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Lehavas David · Parshas Beshalach · Maamar ד

Praying for Heaven's Honor: Silence That Brings Salvation

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 14:13-15
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ הִתְיַצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־יְשׁוּעַת יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם אֶת־מִצְרַיִם הַיּוֹם לֹא תֹסִפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד עַד־עוֹלָם יְהֹוָה יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִשׁוּן וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מַה־תִּצְעַק אֵלָי דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ
Moshe said to the people, “Do not fear; stand firm and see the salvation of Hashem that He will perform for you today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them again ever more. Hashem will fight for you, and you shall be silent.” Hashem said to Moshe, “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them journey forth.”
1“Moshe said to the people, ‘Do not fear; stand firm and see the salvation of Hashem … Hashem will fight for you, and you shall be silent’ … ‘Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them journey forth.’”1 This passage raises several questions. First, Moshe spoke “to the people,” and “people,” as is well known, describes a low level.2 Yet afterward the verse says, “Speak to Bnei Yisrael,” a name that describes a high level.3 Second, what is meant by “stand firm”? What is this standing about? Third, what does “and see the salvation of Hashem” mean? The wording seems to suggest that there is some kind of salvation here for Hashem, as it were. Fourth, why did Moshe add “and you shall be silent”? It would seem enough to say, “Hashem will fight for you.” Why did he also need to warn them to be silent?
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם אַל תִּירָאוּ, הִתְיַיצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת ה׳ וְגוֹ׳, ה׳ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן, וְגוֹ׳, דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ (יד, יג - טו). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק בַּכָּתוּב זֶה כַּמָּה דִּקְדּוּקִים, דְּהִנֵּה תְּחִילָּה כָּתוּב שֶׁדִּיבֵּר מֹשֶׁה ׳אֶל הָעָם׳, וְנוֹדַע דְּ׳עַם׳ הִיא דַּרְגָּא נְמוּכָה (זוהר ח״ב מה, ב), וּלְאַחַר מִכֵּן נֶאֱמַר ׳דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ הַמּוֹרֶה עַל דַּרְגָּא עֶלְיוֹנָה כַּנּוֹדָע (זוהר ח״ג רי, ב). עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לְשׁוֹן ׳הִתְיַיצְּבוּ׳, מָה עִנְיַן עֲמִידָה זוֹ. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מַהוּ ׳וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת ה׳׳, דְּלָשׁוֹן זֶה מַשְׁמַע קְצָת שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן אֵיזֶה בְּחִינַת יְשׁוּעָה לָה׳ כִּבְיָכוֹל. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר אוֹמְרוֹ ׳וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן׳, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה דַּי בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳ה׳ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם׳, וְלָמָּה הוּצְרַךְ לְהוֹסִיף לְהַזְהִירָם גַּם לְהַחֲרִישׁ.
  1. Shemos 14:13–15. ↩
  2. Zohar II 45b. ↩
  3. Zohar III 210b. ↩
In shortWhy does Moshe address “the people,” then “Bnei Yisrael,” and what do “stand firm,” “the salvation of Hashem” and “you shall be silent” mean?
2We can explain this as follows. There are two kinds of prayer: prayer for one's own needs, and prayer for the honor of Heaven. When a person prays to Hashem for his own needs, such as his livelihood and the like, his prayer may meet with an accusation in Heaven, a claim that he is not worthy of having his request granted. But when people pray for the Shechinah in exile and for the honor of Heaven, without their own needs in mind, the prayer is surely accepted above, for no one can accuse where the honor of Heaven is at stake. Still, a person can pray for his own needs and have the sake of Heaven in mind. He does so when he prays in the spirit of Chazal's words: “When a person suffers, what does the Shechinah say? ‘My head is heavy upon Me; My arm is heavy upon Me.’”4 His intent, in other words, should be to pray over the pain the Shechinah feels because of his own pain. Then even a prayer for his own needs cannot meet with accusers, because it is for the honor of Heaven. And so a person who prays in this way is privileged to see salvation from all his troubles.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי בְּחִינוֹת בִּתְפִילָּה, תְּפִילָּה שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל צָרְכֵי עַצְמוֹ, וּתְפִילָּה עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר הָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ עַל צָרְכֵי עַצְמוֹ כְּגוֹן עַל עִנְיְנֵי פַּרְנָסָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, אֲזַי עַל תְּפִילָּה זֹאת יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת קִטְרוּג שֶׁהָאָדָם הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִזְכּוֹת שֶׁתִּתְמַלֵּא בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ. אַךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר מִתְפַּלְּלִים עַל שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא וּכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וְאֵינָם מְכַוְּונִים לְצוֹרֶךְ עַצְמָם, אֲזַי וַדַּאי מִתְקַבֶּלֶת הַתְּפִילָּה לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁכֵּן עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְקַטְרְגִים. אָמְנָם אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל צָרְכֵי הָאָדָם וּלְכַוֵּין בָּזֶה לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וְהוּא כְּשֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (סנהדרין מו, א) בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָדָם מִצְטַעֵר שְׁכִינָה מַה לָּשׁוֹן אוֹמֶרֶת קַלַּנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי קַלַּנִי מִזְּרוֹעִי, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁיְּכַוֵּין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַצַּעַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַשְּׁכִינָה מֵחֲמַת צַעֲרוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, וּבְאוֹפֶן זֶה נִמְצָא שֶׁגַּם עַל הַתְּפִלָּה עַל צָרְכֵי עַצְמוֹ אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְקַטְרְגִים, שֶׁכֵּן הִיא עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וּמִמֵּילָא כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה, הוּא זוֹכֶה לִישׁוּעָה מִכָּל צָרוֹת.
