12 Jan The Power of Tefillah

Many people wonder why their tefillos should be answered. They know their sins and faults, and it’s hard for them to imagine that Hashem is interested in their tefillah. The following Midrash will encourage them. It is written, (8:16) “Hashem said to Moshe, rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh [to warn him that úëî áåøò was coming]…” Why did Moshe have to go to Pharaoh early in the morning? The Midrash (Shmos Rabba 11:1) explains that Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh before he goes out to pray,” because after Pharaoh prays for a salvation, the plague won’t come.TorahWellsprings- V a eir a This Midrash shows us that everyone can access power of tefillah. Pharaoh enslaved hundreds of thousands of Yidden; he used to kill Jewish children daily to bathe in their blood; he was a terrible, wicked rasha. Nevertheless, Hashem would have listened to his prayer and withheld the makos, if Moshe hadn’t prevented him from praying. If that’s the case, we can be certain that our tefillos will be accepted by Hashem. As lowly as a person considers himself, he isn’t lowlier than Pharaoh! The Sefer HaIkrim (4:16) teaches the uniqueness of everyone’s tefillah from King Menasheh. Menasheh was a sinner, but when he prayed to Hashem, Hashem accepted his tefillah. The Navi (II Malachim 21) states, “Menasheh did the bad in Hashem’s eyes; the abominations of the nations… He set up altars for the Baal, made an Asheirah…bowed down to all stars in the heaven, and he served them. He made altars for the stars, offered up his son into fire, performed witchcraft… and did many bad things in Hashem’s eyes to anger Him. He placed an idol for the Asheirah in the [Beis HaMikdash]… He also murdered many innocent people…”

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 103:) adds some other terrible sins to this long list. Nevertheless, when he was captured by Ashur, and placed in a copper pot over a fire to die an agonizing death (see Sanhedrin 103:), he prayed to Hashem and Hashem saved him. As it states (II Divrei HaYamim 32:12-13) “When he was in trouble, he prayed to Hashem, his G-d, and he humbled himself very much before the G-d of his fathers, and he prayed to Him, and Hashem answered him. Hashem heard his prayers, and returned him to Yerushalayim, to his kingdom.” The Sefer HaIkrim says that we should learn from this that if Menasheh’s tefillos were answered, then anyone can pray and their tefillos will also be answered.

Reb Yeshayah Barkdaki zt’l was on a ship, headed to Eretz Yisrael. The ship wrecked not very far from Yafo. He held on to his son and daughter, and started swimming with them ashore. But he felt he didn’t have enough strength, and if he continues to swim with both children, they would all three drown. What should he do? Which child should he save and which one should he leave behind? After a quick review of the halachos, he said to his daughter, with a very broken heart, that he didn’t have strength to take both of them ashore, and according to halachah, the son’s life comes before hers. When she heard this, she started to cry, “Father! Don’t let me drown in the sea! Have mercy on me!” Her heartbreaking calls ripped his heart. Reb Yeshayah Bardaki prayed and felt miraculously rejuvenated. With renewed strength, he swam with both of his children to Eretz Yisrael. Years later, before Reb Yeshayah’s petirah, he reminded his daughter about that time. He said, “Do you remember when your life was in danger, and you called out to me and my compassion was aroused? My daughter, whenever you’re in a difficult situation, call out to Hashem. Say, ‘Father! Save me!’ and you will be answered. I am a human being, my compassion and my strength is limited, but I couldn’t refuse your cries. Certainly then, when you call out to our Father in heaven, whose compassion and whose abilities are limitless, you will be saved…”