[Avodah] Mi Sheberach for a Non-Jew

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 12:56:49PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
: I don't understand the whole "baavur shemispelelim baadam".  I've heard
: it in various shuls, but it makes no sense to me.  "Baavur" is meant to
: give Hashem, kiveyachol, a reason to do as we ask; we ask that our
: request be fulfilled in the merit of tzedaka that we've pledged, or
: some other mitzvah that we've done or will do.  But what are we saying
: here? "Please do this in the merit of the fact that we asked You"?

I don't understand RZS's (or should I say RYBS's and R' Hutner's)
problem.

Isn't /every/ tefillah granted because of the zekhus of the tefillah
itself? It's not like we can wheedle or beg Hashem to give anything but
"gam zu letovah".

Rather, as RYBS and RSRH write, tefillah changes the mispallel into
someone who warrants different treatment. Thus the hitpa'el conjugation
of "lehispalel".

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             With the "Echad" of the Shema, the Jew crowns
micha at aishdas.org        G-d as King of the entire cosmos and all four
http://www.aishdas.org   corners of the world, but sometimes he forgets
Fax: (270) 514-1507      to include himself.     - Rav Yisrael Salanter