Part 2
The gemora (Brochos 26) discusses the reason a person
prays three times daily. Shacharis corresponds to
Avrohom, Mincha to Yitzchok and Ma'ariv to
Yaakov. Each of the Ovos introduced one of these tefillos.
This needs to be understood, as the Rambam clearly states
that the actual wording of the tefillos was formulated
by the Anshei Knesses Hagedoloh. If so, what did the Ovos
actually do, when Avrohom introduced Shacharis,
Yitzchok Mincha and Yaakov Ma'ariv?
Rabbi Eliyohu Lopian zt"l explains this with an
example that was perhaps more appropriate in his generation.
In the early days of telecommunications, before the
introduction of mobile telephones, the only way one could
speak to a foreign country was by laying a suitable cable to
connect these countries together. Telephone conversations
were relayed through these cables. It was impossible to carry
out a telephone conversation with any country that did not
have a cable link with your own.
Each of the Ovos, R' Eliyohu said, laid a suitable cable,
that enabled all future generations to communicate with
Hashem through prayer, using these links. The length and
topic of each "conversation," altered with the progression of
time. Initially, each person could request from Hashem
whatever and whenever he wanted, using the facility of these
pre-laid cables. In later generations, tefilloh took
on a more set format, as specified in our Siddur, but
these too had to use the same cables as lines of
communications to Hashem.
Regular prayer, three times a day, is a well-established
concept that has its roots with the Ovos, a fact that is
frequently stressed during our tefillos. These
telecommunication cables that were laid by our Ovos and allow
us to connect directly with Hashem, are not only used by the
Jewish people, but also by the nations of the world.
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, initially refused to acknowledge
Hashem and His powers. Hashem systematically smote the entire
nation with the ten plagues, until he eventually obeyed His
wishes. Initially, Hashem brought the plague of blood,
thereby punishing their god, the river Nile. The subsequent
plaque of frogs, was directed against the entire Egyptian
population, and was only removed after Pharaoh asked Moshe to
intercede with Hashem on his behalf. His request for prayer
to Hashem was in itself an admission of His powers and
existence.
When we stand in prayer before Hashem, we are automatically
acknowledging His Supreme and Unique Power to help us and
provide for all our requests. Hashem in His Infinite
Goodness, created an entire universe that would enable him to
continually perform kindness with His creation. However there
is a system of Divine justice too, that often holds back this
kindness from being administered, owing to our own human
defects.
When we stand in prayer before Hashem, we create a large
amount of goodwill by acknowledging His supreme Powers, which
helps to override the Divine Justice and allows His Kindness
to be dispensed. This is the meaning of the posuk
(Tehillim 33:22) "Yehi chasdecho Hashem oleinu
ka'asher yichalnu Loch — May Your kindness, Hashem,
be on us, as we have waited for You." We receive His kindness
in direct proportion to the amount of supplication that we
make to Him.
Alternatively, the gemora suggests that the three
daily tefillos correspond to the Korbon Tomid.
Shacharis is analogous to the morning Tomid;
Mincha to the afternoon Tomid, and Ma'ariv
to the burning on the Altar of the animal portions that
remained from that day's services.
The Baal Haturim (Bamidbor 7:14) points out that the
numerical value of Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov equals that
of the words Par (bull), Ayil (ram) and
Kevesh (sheep), thereby connecting the three Ovos to
the korbonos in the Beis Hamikdosh. These three
species were used for the Musaf sacrifice.
What the Baal Haturim is perhaps pointing out is that
although each of the Ovos initiated one of the three daily
prayers it was their combined efforts that initiated the
tefillas Musaf.
The Rokeach, the rov of Amsterdam, explains that the
Korbon Tomid corresponds to the entire episode of
Akeidas Yitzchok. The morning Tomid corresponds
to Avrohom building an altar on which he intended to
sacrifice his son, Yitzchok. The afternoon Tomid is
analogous to the ram that he slaughtered instead. The
offering up of the pieces throughout the night corresponds to
the actual burning of the ram on this altar. The three daily
tefillos thus provide a constant merit of the
Akeidah that helps our prayers to be acceptable to
Hashem.
In the Jewish calendar, the night always precedes the day, as
the Torah specifies, "Vayehi erev vayehi boker —
It was [initially] evening and then morning." In the secular
world the situation is the reverse, as the day precedes the
night. However, concerning the sacrifices that were offered
up in the Beis Hamikdosh, the day also preceded the
night. Consequently, the sequence of the Siddur and
our daily tefillos begin with the morning Shacharis
and end with the evening Ma'ariv, corresponding to
the order of the Korbon Tomid and the daily schedule
in the Beis Hamikdosh.
