An Anthology: The Great Value of Prayer (IV)

Prayer that rises from distress

“‘From the labor’ — this does not mean they cried out to God to save them; rather, they cried out from their pain, as a person cries out from physical suffering. And Scripture tells us that that cry rose before God. This is the meaning of ‘their cry’ … ‘from the labor’ means from the anguish of the labor, ‘and God heard their groaning’ means the voice of their pain … for one of the prayers that is accepted is prayer that comes from within distress.”

— Or HaChayyim, Exodus 2:23

Train yourself always to ask — for everything, great or small

“A counsel for every child of Israel, so that nothing he needs should be lacking and so that he may always cleave to the service of the Blessed One: he should train himself always to pray and to petition Hashem for every matter, from the smallest to the greatest. And a person should not think that he requires seclusion, a tallit (prayer shawl), and tefillin (phylacteries) for this. Rather, wherever he stands — even in the marketplace — if the place is clean, let him petition Hashem, and he will surely find that his request is heard by the One Who listens to all prayer. Through this he will always remain cleaved to Hashem.”

— Beit Yaakov, Parashat Vayetze

Do not fall silent — keep crying out even after you have been saved

“One must pray even after one has been relieved of trouble. This is what the prophet Isaiah meant when he called out: ‘Seek Hashem while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near’ (Isaiah 55:6). The Sages expounded: ‘while He may be found’ — when He is present for you and nothing is hidden, and it seems to you that you need nothing — precisely then I command you to seek Him, so that no trouble should come upon you, God forbid. Needless to say, in the moment of trouble itself — take up the craft of your ancestors and multiply prayer and supplication to Hashem to save you. And afterward, when Hashem hears your voice from His sanctuary and accepts your prayer and saves you — do not fall silent; keep crying out to Him to preserve and sustain your salvation.”

— Based on Binah Le’Ittim, Derush Et HaZemir, First Discourse

Do not despair of praying again

“Even if one sees that he has prayed for something and his prayer has not helped, he should not despair of praying again. He should hope, and return, and hope again — for there is no prayer offered below that does not produce some fruit above. One must trust in God, and continue to trust, and continue to pray, until the salvation descends below.”

— Me’or Einayim, Yoma

Do not say: “I have already tried many times and see no salvation”

The Sages taught (Berakhot 32b): “If one prayed and was not answered, he should pray again, and not despair of God’s mercy” — for the Holy One, blessed be He, desires and yearns for the prayers of Israel. Even if a person has not yet been answered, he should not say: “I have already tried many times and I see no salvation through my prayer.” Instead, let him say in his heart: “I will return and pray to Him always, for I will surely stir His merciful compassion — for the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes that none who are His be lost. He places prayer in my mouth so that it may be accepted before Him, since there is a portion of His divinity above within us, and for its sake He will act to receive my prayer, and my prayer will be fluent on my lips and will be accepted.”

— Zera Kodesh, Vayigash

“And Abraham returned to his place” — even when his prayer was not answered

“And Hashem went on His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place” (Genesis 18:33, Parashat Vayera).

This means: even though God departed from him and his prayer on behalf of Sodom had accomplished nothing, Abraham nonetheless returned to his place — to pray for the children of Israel. Abraham continued standing in prayer for his people. And so it is right for every man of Israel: even when he sees that his prayer is not being heard, he should not hold himself back from mercy, but should always entreat Hashem.

— Tiferet Shelomo, Vayera

“I pray that I will succeed in praying properly!”

“And I pleaded with Hashem at that time, saying [lemor]” (Deuteronomy 3:23) — what does the word lemor (literally: “to say”) add here?

The book Otzar Chayyim records that someone once asked Rabbi Chayyim of Tzanz: “What does the Rebbe do before prayer? What is his preparation?” Rabbi Chayyim answered: “I pray that I will succeed in praying properly!” He added that he had learned this from the very verse before us: “And I pleaded with Hashem at that time” — and what am I pleading for? — lemor: that I may merit to pray well, and that my prayer may be worthy and accepted.

Let it be known that Hashem accepts every prayer

“Yet if not, erase me, I pray, from Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32). Rashi explains: so that people should not say of Moses that he was not worthy to pray on behalf of others. But this is puzzling — Moses, the most humble of all people, would consider himself “worthy to pray for mercy”? Rather, Moses was saying: let it not be said that his prayer was not accepted because he was unworthy. Instead, let it be known that Hashem accepts every prayer — even from one who is not worthy or deserving!

— Based on Beit Aharon, Ki Tisa

As they stir toward Him, so does His abundance flow to them

“The matter of prayer is this: among the arrangements ordained by the Supreme Wisdom is that for created beings to receive the Divine abundance, they must stir themselves toward Him, draw near to Him, and seek His presence — and in proportion to their stirring toward Him, so does the abundance flow to them.”

— Rabbi Moshe Chayyim Luzzatto (the Ramchal), Derech Hashem (The Way of God), Part II, Chapter 5