The Tzaddik's Prayer: Facing Obstacles as a Son
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 28:11
וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי־בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא
He encountered the place and spent the night there, because the sun had set. He took some of the stones of the place and put them at his head, and lay down in that place.
Chazal read vayifga, “he encountered,” as an expression of prayer, as in “do not entreat Me” (Yirmiyahu 7:16), and learn from it that Yaakov instituted the evening prayer.
1a“He encountered the place and spent the night there, because the sun had set.”1 Rashi explains: “Our Rabbis interpreted it as a word for prayer, as in ve'al tifga bi, ‘do not entreat Me,’ and we learn that he instituted the evening prayer.”2 Yet how is the word pegi'ah, “encountering,” connected to prayer? The Torah's other words for prayer point to it plainly, as in “I threw myself down before Hashem” or “I pleaded to Hashem.”3 But what does an encounter have to do with prayer?
וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (כח, יא). פֵּירֵשׁ רש״י, רַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּירְשׁוּ לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ (ירמיה ז טז) וְאַל תִּפְגַּע בִּי, וְלָמַדְנוּ שֶׁתִּיקֵּן תְּפִלַּת עַרְבִית. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מַהוּ הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת שֶׁל תֵּיבַת ׳פְּגִיעָה׳ לְעִנְיַן תְּפִילָּה, דְּבִשְׁלָמָא בִּשְׁאָר לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת בָּהֶם תְּפִילָּה, מְבוֹאָר הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם עִם עִנְיַן תְּפִילָּה, כְּמוֹ (דברים ט, יח) וָאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי ה׳, (דברים ג, כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה׳, שֶׁהֵם לְשׁוֹנוֹת הַמּוֹרוֹת עַל עִנְיַן תְּפִילָּה, אַךְ מַה עִנְיַן פְּגִיעָה לִתְפִלָּה.
1b[The commentators do write that pegi'ah means a request, as in “and intercede for me with Efron.”4 But that itself needs explaining. Why would the verse hint at prayer with a word for encountering, instead of saying outright, “and he requested”? Further, the Radak, in his Sefer HaShorashim, the dictionary of Hebrew roots, explains that the plain sense of pegi'ah is a meeting, as in the verse “You met one who rejoices and does righteousness.”5 That is: You, Hashem, met and found one who rejoiced and was glad in Your commandments and did righteousness. The verse alludes to Avraham Avinu and the tzaddikim after him, who in a time of anger would remember You by Your well-known attributes, “gracious and merciful, slow to anger.”6]
[דְּבַמְּפָרְשִׁים כָּתְבוּ דְּעִנְיָנוֹ הוּא עִנְיַן בַּקָּשָׁה כְּמוֹ (כג, ח) וּפִגְעוּ לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן, אַךְ דָּבָר זֶה גּוּפָא צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר זֹאת בְּדֶרֶךְ רֶמֶז בְּלָשׁוֹן שֶׁל פְּגִיעָה, וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר לְהֶדְיָא וִיבַקֵּשׁ. וְעוֹד דְּפַשְׁטוּת לְשׁוֹן פְּגִיעָה בֵּיאֵר בְּסֵפֶר הַשָּׁרָשִׁים לרד״ק (ערך פגע), דְּפֵירוּשׁוֹ הוּא, עִנְיַן פְּגִישָׁה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּכָּתוּב (ישעיהו סד, ד) פָּגַעְתָּ אֶת שָׂשׂ וְעֹשֵׂה צֶדֶק, שֶׁפֵּירוּשׁוֹ פָּגַעְתָּ וּמָצָאתָ מִי שֶׁהָיָה שָׂשׂ וְשָׂמֵחַ בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ וְעוֹשֶׂה צֶדֶק, וְהוּא רֶמֶז לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וּשְׁאָר הַצַּדִּיקִים אַחֲרָיו שֶׁהָיוּ זוֹכְרִים אוֹתְךָ בְּעֵת הַכַּעַס בְּמִדּוֹתֶיךָ הַיְּדוּעוֹת, שֶׁהֵם חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם].
In shortWhy is prayer called pegi'ah, a word whose plain sense is a meeting, rather than a plain word for pleading or request?
