Welcome to the Daily Chizuk. The Sefer HaChinuch writes the following regarding the mitzvah (commandment) of tefillah (prayer). The Adon Olam (Master of the Universe) who created us wants to give us good. So He made a way for everyone to get anything they want letov (good), and He told us about it. What do we have to do? I’ll read you his words. We have to ask Hashem, who has the wherewithal and the ability to give us everything we need. And He will answer everybody who calls out to Him in sincerity.
Hashem has a lot of good waiting for us. He just wants us to ask so we can have a relationship with Him. It says in Bereshit: When Hashem created the world, the vegetation didn’t grow yet because Hashem didn’t bring the rain. Why not? Rashi there explains: All the growth was already at the edge of the earth, but Hashem was waiting for man to come and recognize the need for rain to bring the vegetation. And then he’ll pray for it, and then Hashem will bring it out. And Rabbi Yerucham says: We see from here that Hashem created the world with a system. The only way for growth to happen is by praying for it first. Which means a person could have Berachah (blessing) at the edge of Shamayim (heavens) waiting for you, but you need tefillah to pull it down.
People ask the question: If everything is decreed on Rosh Hashanah, why do we have to pray during the rest of the year? The answer is: the same way you understand why you can’t sit in your house all day and wait for a check in the mail because there’s a requirement of Hishtadlut (effort), so include it in that. And that requirement is tefillah. You have to ask for the blessing that Hashem already made available for you. And tefillah is probably the main Hishtadlut. The real money is made in Barech Aleinu. The rest is just playing it out. The real refuah (healing) is in Refa'enu. Then the doctor comes after, but Hashem is the healer and Hashem is the provider. And if we don’t ask, we’re depriving ourselves of so much good that Hashem has waiting for us.
One example of this is Moshe Rabbeinu, when he told Hashem he didn’t want to be the one to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim because he had a speech impediment. And Hashem told him: Who is the one that lets man speak? In the end, Hashem told him to go, and Aharon was the spokesman. And the Ramban there asks: Why didn’t Hashem just heal Moshe’s speech impediment? And he says: Because Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t ask. And if he would have asked, he would have been healed. The Ramban there explains why Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t ask. But we see that asking is necessary and required to bring down the Berachah.
So let us utilize this wonderful gift of tefillah and constantly ask Hashem for everything we want, so that He can bestow upon us all the Berachot that are already waiting for us. Have a great day.