In this related question, it is discussed why we daven in the first place. The question still remains: I could very well ask for what I want, even if it's detrimental to me. For that matter, I could even daven that I be successful in an aveirah. Why should we daven for such things? Why don't we just go along with our day, trying to follow the Torah as best as we can, and trust that Hashem will do what is best for us? From that perspective, wouldn't asking Him for something be a failure in this self-test of emunah?
Answer
Sometimes prayer is the prerequisite to us receiving things. In chapter 2, verse 5 of Breishit it says the following: ה וְכֹל | שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ וְכָל עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח כִּי לֹא הִמְטִיר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים עַל הָאָרֶץ וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה:
G-d did not bring rain until Adam prayed for it. Not because He didn't plan on there being grass on Earth - He created grass already! Rather because he wanted to give Adam an opportunity to connect to his Creator and pray for it before having it. The grass was merely 'waiting' under the Earth's surface for Adam to pray, in order for rain to fall and be able to protrude the Earth. This is according to rashi on the verse.
I've heard the analogy given of a faucet. The water may be in the pipes but until we turn the faucet on the water will not fall. So too, for us to get what is in our pipelines we may need to pray for it. Turning on the faucet in the analogy maps to praying.
No comments:
Post a Comment