Posting a Choleh’s Name on WhatsApp

My friend is, lo aleinu, really not well, and until now he has kept it a secret. our question is: Is it appropriate to post his name on our WhatsApp group so that people will pray for him? Also, we were thinking of first adding a name before publicizing it, is that okay?

Thank you for your question.

The answer:
Only if his condition has worsened and deteriorated, one may then publicize it, in order that people should pray for him. About adding a name, please see below.

The answer explained:

One might ask: What could be the problem with posting his name earlier, so that people can daven for him right away? Why wait until his condition worsens?

Well, it’s not that simple to publicize that someone is unwell. 

Let’s first look at the sources on which this halacha is based. 

The Gemara in Berachot 55b and in Nedarim 40a says as follows:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף נה עמוד ב
האי מאן דחליש, יומא קמא - לא לגלי כי היכי דלא לתרע מזליה, מכאן ואילך - לגלי. כי הא דרבא, כי הוה חליש - יומא קמא לא מגלי, מכאן ואילך אמר ליה לשמעיה, פוק אכריז.

If someone becomes ill, on the first day he should not publicize it, so that his mazal should not be weakened. From then on, however, he should publicize it.
 This is what Rava did: when he became ill, on the first day he would not reveal it, but afterward, he told his attendant: “Go out and announce (that I am sick).”

We see from this Gemara a big chiddush — that as long as one doesn’t announce his illness, it’s easier for the illness to pass.
The reason, explains Harav Fried shlit”a, is that if it is not public knowledge, then his recovery will not be considered a nes galuy (an open miracle), since no one even knew he was sick.

We find this chiddush in the Sefer Chassidim (Siman 447): in a case where someone had a dream that he would be saved through a miracle — or even if Eliyahu HaNavi appeared to him and told him so — he should not tell anyone about it, not even his wife or children.
Because by publicizing it, the miracle becomes a nes galuy, and Hashem doesn’t usually perform open miracles.

However, Hagaon Harav Fried writes that if the illness — chas v’shalom — deteriorates, then one should publicize it, so that others will daven for him.

As brought in Talmud Sotah 32a and Sanhedrin 104a:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה דף לב עמוד ב
כדתניא: וטמא טמא יקרא - צריך להודיע צערו לרבים ורבים מבקשים עליו רחמים, וכל מי שאירע בו דבר צריך להודיע לרבים, ורבים מבקשים עליו רחמים.

As it is taught in the baraita: ‘And he (the metzorah) shall call out: Impure! Impure!’ — This teaches that one must inform the public of his suffering, so that the public will pray for him. And from this we learn that anyone to whom something bad has happened should inform the public, so that the public will daven on his behalf.

So as we see — at first, one should keep his situation quiet, since there is a chance it will pass, and it won’t be considered as a nes galuy.
However, if the situation worsens, one should publicize it so that people will daven and arouse mercy, so that he should merit a refuah sheleimah.

About adding a name:
One should only add a name for a choleh in a situation that is sakanat nefashot (life-threatening).

Therefore, if that’s the case, then you may add a name — and it’s important to note that the new name should be written before the original name.
Also, from that point on, the new name is considered his main name, even if people still call him by his original name.

For example, in a get, one would write the new name first, and then write “who is called...” (his old name).
This is based on Terumat Hadeshen Vol. 1 Siman 234 and Shut Binyamin Ze’ev Vol. 1 Siman 99.

May all your tefillot be mitkabel b’rachamim uv’ratzon, and may your friend merit a speedy recovery.

Azamro Lishmech issue #266

Talmud Bavli Berachot 55b
 Talmud Bavli Nedarim 40a
 Talmud Bavli Sotah 32b
 Sefer Chassidim Siman 447
 Terumat HaDeshen Vol. 1, Siman 234
 Shut Binyamin Ze’ev Vol. 1, Siman 99