HaRav Binyomin Finkel
HaRav Binyomin Finkel says that it is really a time of troubles. Yidden are broken and shattered, families are destroyed, every day new young and old sit shivah: Fathers over their sons, and sons over their fathers. Hashem Yeracheim.
But we must not forget that a lot of people saw yeshuo and a lot of people recovered. Many who thought they were near the end went on to a complete recovery, though not all. In our yeshiva there were so many korbonos, Hashem yeracheim. These are very difficult times but we must not despair. We must look for things to do, to come close to our Father in Heaven.
Perhaps the Mashgiach will explain the power of tefillah?
Aside from the basic obligation to do hishtadlus, to follow the recommendations of health officials as ruled by gedolei Yisroel shlita, we must breach the gates of Heaven.
There are two parts of tefillah: There is a tefillah which, even if there was a gezeiroh on Rosh Hashanah, tefillah can overcome it. A lot of tefillah is necessary when the judgment must be torn up and replaced, as referenced in Rosh Hashanah, "Cries can tear up the judgment of a person." This is the power of tefillah.
Chazal say, "Tefillah is hard (kosheh) since it cancels the decree." It is not called "great" but "hard" because of its power to cancel bad decrees.
But there is another kind of tefillah. Sometimes HaKodosh Boruch Hu wants to give some benefit, it is all ready, but He does not give it because we do not daven. This is referred to by the well-known Rashi in Bereishis: "There was no Odom to work the land." Rashi says there was no one who recognized the benefit of the rain, and therefore he did not pray.
Today there is no one who does not see the need for tefillah, and when one brings out the tefillah from the depths of his heart, HaKodosh Boruch Hu will certainly give.
It seems to me that when everyone understands that the situation is grave and that we must offer prayers, nonetheless, sometimes indifference and habit prevail, for one also becomes accustomed to suffering and this causes apathy. But if a person were to imagine that he finds himself in a hospital Corona ward and envisions his condition at that time, arousing this feeling when he prays for another, this could be a prayer that actually rends the heavens.
The Maggid of Dubno says something awesome: Whoever prays over the suffering of a fellow man will benefit from the prayers of others for his sake, but if one does not pray or empathize with the suffering of others, in that same measure, he will not benefit from the prayers of others for his welfare. This goes to obligate us tremendously to the extent that we must pray for the suffering of others and for the pain and anguish of Klal Yisroel as a whole.
What is the importance of tefillah for someone else?
Chazal bring an awesome story in several places: "Upon the year following a drought will come and when people pray for one another, Hashem is filled with compassion for them."
And Chazal tell of Rabi Tanchuma whose generation suffered a year of drought. People came to him and told him that Rebbi had declared a fast day. They had already fasted three times, but to no avail; no rain fell. Rabi Tanchuma said to them, "My sons! Arouse your concern one for the other and Hashem, in turn, will be filled with mercy upon you, too."
As they were going to give money to the poor, as per his advice, they saw a man giving money to his divorced wife. They came to Rabi Tanchuma and said, "It is no wonder that rain does not fall if there is such a sinful man in our midst."
He asked them, "What did you see?"
They replied, "We saw Ploni giving money to his divorced wife."
Rabi Tanchuma sent a messenger to fetch him and he asked the man why he had given money to the woman. He replied, "Rebbi, I saw that she was suffering and felt pity for her."
And Chazal continue: Rabi Tanchuma then raised his face heavenward and said, "Master of the World, if such a man who has no obligation of sustenance towards that woman, sees her pain and feels compassion towards her, You, of Whom it is written that You are compassionate and merciful, and we, who are Your children, sons of Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov, how much more should You feel merciful towards us."
Thereupon, rain began falling to quench the thirst of the world.
HaRav Binyomin says feelingly, "As soon as Rabi Tanchuma finished his prayer, plentiful rain began falling to such a degree that it sufficed to quench the need of the entire world for a long time afterwards. The blessed bounty descended immediately after the conclusion of the prayer.
"The first thing we learn from this medrash is that mercy is imperative for everything, but if there is indeed a lack of modesty and propriety (tznius), this is enough to bring on such a drastic decree.
As soon as Rabi Tanchuma learned that there might be someone sinful, he went to investigate. Only after he verified that there was no breach of modesty — he thereupon raised his head and began praying.
There is an additional basic principle here: That Jew performed a deed of kindness which caused rain to fall. But until Rabi Tanchuma raised his face heavenward in prayer, Klal Yisroel did not yet see the salvation. Given, that the very act had the power to help, but sometimes a special prayer is needed whereby Hashem sees the positive advocacy. The support which Rabi Tanchuma evoked for the man in helping one whom he was not obligated to help, is what he expressed when he said to his talmidim, "My sons, well up with compassion."
There is no doubt that we need much prayer and good deeds to save us. But sometimes, good deeds are not enough. If there is a charge against us and we are not worthy, in order to merit salvation, we must reach a state of measure-for-measure, for then, even if we are not deserving for our part, alone, if we persevere in acts of kindness, Hashem is filled with compassion for us and showers it upon us.
Praying for someone else, as the Dubno Maggid said, means to be filled with empathy for another, and with the power of this prayer, Hashem will surely be filled with mercy to shower upon us.
