Rav Shimshon Pincus z”l tells us that there are ten
terms for tefillah that appear in the Midrashim in various forms, but bakashah (requesting), is not one of
them. He says that only shav’ah (hysterical outcry), tze’akah (wordless scream), and bitzur (calling out in distress) are mentioned,
whereas simple bakashah is missing in
action.
Why so?
We learn from Rav Pincus that this is because when a
person truly stands before HaKadosh Baruch Hu, in that he clearly understands
both where he is and what he’s doing there, and thereby sees things in a true
light, he realizes that there is no place for mere requesting.
Every utterance must be intense and poignant.
And let’s say that a person hit such a high note in
the context of tefillah and he fully realizes the import of the bottom line of
his request of Hashem and follows
through on that understanding by shifting his tefillah into overdrive for a few
moments to pray like crazy for his life and death request. Or, as Rav Shimon suggests, if a very
distressful situation envelopes him, and he pushes past all boundaries to plead
with Hashem for help.
And, and this is the
key, if all of this intensity and poignancy is not accompanied by external
manifestations, such as hand gesticulations and the like, of what’s cooking
inside, we have it on the authority of Rav Pincus that this is a precious and
wonderful moment and that in a short time this person can attain a very great closeness
to Hashem, as well as many perceptions of ahavah,
deveikus, and siyata di’Shemaya.
And he adds, that when
a person merits a moment like this, he should set it firmly in his heart and
push the envelope on his koach (strength) to reach it again and again, until it becomes
habitual and second nature to him.
And when it does, he will ascend higher and higher
as if on a spiritual escalator.
