Friday, July 31, 2020

davening - an end in itself

Moshe davened 515 tefilos, gematriya of "va'eschanan," pleading with Hashem to let him enter Eretz Yisrael, but in the end, Hashem answered "rav lach" and told him to cease davening.

Hashem knew in advance what the outcome would be.  Why then did he wait until Moshe davened 515 tefilos before stopping him?  Why not just tell him up front, after one tefilah, that the answer is no?

The yesod of tefilah is dveikus, writes R' Nissin Yagen.  We daven to connect to Hashem.  All the good things we hope to get from G-d by davening, whether it be refuah, bracha, geulah, etc., are all just ancillary benefits, but they are not why we daven.  A conversation with G-d is not a means to an end -- it is an end in itself.   

Had Hashem stopped Moshe after one tefilah, Moshe would have been deprived of 514 other opportunities to grow in his connection to Hashem. Therefore, even though Hashem knew the answer would be no, he let Moshe keep davening.

2 comments:

  1. http://www.aishdas.org/asp/parent-ceo-me

    The Parent
    """"""""""
    I believe that the efficacy of prayer is in the relationship built by turning to one’s Parent in times of trouble.

    One may indeed get what one prayed for, in some circumstances...

    But prayer has to be about the relationship. “No” is too common of an answer to be content with prayer when viewed as a means of asking for things.

    The CEO
    """""""
    ....

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  2. an earnest fellow takes a stamped, self-addressed postcard, inserts it in an envelope, and mails it to his intended on the other side of The Divide. 514 such postcards he sends. none return. on the back of #515 appears a fat black felt-tip scrawl: 'give it up Herb.' ...clearly the dawn of a deep relationship.

    its the perfect way to stymie further contact! Moshe would say to himself, 'G-d let me foolishly repeat my request hundreds of times, hundreds of times, and all in vain! never again!!'. to continue to relate would be senseless, or masochistic, or both...

    "515"? it alludes to a pasuk yet to be written, to verse 8* of tehillim 21. that Moshe 'hamelech' trusted deeply in Hashem that he not falter at the finish line, together with the strength of his plea for entry to the land, these assured David a positive answer to his own heartfelt request (21:3, 21:5). Adam ha'rishon gave the early king of Israel 70 years of life; Moshe boosts him to dynasty...


    *gematria 515

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