2We may explain it this way. The true tzaddik, who prays solely for the honor of Heaven, does not wish to change, as it were, the mind of the Holy One, blessed be He. How, then, can tzaddikim pray to sweeten the attribute of judgment, when the time comes that they must plead before Him? The answer is that Hashem longs for the prayer of the righteous,7 and so He shows the tzaddik that he needs to pray to annul the attribute of judgment. That is what the word vayifga tells us. The tzaddik goes along his own path, serving and doing everything solely for the honor of Hashem's Name, for His sake. But Hashem arranges a pega for him, a mishap that stands in his way so that he cannot continue on that path, to show him that now he must pray to annul the judgment. We learn this from the word pegi'ah, which denotes the prayer of the tzaddikim. We find it with Yaakov Avinu: Hashem sent a mishap on his way, and the sun suddenly set for him before its time. Because of this he prayed and instituted the evening prayer.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר, דְּהִנֵּה הַצַּדִּיק הָאֲמִיתִּי שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל אַךְ וְרַק לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, אֵינוֹ חָפֵץ לַעֲשׂוֹת שִׁינּוּי כִּבְיָכוֹל בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה, וְאִם כֵּן בֶּאֱמֶת אֵיךְ צַדִּיקִים יְכוֹלִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְהַמְתִּיק אֶת מִידַּת הַדִּין, בְּעֵת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ מִלְּפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֶלָּא הֱיוֹת והקב״ה רוֹצֶה בִּתְפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים (יבמות סד, א), לָכֵן הוּא מַרְאֶה לְהַצַּדִּיק שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְבַטֵּל מִידַּת הַדִּין. וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳וַיִּפְגַּע׳, הַכַּוָּונָה לוֹמַר, שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁלּוֹ אַךְ וְרַק לַעֲבוֹד וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַכֹּל לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ לִשְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֶלָּא שהקב״ה מַזְמִין לוֹ פֶּגַע הַמַּפְרִיעוֹ לְבַל יֵלֵךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה, כְּדֵי לְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ בְּכָךְ, שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ עַתָּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְבַטֵּל מִידַּת הַדִּין. וְזֶה לוֹמְדִים מִלְּשׁוֹן ׳פְּגִיעָה׳, הַמּוֹרֶה עַל תְּפִילַּת הַצַּדִּיקִים, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, שֶׁהִזְמִין לוֹ הקב״ה פֶּגַע בְּדַרְכּוֹ וְשָׁקְעָה לוֹ חַמָּה פִּתְאוֹם שֶׁלֹּא בְּעוֹנָתָהּ, וּבְשֶׁל כָּךְ הִתְפַּלֵּל וְתִיקֵּן תְּפִילַּת עַרְבִית.
- Yevamos 64a. ↩
In shortLonging for the tzaddik's prayer, Hashem sends him a pega, a mishap, to show he must pray, as when the sun set suddenly for Yaakov.
3aWhen the tzaddik reaches this level of pegi'ah, he attains the state of “You are children to Hashem.”8 He is like a son, who remains dear to his father even after his father was angry with him, because he gives his father pleasure. He is not like a servant who sins against his master and, having provoked him, is no longer in his favor. My holy great-grandfather, the Rebbe of Biala, zt"l, cites the same idea in his sefer Divrei Binah, in the name of his father, the holy Rebbe of Shidlovtza, zt"l.9 The question there concerns our prayer “Forgive us, our Father.” Why was it instituted with the words “our Father”? Why do we not say “Forgive us, Hashem,” as we do in the rest of the prayer, “Bless for us, Hashem our God, this year,” and the like?
וְהִנֵּה בְּעֵת שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק בָּא לַמַּדְרֵיגָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁל ׳פְּגִיעָה׳, הוּא מַגִּיעַ לִבְחִינַת בָּנִים אַתֶּם לָה׳ (דברים יד, א), שֶׁהוּא כִּבְחִינַת ׳בֵּן׳ הַמְּרוּצֶּה לְאָבִיו אֲפִילּוּ לְאַחַר שֶׁכָּעַס עָלָיו, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה נַחַת רוּחַ לְאָבִיו, וְאֵינוֹ בִּבְחִינַת ׳עֶבֶד׳ הַחוֹטֵא לְרַבּוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְרוּצֶּה לְרַבּוֹ לְאַחַר שֶׁהִקְנִיטוֹ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֵבִיא זְקֵינִי הרה״ק מביאלא זצללה״ה בְּסֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה (בריש פרשה זו) מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו הרה״ק משידלובצא זצללה״ה, עַל מַה שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִים ׳סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ׳, לָמָּה תִּקְּנוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳אָבִינוּ׳, וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים סְלַח לָנוּ ה׳, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בִּשְׁאָר הַתְּפִלָּה בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ ה׳ אֱלוֹקֵינוּ אֶת הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה.
