[Avodah] Praying to angels

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:

> : So where does that leave us with "machnisei rachamim" and "shlosh
> : esre midot"?  All I can say is that this was dealt with over the
> : centuries by those well above my pay grade, and the overwhelming
> : majority concluded that it should be said.  My bottom line is that
> : if R Amram Gaon and R Shrira Gaon wrote to say it, it can't be wrong.
> 
> Not sure why the 13 middos are included. I assume this is a reference to
> something in a piyut that I missed. As middos of how Hashem acts toward us
> that we should emulate (cf Tomer Devorah), where is the implied middleman?

The piyut "shlosh esre midot", which addresses "kol midah nechonah"
directly, asking it to put in a good word for the speaker.


> All your bottom line shows is that it's appropriate RAG and RSG. What
> about for someone who can't resolve the question? If I personally can't
> see how the prayer isn't shituf, am I allowed to say it? What would my
> kavanah be?

Whatever RAG and RSG intended.  Just like in the yehi ratzons after
tashlich, where we ask that what we've read go up "as if we understood
all the secrets and combinations of Holy Names that come out of them..."



-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas