Prayer: Enter Only If Persistent!

I don't understand, he reflects to himself... Yesterday I prayed, the day before I prayed, last week I also prayed, and the entire last month I prayed. Essentially... I have been praying every day for 30 years, Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv... Enough! It's enough! How much more can one pray? I repeat the same prayer three times a day, for thirty years, doesn't it sound a bit odd to you all?

The truth is, during the silent prayer, when I turn to the Creator of the world, I ask for personal things. We all need health and good livelihood, but in the Amidah prayer, I detail to Hashem what I am asking to receive from Him. Sometimes I even shed tears like water, and cry out like a child asking for food from their mother: "Please, Hashem, give me the food I need for those days...".

But... I have been asking for so long, and progress—none!

For example, I want so much to progress at work, to succeed and start my own career, it's a youthful dream, but it seems it will remain only a dream. The truth is, maybe it's not pleasant to tell, there are people who need it more than me, and they are genuinely hungry for bread, but still, from Hashem, anyone can ask, and that's what I'm doing—asking Hashem for some bonuses at work, another promotion, more success... I want to live with dignity, but it's not happening. For a long time, I've been requesting this daily from Hashem, not once, not twice, but three times, but the bank account remains unchanged... Instead of progressing at work, the recession affected me too, the salary was cut, the scope of the job shrank, and much of the flesh is almost gone...

So I don't understand, why am I praying so many times and for so many years? If Hashem wants to give me what I desire, He knows my address and even my bank account number... And if Hashem isn't willing to give, then repeating my requests won't help...

That's what I thought... And suddenly, my eyes brightened...

In the Parshat V'etchanan, Moshe Rabbeinu describes the decree placed upon him not to enter the Land of Israel because he violated Hashem's command. Hashem told him to speak to the rock and water would come out of it, but instead of speaking, he struck it. For this violation, Moshe was punished that he would not enter the Land of Israel. However, Moshe did not relent and did not give up on the opportunity to enter Israel and fulfill the commandments tied to the land. He began a campaign of persuasion toward the Creator of the world: "I pleaded with Hashem at that time, saying, please let me cross and see the good land...". Our holy teachers say that Moshe prayed five hundred and fifteen prayers requesting to enter the Land of Israel!

Why so many prayers? Does he not know Hashem understands from the first time? And if not the first, then why so many prayers, wouldn't fifty suffice, for example?

The answer is, no and no! Not only is it not enough, but the Torah testifies otherwise!

Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu: "Enough! Do not continue to speak to Me further on this matter." Hashem commands Moshe to stop praying. Why? Because if he continues with just one more prayer, Hashem would be compelled to accept his request.

Five hundred and fifteen prayers did not help. However, five hundred and sixteen prayers would suffice! From here, we learn that even when a sharp sword rests on a person’s neck, they should not despair from mercy. Continue to increase and press in prayer more and more until Hashem accepts your prayers!

And since... until today... the holy Shechinah has been exiled, leaving us like orphans. We've been praying for 1939 years every day to the Creator of the world: "And to Jerusalem, Your city, return with mercy and dwell within it as You have spoken, and rebuild it soon in our days, a building for eternity...". Even in Birkat Hamazon, we do not skip over the issue of the destruction of the house and say: "And rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days".

Then, at that time, we could meet with the Shechinah in its place, we connected with Hashem through the offering of sacrifices, and when we entered the house of Hashem, we did not speak with Him from afar...

And for this, our hearts ached—for the great loss which we never got to see, for the great light that was extinguished...

So yes, we prayed, and we continue to pray endlessly for the rebuilding of Hashem's house. So many years have passed, and still, we have not been answered. Yet, we won't loosen for a moment...

We will continue to beseech, cry out, plead, and ask Hashem—"Please, build Jerusalem, with hope and faith that indeed our long-standing request will be realized, and once again we will be able to say 'Blessed are You, Hashem, who builds Jerusalem in His mercy, Amen'.

For comments and lectures: shlomogrin@gmail.com