In many of the more modern shuls (did it start at HIR? I seem to think so), the "mi she-beirakh" prayer for sick people is said by the rabbi/gabbai with a pause in the appropriate place for individuals to whisper the names of sick people they know to themselves in an undertone. In more traditional places, everyone submits the names to the gabbai, who recites them out loud as part of the prayer. The main advantage of the modern system is its time efficiency. I've heard defenses of the traditional system on the grounds that it's a tasteful way of publicizing who's ill in the community so that everyone can know who might need a helping hand. The downside is that not everyone likes everyone else to know that they're sick enough to be asking God to intercede for them. The latest article in Sightings fleshes out this issue.
Posted by Avraham at June 2, 2004 02:57 AMThere are also modified ways of saying mishebeirachs. Some shuls submit the names to the gabbai ahead of time and he reads the names quietly while others are inserting names at the appropriate place.
The method you cite and this (and other similar) modification are far less disruptive of the davening than the traditional method of everyone walking over to the gabbai and yelling out the names.
While, in general, I am a believer in maintaining tradition in shuls, this method helps maintain decorum which is in a very sorry state in most shuls these days. Kehilahs need to do everything possible to help maintain decorum and this is one such step.
Besides, saying the names out loud does not really accomplish much. Other than a few close friends, how many people in shul can associate people's Jewish names with their English first and last names?
Posted by: mo chassid at June 2, 2004 11:10 AMAnother advantage of silent me sheberakh's is that you can daven for the choleh without publicizing their illness to the entire kehilla. When my father was ill this fall and public mi sheberakh/tehillim were recited, a lot of people asked me if the choleh was a relative of mine, making the family connection via my being named after my father's mother a"h. While I did appreciate people's concern, I'd have prefered a way to daven for refuah without the entire world knowing he was sick.
Posted by: Meredith at June 2, 2004 02:41 PMMO Chassid -- If people know you and the name's fairly uncommon, trust me, they can and do.
Posted by: Meredith at June 2, 2004 02:43 PM