  1. Sanhedrin 46a. ↩
In shortPrayer for one's own needs can meet accusers, but not prayer for Heaven's honor, which a personal request becomes when one prays over the Shechinah's pain.
3This idea, that prayer can meet with accusers, also appears in a teaching that my holy father and teacher, zt"l, cited in the name of the Maggid of Kozhnitz, zt"l, on the verse “Hashem will fight for you.” The time of prayer, we know, is a time of battle,5 because when we pray we are fighting against the accusers. So the verse is telling us when “Hashem will fight for you,” that is, when Hashem will accept your prayer: when “you shall be silent” and do not, Heaven forbid, talk during prayer. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, hears the voice of our prayer. The Maggid's words also show that one must be worthy of having one's prayer rise to Heaven with no accusations against it.
וְעִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מְקַטְּגִים עַל הַתְּפִילָּה, נִזְכַּר גַּם בְּמַה שֶׁהֵבִיא כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה בְּשֵׁם הַמַּגִּיד מקוזניץ זצללה״ה, עַל הַכָּתוּב ״ה׳ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם״, דְּנוֹדַע כִּי עֵת הַתְּפִילָּה הוּא זְמַן מִלְחָמָה (עיין זוהר ח״ג רמג, א), לְפִי שֶׁבְּעֵת הַתְּפִילָּה אָנוּ נִלְחָמִים כְּנֶגֶד הַמְּקַטְרְגִים. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב, מָתַי יִהְיֶה ׳ה׳ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל ה׳ אֶת תְּפִלַּתְכֶם, בִּזְמַן ׳שֶׁאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן׳ שֶׁאֵינְכֶם מְדַבְּרִים בְּעֵת הַתְּפִלָּה ח״ו, אָז הקב״ה שׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל תְּפִילָּתֵנוּ. רוֹאִים מִדְּבָרָיו גַּם כֵּן, דְּצָרִיךְ לִזְכּוֹת לָזֶה שֶׁהַתְּפִלָּה תַּעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם, וְשֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה קִטְרוּגִים עַל זֶה.
  1. See Zohar III 243a. ↩
In shortPrayer is a battle against accusers, the Maggid of Kozhnitz taught, and Hashem fights for us when we keep silent during prayer.
4aThis lets us explain the verses here. When Bnei Yisrael stood near the Red Sea, with the wilderness closing in on them,6 they prayed to be saved from the Egyptians. They did not have the honor of Hashem's Name in mind when they prayed. One reason was that they had only just come out of Egypt, from the forty-nine gates of impurity,7 and had not yet received the Torah. So, as is well known, they were on a low level and not yet ready to pray for the honor of Heaven. That is why it says, “Moshe said to the people”: at that time Bnei Yisrael stood at the level of “people.” He told them, “stand firm,” a word used for prayer, as in Chanah's words to Eli: “I am the woman who stood here with you to pray to Hashem.”8 Then, “and see the salvation of Hashem”: Moshe told them that they must see to it that they ask and pray for Hashem's salvation. That means praying over the pain the Shechinah feels whenever Israel is in distress. And that is “and you shall be silent”: you must keep quiet and not pray for yourselves, for a prayer that is not for the honor of Heaven is not always accepted.
וּלְפִי זֶה יְבוֹאֲרוּ הַכְּתוּבִים כָּאן. דְּהִנֵּה בְּעֵת שֶׁעָמְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל סָמוּךְ לְיַם סוּף וְסָגַר עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּדְבָּר, אֲזַי תְּפִלַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה לְהִנָּצֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְלֹא הִתְכַּוְּונוּ בִּתְפִילָּתָם לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְהָיָה זֶה גַּם מֵחֲמַת שֶׁבְּעֵת הַהִיא שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם ממ״ט שַׁעֲרֵי טוּמְאָה קוֹדֶם קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדַרְגָּה נְמוּכָה כַּיָּדוּעַ, וַעֲדַיִין לֹא הָיוּ בְּמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר ״וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם״, שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עָמְדוּ אָז בְּמַדְרִיגַת ׳עָם׳, וְאָמַר לָהֶם ׳הִתְיַיצְּבוּ׳ שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א א, כו) ״אֲנִי הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּצֶּבֶת עִמְּכָה בָּזֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל ה׳׳, ׳וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת ה׳׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה שֶׁצְּרִיכִים הֵם לִרְאוֹת לְבַקֵּשׁ וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל יְשׁוּעַת ה׳, דְּהַיְינוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל צַעַר הַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁרוּיִים בְּצַעַר, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן׳ שֶׁאַתֶּם צְרִיכִים לִשְׁתּוֹק וְלֹא לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד עַצְמְכֶם, כִּי תְּפִילָּה כָּזֹאת שֶׁלֹּא בַּעֲבוּר כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם אֵינֶנָּה מִתְקַבֶּלֶת תָּמִיד.
  1. See Shemos 14:3. ↩
  2. A traditional phrase for the lowest spiritual state Israel reached in Egypt. ↩
  3. Shmuel I 1:26. ↩
4bMoshe Rabbeinu's words did indeed stir Bnei Yisrael to pray for the honor of Heaven. Moshe, too, began to pray, in order to raise up their prayers, as the tzaddikim of every generation do. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Why do you cry out to Me?”9 That is: you need not cry out to Me, because their prayer has already risen before Me. Your words have already stirred them, and they have all prayed for the honor of Heaven, so their prayer has been favorably accepted before Me and the time of their salvation has come. Therefore “Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them journey forth,” for the sea will not stand in their way. Now that they had been privileged to pray for the honor of Heaven, they had risen to the high level of being called “Bnei Yisrael.” And so all the questions we raised are resolved.
וְאָכֵן עַל יְדֵי הַדִּבּוּרִים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ נִתְעוֹרְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וְגַם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ פָּתַח בִּתְפִלָּה כְּדֵי לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת תְּפִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֶרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר. וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ הקב״ה ״מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִצְעוֹק אֵלַי כֵּיוָן שֶׁכְּבָר עָלְתָה לְפָנַי תְּפִלָּתָם, מֵאַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְעוֹרְרוּ מִדִּיבּוּרְךָ וְהִתְפַּלְּלוּ כּוּלָּם עֲבוּר כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, עַל כֵּן נִתְקַבְּלָה תְּפִלָּתָם לְרָצוֹן לְפָנַי וְהִגִּיעַ זְמַן יְשׁוּעָתָם, וְעַל כֵּן ״דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ״ כִּי אֵין הַיָּם עוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵיהֶם. וְעַתָּה כְּשֶׁכְּבָר זָכוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עֲבוּר כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, עָלוּ וְנִתְעַלּוּ לְדַרְגָּה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה לְהִקָּרֵא בְּשֵׁם ׳בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, וְנִתְיַישְּׁבוּ כָּל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים שֶׁדִּיַּיקְנוּ.
  1. Shemos 14:15. ↩
In shortAt the sea the people prayed only to be rescued; Moshe taught them to pray for Hashem's salvation, and so they rose to “Bnei Yisrael.”
5May Hashem grant that we be privileged to pray for the honor of Heaven, and so bring near the redemption of our souls. Amen, may it be His will.
כֵּן יְזַכֵּנוּ ה׳, שֶׁנּוּכַל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וּלְקָרֵב אֶת פְּדוּת נַפְשֵׁנוּ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we learn to pray for the honor of Heaven and so bring our redemption near.
Takeaway

When we are in trouble our prayers naturally turn to our own needs, and such prayers can meet accusers in Heaven. Moshe's lesson at the sea is to pray for “Hashem's salvation,” feeling that our pain is also the Shechinah's pain, and to be “silent” about ourselves and free of idle talk while we pray. Such prayer rises unopposed and lifts us from “the people” to “Bnei Yisrael.”

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.