Powerful Prayer

At the opening of Parashat Va'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11), Moses shifts from recounting God’s past deeds on behalf of Israel to describing how he pleaded with HaShem to allow him to see “the Good Land.” Some commentaries suggest that Moses hoped the recent victories over Og and Sichon might provide an opportune moment to appeal to God for a reversal of the decree barring his entry into the Promised Land. He may have believed that the time was ripe for mercy. In His rebuke, God told Moses:

“Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israel, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.” - Numbers 20:13

Here, at the end of Moses' life on earth, is the first time that Israel learns that HaShem was displeased with Moses because of Meribah.

The humility exhibited by Moses in this admission is startling. He petitioned HaShem over and over until G-d told him, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!” Yet, Moses’ confession expands understanding of prayer, even how to pray with deep humility, while being tenacious like Jacob who didn’t release the angel he wrestled until he was blessed. Isaac achieved an intimate connection to HaShem via the solitude of nature, while Avraham’s prayer for Avimelech, teaches us to pray first, for the needs of others. This is somewhat akin to the concept "Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh" (All of Israel is responsible for one another). In one respect, the patriarchs are teaching all of us, Jew and non-Jew how to effectively pray.

There are various Hebrew words for prayer that convey a distinct characteristic. For example, my reference to Genesis 20:17, when Avraham prayed for Avimelech to be healed. The the text employs the word va’etpalel which is very likely the origin of the English word “plea”.

In Judaism, prayers are often expressed via the merit of the Patriarchs or other righteous individuals (Tzadakim). This is helpful if the petitioner feels—as many of us do—that we may not be deserving of God's grace, thus the merit a holy ancestor allows one to strengthen their petition. A non-Jew can do so, in the merit of Noach, who the Torah describes as “a just man, perfect in his generation”. I would add that we non-Jews can also pray in the merit of Avraham since he was most definitely a righteous gentile prior to HaShem choosing him to be patriarch and progenitor of His holy nation. All non-Jews are bound by the Seven Laws of Noach, thus praying in the merit of Avraham can be powerful. Noachides can tap into inspiration, guidance, and blessings from Avraham’s life which is a model of kindness, abiding faith, moral integrity, and enduring righteousness.

Another Hebrew word for prayer is tefilah which has the numerical value, or gematria of 515 and the same gematria for the opening verse of this Torah portion: "I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying…" The Sages tell us this is a hint that Moses prayed 515 prayers, asking to see the Promised Land.

Psalms 141:2 likens our prayers to the Qetoret, the holy incense which most be compounded with the purest ingredients so that its smoke will ascend straight up.

Rebbe Nachman taught that praying outside, surrounded by nature can elevate our prayers and bring us closer to God. In his Likutei Moharan he teaches that it instills a sense of awe which can, in turn, inspire us and increase our sincerity and fervor since the natural world is a reflection of God's glory, it serves as a powerful setting for our spiritual connection to Him. This recalls the story of Isaac praying and meditating in an open field as found in Genesis 24:6.

The Talmud, in Berachot 32b relates that prayers should not be vague. We should be precise. Doing so organizes our thoughts and focuses our prayers. Just one example is Hannah in 1st Samuel 1:11 who prayed specifically for a child.

Prayer is even more powerful when expressed aloud.

Simply hearing our own voice in prayer reinforces our belief. It's not surprising to learn that the gematria for the word "voice" (kol) is 136, connecting wonderful associations with other words or phrases with the very same gematria, such as “ the kohanim”. The number 136 is also the gematria for sulom, a unique word that appears only once in the Torah, in Genesis 28:12. Sulom is often translated as ladder, the sacred ascent that Jacob dreamed of on Mt Moriah, more specifically the location of the Foundation Stone, as well as the Bet HaMikdash, where Jacob saw angels ascending and descending. This vision caused Jacob to exclaim, “This is none other than the house of G d, and this is the gate of heaven…where prayers ascend to heaven.” (Gen.28:17). One day, and may it come speedily, the air of Jerusalem will be filled with our supplications in a House of Prayer for All Nations.