[Avodah] Davening for one's enemy

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, September 6, 2007 3:09 pm, Richard Wolpoe wrote:
: There are 2 cases in Tanach that are loosely similar tho' by no means
: a perfect analogy:

I think neither really qualify.

:    1. Moshe pleaded to HKBH on behalf of Am Yisrael after the Egel
:    Masecha * then proceeded to give them strong mussar...
:    2. Similarly, Shmuel pleaded to HKBH on behalf of Sha'ul Hamelech
:    after Milchmes Amaleik all night long and then proceeded to give
:    him strong    mussar.

These are examples of disappointed rabbeim dealing with their
talmidim. Not enemies.

Even Avraham's davening for Avimelekh could be cast in these terms, as
AAAH (Avraham Avinu alav hashalom -- a new acronym for the list?)
certainly tried to be eretz Kenaan's rebbe. (Perhaps limited to
outside of Malkitzedeq/Shem's turf of Shalem/Y-m, where he and Eiver
were already teaching.) Although I admit that's a stretch.

And Beruriah doesn't so much daven for them in and of themselves, but
rather davens that they stop being enemies. She does so in a manner
that would be a win-win for all involved, and thus her tefillah is for
something that would aid them rather than R' Meir's tefillah for
something that would harm them. But both were davening be'etzem for
themselves to have peace from the ruffians. This is why the story
impacts how one understands birkhas haMinim in Shemoneh Esrei.

BTW, does anyone know if the hoodlums involved were Jewish?

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
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