Igros Moshe (OC V 43.6 p146) Question: The practice of praying at the graves of our ancestors and tzadikim at times of trouble is this prohibited as darash el ha meisim (making requests from the dead)?. There are those who are against this while others such as the Bach say it is not prohibited Answer We find that there are piyutim and selichos in which the angels are requested to –pray for us. It seems that this is a major unresolved dispute. The ones who composed the piyutim were also great Torah scholars and we see that they accepted this as a valid practice. In contrast many others of our great rabbis prohibited this practice The Chasam Sofer cites the Maharal as protesting the practice of selichos directed to angels while the Chasam Sofer himself said those selichos with the congregation or said tachanan while the tzibor was saying the disputed section Some omit the section of Shalom Aleichen asking the angels for a blessing (Berchuni l’shalom). A possible explanation for those great rabbis that permit this which includes Rishonim that since the angels were appointed by G-d to plead for us. Even though G-d obviously is more aware of any defense an angel might make than any angel. It could be that in addition to the defense they were to also pray for us as messenger from G-d. It is not prohibited to ask the angels to pray. In contrast those who prohibit say one should not ask angels to pray even for that which G-d gave them permission to do, rather all prayers are only to G-d. In sum everyone agrees that it is prohibited to ask angels to do something as free agents for us. The dispute is concerning those things that G-d appointed angels to do. In contrast to ask a live person to pray and bless us is something proper and desirable not only the prophets in Biblical times but also to Torah scholars in each generation in every location to pray for the sake of the sick and other needs. In contrast regarding the dead, it is not relevant to ask hin to pray but his soul in Heaven can pray for the living. The question is that those who prohibit praying to angels do they also prohibit asking the dead? Even those that permit asking angels it is only for things that they were appointed to take care of which does not apply to souls so it might be a problem even for those that permit asking angels. It is possible that souls are a lesser problem The souls after death no longer have an obligation for mitzvos and thus have no requirement to pray and so it would be prohibited for us to ask them to pray and bless us.But it would be permitted for their sons to pay to G-d to answer them in the great merit of the tzadikim who even in death are pained by the suffering of their children and others (Berachos 18b). But to ask them to pray would be forbidden as it would be to pray to angels since they were not appointed by G-d. But angels are already aware of the suffering of man and thus it would be permitted to ask them to pray to G-d for us to remove the suffering. But maybe the angels don’t feel the pain as strongly as the souls of the dead. In sum there is an unresolved dispute. .
My father, a"h, used to say that there are no short cuts in Creation. If you want God to work with you, work with Him. Don't try fancy rituals, praying to dead people who never knew you, going up to people with long bears in Jerusalem who have no clue who you are and ask for berachos.
ReplyDeleteYour deeds bring you closer to Him. He knows all and sees all so why use any intermediary, as if to fool Him?