Prayer

Prayer

Rav Ovadia Yaakov

“Yitzchak entreated Hashem (prayed) opposite his wife.” (Bereishit 25:21) Rashi explains that Yitzchak stood in one corner praying, while Rivka stood in the opposite corner praying.

The concept of prayer appears many times in Sefer Bereishit. It begins with Adam – “to work it (le’avdah) and to guard it” (Bereishit 2:15); “there was no man to work (la’avod) the soil” (2:5), as Rashi writes, “one who prays was not yet created” – and concludes with Yosef, about whom it says, “whatever he did G-d made succeed in his hands.” (39:3) Chazal explain that Yosef would pray before each and every action of his, and would thank G-d for what he succeeded in. In the middle of Bereishit stand the three patriarchs, whe established the three daily prayers.

“The world stands on three things: on Torah, on avodah and on gemilut chasadim.” (Avot 1:2) The Netziv (Bereishit 12:17) explains that each one of the patriarchs excelled in one of these pillars. Yitzchak corresponds to avodah, i.e., prayer, which is the source of sustenance for the world. Yitzchak went out to supplicate in the field (24:63), Mt. Moriah, which is the gate of heaven and especially suitable for sustenance. Yitzchak prayed for a wife, one of man’s needs, and G-d arranged his wife for him at that very moment, as it says, “He raised his eyes and saw, and behold! camels were coming.” (24:63) Yitzchak was always immersed in prayer, and therefore the Torah emphasizes the financial success of Yitzchak.

One may ask, however, while it is very nice that a person prays and G-d feeds and sustains him, why is this called avodah (service)? Furthermore, why does G-d desire the prayers of the righteous person, for which reason the matriarchs were initially barren? Moreover, the Saba of Kelm asks, when a person prays for himself, or even for his nation, or even for the entire world – in the end he is serving himself, not G-d!

R. Chaim Volozhoner deals with this at length in Nefesh Hachaim (2:11). His basic idea is that G-d desires to benefit his creatures, whereas man cannot benefit his Creator, but he can do G-d’s will. We pray that His desire will be fulfilled, i.e., that He will benefit the world, which is, as it were, a fulfillment of the Divine will.

We can add to this idea. On the pasuk, “to serve Him with all your heart” (Devrim 11:13), Chazal commment, “What is service (avodah) with the heart? This is prayer.” (Yerushalmi Brachot 1) R. Bachya explains at length that it is possible, in principle, to pray about everything, from the most minor to the greatest issues. He shows that prayer has great power from three angles:

It is possible to change nature through prayer. We see that the matriarchs’ nature was changed, for they were barren and yet gave birth.

Prayer can save from danger, as it says, “Those who go down to the sea ... They cried out to Hashem ... and their waves were stilled.” (Tehillim 107:23-29)

Prayer can annul what is decreed, as we learn from Chizkiyahu. G-d added fifteen years to his life in the merit of his prayer, despite the prophecy of Yeshaya. Chizkiya told him: I have a tradition from my ancestors that even if a sharp sword is lying on a person’s throat, he should not refrain from prayer, as it says, “Were He to kill me, I would still implore him.” (Iyov 13:15)

This is the idea of the pasuk, “For which is a great nation that has a G-d that is close to it.”  (Devarim 4:7) Similarly, David says, “You open Your hand, and satisfy to every living thing the desire” (Tehillim 145:16) – the desire of the Creator – but only “to all who call upon Him sincerely.” (145:18)

Based on this, the Saba of Kelm explains why prayer is called avodah. It is possible to pray about almost anything, yet a person is not always answered. For example, we derive the morning prayers from the pasuk, “Avraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood (amad) before Hashem,” (Bereishit 19:27) which indicates prayer. This derivation appears shocking, though, since his prayer regarding Sodom itself was not answered, as it says in the next pasuk, “He gazed down on Sodom and Amorah ... and bohold! the smoke of the earth rose like the smoke of a kiln.” (19:28) It would seem that Avraham Avinu and we, his disciples, should have given up hope, Heaven forbid! However, Avraham teaches us, via Chazal, that this amidah and this prayer brought about the Davidic Messiah. He was born from Ruth the Moabite, a descendent of Lot, who was saved from Sodom in the merit of Avraham’s prayers.

Prayer, also, requires patience. If a person pays attention to this, he will find that generally he is answered, and every time that he is answered strengthens in a natural and wonderful manner the most personal connection between him and his Creator – prayer! Through this a person advances in faith in his Creator and in love of his Creator, and therefore it is truly service.

 

 

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