Ohr Shimshon

Sometimes we feel down and out, or we feel like we need something desperately. We need a Refuah for a close family member who is sick, we need $10,000 to pay an important outstanding debt, lest we create a Chilul Hashem..etc. etc.

During these times, we find a deep desire to reach out to Hashem in our Tefilos. We appeal to Hashem with extra Kavana as we sway back and forth during Shemona Esrei with our eyes shut tight in concentration.

The question is, are we davening with the proper concentration and focus? How do we make a request from Hashem Yisborach?

If we take a closer look at the typical way that many of us ask something from Hashem, we find a huge problem with the way we channel our Tefilos in this regard.

Many of us have the misconception that to beseech Hashem with special Kavana for that which we are lacking, is to literally beg him to “please, please, please, heal my family memeber who is so sick”!! or “please, please, please send me the Paranasah I so very need”!! This type of begging is a misguided approach to Tefiloh.

Say for example, you go to a rich man for a handout and you say to him..”please, please, give me $10k to pay my bill!” The man takes out $18 and sends you on your way. So you beg him some more and you say, “please, please, you have no idea how much I need this money”.. So the rich man might say, of course I have an idea, but I’m not the only rich guy in this town, go ask some of the others to help you as well.

 Now suppose you say to this rich man, “I have gone to everyone else and nobody but you can help me…and besides, you are such a great Philanthropist, with such a big heart for everyone, surely you can help me in my time of need!

All of a sudden, you have now brought this man into your struggle in a most personal way. You have invoked his personal goodness and you have appealed to him as the only possible source of your salvation. This type of approach is an entirely different way to ask for that which you need and is certain to be more effective.

The same is true with the way that we approach Hakadosh Baruch Hu in Prayer.

To simply ask and plead and cajole the Ribbono Shel Olam for that which we are missing, is insufficient and incomplete.

We must first recognize the goodness of Hashem and we should tell him that we understand that he is the source of all blessing and that he wants to provide for all of our needs. Then we must appeal to him as the sole source of our salvation, by recognizing in our prayer that nobody else but he, is in a position to help us.

This approach in Tefiloh, brings Hakadosh Baruch Hu into our struggles in a most personal way and in fact validates our appreciation for Hashems’ singular goodness and position to help us. This approach is certain to be effective in effecting Rachamei Shamayim and G-d’s salvation!

This is the way that Chana prayed for a child, when she looked around her and pleaded to Hashem saying as follows: “Hakadosh Baruch Hu, I know that you are the source of all blessings and the father of all children! Just take a look around and see all of the beautiful children in this World who were born to their parents as a result of your goodness! These are all YOUR children!! Do you not therefore have but one child of these – your children, for me! Please Hashem heed my tefilos and bless me that I too shall bear a child!”

Ultimately, through these very special Tefilos, Chana merited to bring a child into the world who would light up the World with his holiness and purity – our own Shmuel Hanavi!

<Heard from Harav Shimshon Pincus Z”L>

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