Parshat Toldot

Parshat Toldot

In this week’s parsha we are told of the barrenness of Rivka and Yitzchak, and their praying to HaShem to conceive.

The passuk says, “Yitzchak entreated HaShem opposite his wife.” Rashi explains that Yitzchak and Rivka would stand in opposite corners of the room and pray. Yitzchak would pray on her behalf and she would pray for herself as well. Directly after this, in the same passuk, the Torah tells us, “And HaShem allowed Himself to be entreated by Yitzchak, and his wife Rivka conceived.” Their prayers were answered.

When reading the passuk, it seems that HaShem answered them very swiftly; from the very fact the Torah puts both the prayer and its answer in one passuk, we can see the direct and immediate correlation between the two. We see clearly from here that prayer was the key to salvation.

The Gemara in Yevamot (64a) asks a very famous and hard-hitting question: This was not the first time or the last time one of our matriarchs was stricken with barrenness. Why did HaShem allow our patriarchs and matriarchs to have children only after many years of heartfelt teffilot? The Gemara gives its answer which has become famous to many: “For HaShem desires the prayers of Tzaddikim.”

This answer is deep and contains within it many concepts which many have expounded upon. However when we look at the original source, the Medrash Tanchuma, we are faced with a tremendous peculiarity. The Medrash asks the same question as the Gemara but adds a new dimension to the answer. Speaking from Hashem’s perspective, it tells us that HaShem made a reckoning saying, “They [the Avot and Imahot] have money, they are beautiful, they are respected, if I give them children they will never pray to me for anything” and the Medrash concludes, “We see from here that HaShem desires the prayers of Tzaddikim.”

This Medrash is startling, to say the least. We are talking about the Avot whose lives were completely focused on the enhancement of G-d’s glory in this world, the very people who created the concept of daily prayer. Can it be that would not pray to HaShem? How can we understand that HaShem could entertain the possibility that the Avot would not pray to Him?

From here we can truly gain a deeper understanding of teffilah. Teffilah is not only a compilation of praise to HaShem, it is a time for us to connect and recognize The Power which runs our universe and nourishes our souls. However, that recognition and connection can only come from a place of total self abdication. Only when we realize that we are so dependent upon His grace for everything we have in life can we really connect to Him. But how can one truly feel this way if he lacks absolutely nothing? When we lack something tremendously important and we recognize that only HaShem can give it to us, we are more able to pray with a realization of our reliance upon Him and to forge a real bond with Him. This is the prayer which HaShem desires.

Of course the Avot would have prayed to HaShem even if they had children, but perhaps their prayer would have been lacking this deeper awareness – the awareness of the minuteness of man before G-d and his dependence on HaShem for his every need. It would not have been a teffilah which one casts all of his burdens, hopes, and dreams onto HaShem, and allows His providence to control his life. Teffilah L’Ani – the teffillah of a pauper, of one who is lacking, is not the same as the teffilah as one who has everything. Because HaShem love the Avot so much, He desires that they pray this deeper teffillah, for He desires the ultimate relationship that it will create.

May we merit having a true connection with HaShem in times of good and bad, and may we all be able to recognize that whatever we lack in life is a symbol of G-d’s love and His desire for a deeper relationship with us.

Shabbat Shalom

Naftali Kassorla