Reflections on the DIVINE Dialogue
There is tremendous power in Tefillah, and all of us, irrespective of our level of mitzvah observance, have the ability to access that power.
We have the power to talk to Hashem like a person talks to his fellow because the real idea of prayer is communication. And in the context of that dialogue, we attempt to push the buttons to which everything in the world is connected. The good news is that no sincere prayer goes unanswered. That’s heads. Tails is that sometimes the answer is no. But even when the answer is no, as it is all too often to suit most of us, it’s no only in the sense of what we wanted. In terms of what we needed at that moment it was a resounding yes, because everything that happens in this world is for our good.
Moreover, even for those who savor the yes of instant gratification as opposed to a no that may reflect a spiritual or even physical long term benefit, not only does no sincere prayer go unanswered, it doesn’t go wasted either.
You prayed for a loved one’s recovery from an illness, and he died?
If you were sincere, then some other person with an illness benefited because every single wish that passes your lips, infused with the purity of your thought, is acted upon without exception.
This is the method by which Hashem runs His world, and it works in both directions because we all have the potential of benefiting from a prayer that was said for someone else.
The why and how of all this cannot be squeezed in to the parameters of one’s online daily 60 Second Torah Thought because its mechanics are no less deep than why the righteous suffer. It’s the stuff of serious Hashkafa, but we’re not talking Hashkafa here.
We are talking empowerment. We are talking of the empowerment that is the birthright of every Jew, whatever his station in life, and it is incumbent upon us to believe that Hashem has empowered us to accomplish anything with an honest Tefillah.
And where, exactly, does one learn how to formulate an honest Tefillah?
Rav Yaakov Weinberg z”l said that we should learn it from a child. If you have a need, cry. You have a Tatte up There Who is going to take care of you.
Tatte, I have a need! That’s enough in itself. Your need requires a response.
Your desires are another story.
