Q&A: The Logic of Prayer
The Logic of Prayer
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Why would the Holy One, Blessed be He, for example, want to heal a sick person דווקא if someone prays for him, if otherwise He would not heal him? If no one were to pray for the sick person, would it be "fine" from God's perspective not to heal him? If that sick person has no relatives to pray for him, does he deserve healing less than someone who does have relatives?
Besides that, what is the connection between intention and the effect of prayer? Why, if a person focuses more on his words, should there be more reason for it to have an effect than for someone who at that moment was thinking about something else?
As I understand it, the questions are also relevant to your view that prayer does not have an effect nowadays, because you argue (if I remember correctly) that prayer did work in the time of prophecy.
Answer
Perhaps that prayer came into being because of him, and he has merit on that account. And if healing him answers the needs of other people as well, who may perhaps deserve it more than the sick person himself, then the prayer has an effect.