Many times we come upon notices on bulletin boards or in e-mails asking that we pray on behalf of a dangerously ill patient, Heaven forbid. Is there an obligation for one who sees such a notice to pray for the patient, or may he disregard the notice?
The work "Mishnat Piku'ah Nefesh" (p. 278) rules that a person who hears of a dangerously ill patient and does not pray on his behalf transgresses the Torah prohibition of "Lo Ta'amod Al Dam Rei'echa" (Vayikra 19:16), which forbids remaining idle when given the opportunity to save a person's life. Since prayer has the potential to save an ill patient's life, one who does not pray transgresses this prohibition as he makes no effort on behalf of the patient.
Hacham Yishak Yosef, however, in his work Yalkut Yosef (Bikur Holim, p. 60), disagrees. He contends that the prohibition of "Lo Ta'amod Al Dam Rei'echa" applies only when a person is in the presence of somebody in danger, such as if a person walks along the shore and sees somebody drowning. In this instance, however, when a person sees a notice about a dangerously ill patient, the individual at risk is not in front of him, and hence this prohibition does not apply.
Clearly, however, as Hacham Yishak writes, praying on behalf of an ill patient constitutes an act of Hesed (kindness), and therefore one who hears or reads of an ill patient should certainly recite at least a chapter of Tehillim and the like. Although he is not bound by any particular Torah obligation to pray on the patient's behalf, he should nevertheless take advantage of this opportunity to perform a meaningful and potentially life-saving act of kindness for his fellow Jew in need.
If a person's parent or Rabbi is, Heaven forbid, ill, how should he refer to his parent or Rabbi when praying on his behalf?
A basic principle establishes that no titles of honor or distinction should be used in reference to people while praying. When we stand before the Almighty in prayer, it is inappropriate to refer to other human beings with honorifics. Therefore, the Sefer Ha'hasidim (Halachic work by Rabbi Yehuda Ha'hasid, Germany, 1150-1217) rules (Siman 800) that when praying on behalf of one's father, he should not refer to his father as "Avi Mori" ("My father, my master") or "Adoni Avi" ("My master, my father"). Rather, he should refer to him as "Avdecha Avi" ("Your servant, my father") followed by his name (e.g. "Avraham ben Sara"). Likewise, when one prays on behalf of his mother, he should refer to her as "Amatecha Imi" ("Your maidservant, my mother"), rather than "Imi Morati" ("My mother, my master").
This applies to prayers recited on behalf of one's Rabbi, as well. One must refer to his Rabbi simply as "Avdecha, Rabbi…" ("You servant, Rabbi…"), without adding any of the titles of honor we generally add when speaking of Rabbis (such as "Ha'gaon," "Ha'sadik," etc.).
Hacham Yishak Yosef codifies this ruling in the aforementioned volume of Yalkut Yosef (p. 57; listen to audio for precise citation), noting that is the position of his father, Hacham Ovadia Yosef.
Summary: One who sees or receives a notice about an ill patient in need of prayers should make a point of reciting a prayer or chapter of Tehillim on his behalf, as this constitutes a meaningful act of kindness. However, if he doesn’t pray, he does not transgress any Biblical prohibition. When praying for one's parent or Rabbi, he must omit all titles of honor and distinction that are usually used when referring to a parent or Rabbi.
