Part 2
Hashem did not heal him because he did not pray
"Moshe said to Hashem, `I beseech You, O Hashem. I am not a
man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before
yesterday, nor from the time You have spoken to Your servant,
for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue'" (Shemos
4:10).
According to the Midrash, Moshe said, "I am heavy of
mouth and heavy of tongue from my youth, and so much more so
in my old age, and You have never healed me from the time You
have spoken to Your servant. And You command me in this
mission."
The reason Hashem never healed him nor removed the heaviness
of his mouth was because he did not pray for it. And Moshe
did not pray for it because he did not want to go.
(Rabbeinu Bechayeh, Shemos 4:10)
No deliverance without prayer
Everyone knows that it is prohibited to question HaKodosh
Boruch Hu's traits and His ways, for He is certainly
always right and His ways are righteous and fair. However, it
is permissible to present claims before HaKodosh Boruch
Hu for every trouble and tribulation that happens. On the
contrary, we find in the Tanach that HaKodosh
Boruch Hu Himself encourages man to make claims and
unburden his troubles before Him, as it is said: "And give
Him no rest, until He establishes and until He makes
Jerusalem a praise in the land" (Yeshayohu 62:7).
In our day and age we see that when the people of a country
suffer very much from the laws and ordinances of the
government they gather together in groups. They send
emissaries to speak on their behalf to the big ministers to
beseech them about the governmental laws and ordinances they
cannot bear. They give no rest until the government fulfills
their request.
If so, my brothers and friends, the same applies to our
matter. Many afflictions, troubles, and distresses pass over
us daily, both in the home and outside. So much more so we
must pour our prayer, supplication, and beseeching before the
Creator, Who is full of mercy. We must not give Him rest
until He sends us, in His kindness, His Divine assistance. He
will certainly hear the voice of our supplication, as we find
many times in our holy Torah and in the Prophets, HaKodosh
Boruch Hu desires the voice of our prayer. He has
cautioned us that at any time of trouble and tribulation we
should cry out before Him and arouse His mercy upon us.
What comes out of our words is that all our many troubles,
from which we have not been rescued, are because we do not
cry out and increase prayer over them. For if we would only
pray and pour out our conversation before HaKodosh Boruch
Hu He will certainly not return our prayers and
supplications empty-handed.
One must not be satisfied with the fact he prays the
Shemoneh Esrei three times a day. A number of times
each day we must pour out our prayer and supplications
privately in our home, from the depth of our heart. This is
because the three daily prayers have become habitual in our
mouths and we do not pay attention to them enough.
However, if each person will contemplate individually,
privately, and make a spiritual accounting about his
situation and his status, his great poverty and numerous
annoyances, he will not pray by rote. Above all, he should
contemplate his distress that he earns only the bare
necessities, and pour out his heart like water to Hashem.
Then, his prayer will be with deep intention, a broken heart,
and a low spirit. A prayer of this sort will certainly not be
returned empty-handed.
(Maran HaChofetz Chaim, Likutei Amarim, 10)
If one does not pray in the good times he will bring upon
himself troubles, G-d forbid
The fundamental concept is that Klal Yisroel is always in the
aspect of, "from the straits did I call to G-d"
(Tehillim 118:5). They never have anyone to rely upon
or anyone else to turn to besides calling out to Hashem!
The nations of the world are placed under the control of
nature, as it is written: "And lest you lift up your eyes to
heaven, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the
host of heaven, which Hashem your G-d assigned to all peoples
under the entire heaven, and be drawn away to prostrate
yourselves before them and worship them" (Devorim
4:19). They indeed have upon what to rely: "These trust in
chariots and these in horses" (Tehillim 20:8). The
nations have their "chariots" and "horses." These are what
Hashem assigned to them.
However, "but we — we mention the name of Hashem our G-
d" (Ibid.). We have nothing, the laws of nature do not
bind us; all the guidance of Klal Yisroel is above the laws
of nature. If so, we actually have no connection to a
situation of expansion and increase, or a situation of
pressure and dire straits, we are always suspended on
nothingness, with no status or process. Who can we trust, who
can deliver us? Certainly, we can rely only on our Father is
Heaven, "but we — we mention the name of Hashem our G-
d."
A person must recognize this at a time of expansion; he must
make no distinction between a time of expansion and a time of
straits. His prayer during a situation of expansion must be
the same as his prayer in straits—for he always calls
to Hashem "from the straits." Then, it will abode very well
for him. Then, "G-d answered me with a vast expanse"
(Tehillim 118:5). G-d will rescue him and he will
never come to any straits, G-d forbid.
And if not, if he does not recognize that even when he is
tranquil he is hanging unto nothingness, and he does not have
the feeling of "from the straits" even in a comfortable
situation, then Heaven will place him in an actual situation
of distress. Then, amidst the distress, he will surely
recognize there is no rescue besides Hashem. Because forever
more You are G-d, whether in distress or expanse, there is no
other besides You. This will certainly bring him into the
secret of tefilloh in truth, and also during the times
of expansion, he will recognize: "From the straits did I call
to G-d" (Ibid.)— and it will be well for him.
In our time, when the winds of death and a great pit surround
us, a time of great distress, we must know the great
obligation of crying out, "I called out in my distress."
We have already learnt that the purpose of the troubles is to
make our voice heard, to recognize that "our Redeemer and
Deliverer forever more is Your Name, there is no god besides
You." And if we shall call out in the Name of Hashem, then
there will be no difference at all between the situations,
whether distress or expansion, and if, "from the straits did
I call to G-d," then we may be certain that, "G-d answered me
with a vast expanse" (Ibid.).
(Maran HaRav Yeruchom Levovitz zt'l, Daas Torah, Parshas
Beshalach)