Just as correct thoughts and intentions are an essential
requirement with every sacrifice that was offered up to
Hashem, similarly it is essential that correct thoughts
should accompany our prayers. The Megalleh Amukos points out
that originally the Shemoneh Esrei contained eighteen
brochos, until the extra one of "Velamalshinim"
was added. In a single day, we recite the Shemoneh Esrei
three times, thereby reciting fifty-four brochos.
During the six days of the week, that makes a total of
three hundred and twenty-four. On Shabbos we daven
four times, with each Shemoneh Esrei containing
seven brochos, providing a total of twenty-eight
brochos. Therefore, in a complete week we recite three
hundred and fifty-two brochos in all the Shemoneh
Esreis, a number that equates to the numerical value of
the word korbon. Our tefillos correspond to the
sacrifices that were offered up to Hashem in the Beis
Hamikdosh.
The Kuzari compares our three daily tefillos to
partaking of three daily meals. A person eats a satisfying
breakfast, but by lunch time he is hungry again and is ready
to partake of another meal. Our appetite in eating is
enhanced by our conviction that the food that we are about to
eat is good and healthy for our bodies, and will provide us
with the required energy to continue our work.
Similarly, if we appreciate the power that constant and
regular prayer contains, we will approach it eagerly, with
dignity and treat it seriously. We should approach each of
our tefillos with a spiritual appetite and a hunger to
connect to Hashem directly.
Rashi (Bereishis 29:17) quotes a Midrash on the
words of "Ve'einei Leah rackos — the eyes of
Leah were tender." They were tender from persistent crying,
because the shadchonim suggested that Rivkoh had two
sons, and Lovon had two daughters. The elder daughter, Leah,
would be a match for Eisov, and the younger one for Yaakov.
Leah abhorred the prospect of becoming Eisov's wife and
prayed sincerely with tears in her eyes, to be spared this
fate.
The power of her prayers is manifest in her subsequent life
story. She eventually merited to marry Yaakov, even before
her sister Rochel. Out of the twelve tribes of Yaakov, six
were the children of Leah. Furthermore, of all the sixty-six
descendants of Yaakov who went down to Egypt, thirty-three of
them were her descendants (Bereishis 46:15).
This is the source of the Midrash (Vayikra 10; 5) that
states, "Tefilloh oseh mechtzoh — Prayer
accomplishes half." Leah, by her sincere and persistent
prayers, merited to have half of the twelve tribes, and half
of the descendants of Yaakov too.
Devoted and sincere prayer is an extremely powerful tool that
will circumvent natural predictions, even from the most
professional matchmakers. Leah's life-history teaches us the
positive power of tefilloh, and a similar striking
lesson can be learned about the absence of prayer.
Moshe Rabbenu was instructed by Hashem Himself to go and lead
the Jewish people out of their Egyptian bondage. He was to go
to Pharaoh with an appropriate message, but Moshe declined as
he possessed a speech impediment. This alone should have been
reason to choose a different leader to speak to Pharaoh. This
same leader would eventually receive and teach the Torah to
the entire nation. Why did Hashem not simply heal Moshe of
this speech difficulty, thereby removing his objection for
carrying out his mission?
Rabbenu Bachye (Shemos 4:10) states that this was not
possible, as Moshe never prayed to Hashem that his speech
should improve. Without prayer, nothing will ever change.
Towards the end of Pesukei Dezimroh we say, "Ve'olu
moshi'im behar Zion, lishpot es Har Eisov — The
saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge Eisov's mountain."
With the arrival of Moshiach, Hashem will Judge the nations
of the world. The prosecutors will ask them why they
continually performed evil and did not conquer their
yetzer hora. The nations will reply that it was too
difficult for them as the yetzer hora was a mountain
that they were unable to climb, with the evil inclination
being alluded to in the phrase, "mountain of Eisov." To this
response the prosecutor will admit that the yetzer
hora is very difficult to subdue. But he will cite the
power of prayer that Leah performed, that entirely separated
her from the evil powers of Eisov.
The Megalleh Amukos points out, that the acronym of the three
words, "lishpot es Har" spells out the name of Leah.
She was the prime example, who showed us how sincerity in
prayer will assist us to conquer our yetzer hora,
thereby radically changing our own lives.
