Psalm 27 offers us the solution: “Kaveh el Hashem” – Place your trust in G-d. Pray. And if initially your prayers are not answered, strengthen your heart and pray some more.
We must only keep the lines open and never stop. If we wish to live, we must always bear in mind that prayer is our most powerful weapon.
Having said all this, we must also recognize that Hashem is not our waiter. We cannot make demands. We cannot order Him around. We cannot depart from His restaurant in a fit of temper. There are no other eateries to which we can go.
Time and again I have been told by disappointed singles searching for their soul mates or businesspeople facing failure, “I am through! I’ve had it! I prayed and it’s no use. It’s all to no avail!”
“Really?” I ask. “You’re really through? You won’t pray? Do you really think you’re doing G-d a favor when you seek His help and pray? Do you really think G-d is diminished because you have ceased praying?”
I then point out what should be obvious: “If G-d wills it, in an instant you will be gone. So let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to start up with someone, that’s your option, but for your own good, your own survival, don’t start up with G-d. You will lose before you ever start.”
When they ask me what to do I reply, “Follow the advice, found in Psalm 27, of King David, the mighty warrior and sweet singer of Israel: ‘Pray, and then pray some more.’ Follow the example of Moshe Rabbeinu, whose every prayer was on behalf of his people.”
Actually, the one time Moshe prayed for himself, he begged G-d to allow him to enter the Promised Land. He was told “No,” but his faith never diminished. He understood that everything that comes from G-d is good and there was a reason why he was not permitted to walk on that holy ground. Just the same, every prayer is answered in its own way; from the top of the mountain G-d granted Moshe a vision and he saw the Land of Israel and the great panorama of Jewish history.
G-d has His reasons, even if those reasons escape our puny minds. Our faith, our trust in Hashem, is eternal, and we know that “No” is also an answer.
To Be Continued
