When judgments beset a person, God forbid, those who pray for him should avoid mentioning his name so that the judgments do not grow stronger, God forbid.
As is brought: Noach’s father did not give him a name at birth because the world was then in [a state of] judgment. His father therefore did not want to name him, for through a name he would be discerned and identified by the accusing forces. The judgments could then overpower him.
Thus, when Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, prayed on behalf of Miriam, he did not mention her name. He only said simply (Numbers 12:13), “O God, please heal her!” Because the judgments had beset her, he did not want to explicitly mention her name, as explained.
Even so, he hid her name in an amazing allusion within his prayer, for “na r’pha (please heal)” is an exact numerical equivalent of “Miriam Yokheved”—i.e., the name of the sick person and the name of her mother. For it is necessary to mention the sick person when praying for him, but he did not want to mention [her name] explicitly, as above.
כְּשֶׁהַדִּינִין, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, גּוֹבְרִים עַל הָאָדָם, אֵין לְהַמִּתְפַּלֵּל עֲבוּרוֹ לְהַזְכִּיר שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגַּבְּרוּ הַדִּינִין, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
When judgments beset a person, God forbid, those who pray for him should avoid mentioning his name so that the judgments do not grow stronger, God forbid.
וּכְמוֹ דְּאִיתָא, שֶׁנֹּחַ לֹא קָרָא לוֹ אָבִיו שֵׁם בְּעֵת לֵדָתוֹ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהָיָה אָז הָעוֹלָם בְּדִינִין, וְעַל־כֵּן לֹא רָצָה אָבִיו לִתֵּן לוֹ שֵׁם, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַשֵּׁם יִהְיֶה נִכָּר וּמְסֻיָּם בֵּין הַמְקַטְרְגִים, וְיוּכְלוּ הַדִּינִים לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו.
As is brought: Noach’s father did not give him a name at birth because the world was then in [a state of] judgment. His father therefore did not want to name him, for through a name he would be discerned and identified by the accusing forces. The judgments could then overpower him.
וְזֶהוּ כְּשֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם עַל מִרְיָם, לֹא הִזְכִּיר שְׁמָהּ, רַק אָמַר סְתָם: אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ (במדבר י״ב:י״ג); כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיוּ הַדִּינִין גּוֹבְרִים עָלֶיהָ, לֹא רָצָה לְהַזְכִּיר שְׁמָהּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ כַּנַּ"ל,
Thus, when Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, prayed on behalf of Miriam, he did not mention her name. He only said simply (Numbers 12:13), “O God, please heal her!” Because the judgments had beset her, he did not want to explicitly mention her name, as explained.
וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הֶעֱלִים שְׁמָהּ בְּרֶמֶז נִפְלָא בְּתוֹךְ תְּפִלָּתוֹ. כִּי נָא רְפָא בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא מִרְיָם יוֹכֶבֶד, מְכֻוָּן מַמָּשׁ, הַיְנוּ שֵׁם הַחוֹלָה וְשֵׁם אִמָּהּ, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר עַל הַחוֹלֶה כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין עָלָיו, אַךְ לֹא רָצָה לְהַזְכִּיר בְּפֵרוּשׁ, כַּנַּ"ל:
Even so, he hid her name in an amazing allusion within his prayer, for “na r’pha (please heal)” is an exact numerical equivalent of “Miriam Yokheved”—i.e., the name of the sick person and the name of her mother. For it is necessary to mention the sick person when praying for him, but he did not want to mention [her name] explicitly, as above.