I previously blogged (here) with an insight from Rav Shimshon Pincus to distinguish between Tefilah and Bakasha – Prayer & Supplication.
Rav Shimshon Z’L would often say that we spend so much of our time in Prayer and it is therefore imperative that we develop an appreciation for the “Art” of proper prayer. “We Daven anyway” – he would say…so it is just a good idea to work on our Tefilah.
He often mentioned that one of the reasons we find it so hard to daven, is because when we “roll out of bed” in the morning and into Shul, we estimate the power of our Prayer with the way we actually feel when we begin to Daven! We think to ourselves, how much does Hashem actually approve of this Tefilah!? I’m tired, I’m restless, my concentration is weak and my eyes are dry…surely this particular Tefilah cannot carry that much weight in the heavenly spheres!
This is a big mistake!
Our Tefilos are infused with the dynamite of its creators (our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzhok and Yaakov, introduced Shachris, Mincha and Ma’ariv respectively and the Anshei Knesses Hagdolah created our precious Siddur) and when we pray, we are literally invoking their power to carry our Tefilos to the Kisei Hakavod!
Moreover, when a Jewish woman reads from a Sefer Tehilim, she needs to know that even if her eyes are dry at that particular moment..and even if she cannot find the ability to cry, the fact is, David Hamelech himself is reading her words and infusing her prayers with his koach!
- As Chazzal teach us – the lips of the one who created the Sefer is moving in his grave when we repeat his teachings!
There is no such thing as a “dry” prayer!
Maybe we think it’s dry…..but that’s only because we mistakenly believe that we are using our own energies to bring the prayer to its proper place. However, when we understand that our prayers are charged with the special power of its creators, we realize that we can reach the heavenly throne by climbing on their shoulders when we pray.
Another aspect to understand, is that when we start working on the quality of our prayers, the tears will come…it will happen, it just takes getting used to…
Then there is Bakasha – Supplication.
Supplication means begging from Hashem – constantly – and asking him to help you and guide you in all that you do.
Unlike Tefiloh which has set times of the day, Bakasha means reaching out to Hashem whenever, wherever and forever!
Rav Shimshon would say that where he lived in Ofakim, it was like a “jungle” outside with no less that “1000 cars” that his children would have to pass each morning on their way to Cheder!
He once said the following:
“Do you know that each one of those cars is like a wild beast, like a lion in its capacity to cause harm chas v’shalom to our children”!…and what about the spiritual beasts that our children encounter on their way to school!!…filthy billboards..newspapers…bad friends.. etc!!
Parents need to be constantly reaching out to Hashem in Prayer and supplication to watch over the physical and spiritual welfare of their children!
<Heard from Harav Shmishon Pincus Z’L>
