“The foundation of piety and the root of perfect service [of G-d] is for a man to clarify and come to realize as truth what is his obligation in his world and to what he needs to direct his gaze and his aspiration in all that he toils all the days of his life.” (Sefaria Translation)

Perhaps this changes how we daven for a sick person.  Perhaps we can incorporate in our davening, to daven for a choleh to have a most beautiful Tefillah  to Hashem, as a spectacular moment of “Vayitzav Al^[8]” of reaching up to to maximize one’s existence,  one that gets pushed into the heavens without delay.

May this be so for all those who are experiencing illness for a fast, and immediate healing Biezras Hashem.

 

^[1] שֶׁיָּפָה תְּפִלַּת הַחוֹלֶה מִתְּפִלַּת אֲחֵרִים עָלָיו וְהִיא קוֹדֶמֶת לְהִתְקַבֵּל  (Rashi citing Beraishis Rabba, 53:14)

^[2] God heard the cry of the boy, and a messenger of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the cry of the boy where he is. (21:16) Sefaria Translation.

^[3] Radak on Beraishit, 25:21

^[4] Pele Yoetz 132

^[5] Bereishis, 18:1,

^[6] Rashi פתח האהל AT THE TENT-DOOR — that he might see whether anyone passed by, and invite him into the house.

^[7] בפללים – עַל פִּי הַדַּיָּנִים -מכילתא (Shemos 21:22)

^[8] וַיְצַו֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל (Genesis, 2:16)