We are now studying chapter 142 of Tehilim. As we said yesterday, it is always nice understand the backdrop of David HaMelech’s prayers.
In this perek, David HaMelech was in a cave, hiding from his enemies, and praying
He says,
קוֹלִי אֶל ה׳ אֶזְעָק קוֹלִי אֶל ה׳ אֶתְחַנָּן
My voice will cry out to God
My voice will beg to God.
The Chafetz Chaim, in his sefer Machane Yisrael (chapter 3), brings down a Midrash on this pasuk:
When David HaMelech was in this cave going through this difficulty, he saw that money would not help him, and strength would not help him.
Only his Tefilot would stand for him.
The only thing that would save him in his time of difficulty was his prayer.
It’s not your connections, or your friends, it’s your prayer.
The Chafetz Chaim lists many other sources for this concept.
Firstly, the Nesi’im asked God what they could bring to the Mishkan, because they didn’t have Korbanot. Hashem told them,
Take words with you. And this refers to learning Torah.
But they told Hashem that they did not know how to learn. Hashem answered them, Cry and pray in front of Me…
Didn’t I save your forefathers in Egypt due to prayer? Didn’t I save them in the times of Yehoshua? Didn’t I make miracles for them?
I don’t need Korbanot, I don’t need Torah..All I need is your prayers…
Furthermore, the Chafetz Chaim says that God doesn’t want to make anyone guilty. He wants us to pray, and He will accept our prayers. And even if a person is not fitting to receive God’s kindness, “If he continues to beg and supplicate , I will do a kindness for him.”
The Chafetz Chaim then brings this perek as another of his many sources that nothing stands for a person other than tefilla.
There is no better portion than Tefila.
The Chafetz Chaim then cites the famous story of Daniel, who was thrown into the lion’s den because the king had made a decree that nobody could request anything from anybody other than the king himself. But Daniel did not care. He hid himself in a cave and prayed three times a day. And as the pasuk tells us, he was thrown into the lion’s den, but nothing happened to him.
The Chafetz Chaim says that we do not have that threat today, so we should never miss a prayer.
He quotes the Gemara that says that the definition of an act of inequity that cannot be fixed is when someone has missed a prayer.
We don’t realize that once you have missed a prayer you can’t fix that. You can’t just do another one.
This sefer of the Chafetz Chaim’s, called Machane Yisrael/ Camp of the Jewish people was written for soldiers. The Chafetz Chaim knew that the Jewish soldiers who were conscripted into the Russian army would face many challenges, so he wrote this sefer for them, as he wrote many sefarim for people that needed his help.
And he says, “Especially someone who is in the army, he needs tremendous Mercy from Hashem. He is in tremendous danger because of war, and at a time of danger, the forces of judgment are aroused upon a person. Therefore, you have to be especially careful not to miss a prayer.
This merit of prayer is what saves a person. And you should pray before a problem, that you should not come into a problem.
He says that people are usually careful with Shaharit, but they are often not as careful with Mincha and Arbit.
But a person who is a soldier, who is in danger, must be careful with all of his prayers.
And aside from needing Tefila as a zechut/merit, it is also a positive commandment which we can’t miss out on.
Those of us who follow the news have been hearing that Corona is seemingly on an uptick again.
Whether it is as dangerous as it was before, or hopefully not, anytime there is any inkling of danger, we must recommit ourselves to prayer, because that is what helps us.
And that is David HaMelech’s lesson to us in this pasuk,
קוֹלִי אֶל ה׳ אֶזְעָק
I call my voice out to God.
Because that is what helps me
Have a wonderful day.