3bThe answer is this. When a person quarrels with his fellow, provokes him and is at odds with him, and afterward makes peace with him, the way of things is that even if his fellow forgives him, some trace of hatred and resentment still remains in his heart. So even after forgiving him, his fellow no longer keeps company with him as before. That is the way of the world: a person says, “I forgive you completely, but from now on I don't want to be close to you, and I want nothing to do with you.” But when a son sins against his father, and afterward asks his forgiveness and appeases him, he gives his father great pleasure. There it is just the opposite: the father draws him close in every way and makes every effort so that his son will walk the straight path. So too, we are children to Hashem. When we return in teshuvah, our Father in Heaven wants to draw us close, and He makes every effort so that we continue on the straight path. This is what we ask in the Shemoneh Esrei, “Forgive us, our Father”: that He deal with us as “our Father,” drawing us close after the teshuvah we do, so that no barrier remains between Israel and its Father in Heaven.
וְתֵירֵץ, דְּהִנֵּה בְּאִם אֶחָד הִתְקוֹטֵט עִם חֲבֵירוֹ וְהִקְנִיטוֹ וְהָיָה עִמּוֹ בְּרוֹגֶז, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הוּא מִתְפַּיֵּיס עִמּוֹ, אֲזַי הַדֶּרֶךְ הִיא, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ שֶׁחֲבֵירוֹ מוֹחֵל לוֹ, אַךְ עֲדַיִין נִשְׁאַר אֵיזֶה רוֹשֶׁם שִׂנְאָה וְטִינָה בְּלִיבּוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן אַף לְאַחַר שֶׁמּוֹחֵל לוֹ, שׁוּב אֵין מִתְחַבֵּר עִמּוֹ כִּמְקוּדָּם, וְהוּא כְּדֶרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁאוֹמֵר לוֹ הִנְנִי מוֹחֵל לְךָ לְגַמְרֵי, אֲבָל לְהַבָּא אֵינֶנִּי רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת מְחוּבָּר עִמְּךָ, וְאֵין לִי שׁוּם עֵסֶק עִמְּךָ. אֲבָל בְּאִם בֵּן חָטָא לְאָבִיו, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ מְחִילָה וּמְפַיֵּיס אֶת אָבִיו, אֲזַי עוֹשֶׂה בָּזֶה נַחַת רוּחַ גָּדוֹל לְאָבִיו, וְשָׁם הוּא לְהֵיפֶךְ, שֶׁאָבִיו מְקָרֵב אוֹתוֹ בְּכָל מִינֵי הִתְקָרְבוּת, וּמִשְׁתַּדֵּל שֶׁהַבֵּן יֵלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר. כָּךְ אָנוּ בָּנִים לַה׳, וּכְשֶׁאָנוּ שָׁבִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה, אֲזַי אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם רוֹצֶה לְקָרֵב אוֹתָנוּ וּמִשְׁתַּדֵּל שֶׁנַּמְשִׁיךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים בִּתְפִילַּת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה ׳סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ׳, שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג עִמָּנוּ בִּבְחִינַת ׳אָבִינוּ׳, לְקָרֵב אוֹתָנוּ אַחֲרֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂים, שֶׁלֹּא תִּשָּׁאֵר מְחִיצָּה בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם.
In shortSuch prayer makes the tzaddik a son, whom his father draws even closer once appeased, and so we say “Forgive us, our Father.”
4Yaakov Avinu prayed in the way of pegi'ah: as a son praying before his Father in Heaven, to give his Father pleasure. That is why Hashem heard his prayer. And he accomplished this for the generations after him too, for “the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children,” as the Ramban teaches, following the Midrash Tanchuma.10 So we too can serve Him, in some small measure, as His children. Through this may we be privileged to have the Holy One, blessed be He, accept our efforts to give Him pleasure, to see our prayer “Forgive us, our Father” fulfilled, and to be speedily redeemed. Amen, may it be His will.
וְהִנֵּה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ עָשָׂה תְּפִילָּתוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ פְּגִיעָה, כְּבֵן הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי אָבִיו שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְאָבִיו שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, לָכֵן שָׁמַע ה׳ אֶת תְּפִלָּתוֹ. וְכֵן פָּעַל גַּם לְדוֹרוֹת, מַעֲשֵׂה אָבוֹת סִימָן לְבָנִים (רמב״ן יב, ו על פי מדרש תנחומא לך ט), שֶׁגַּם אָנוּ נוּכַל לְהַשִּׂיג בְּמִקְצָת אֶת הָעֲבוֹדָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁנִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת בָּנִים לַה׳, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִזְכֶּה שהקב״ה יְקַבֵּל אוֹתָנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְפָנָיו, וִיקוּיַּים מַה שֶׁאָנוּ מִתְפַּלְּלִים ׳סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ׳ וְיִגְאָלֵנוּ בִּמְהֵרָה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
- Ramban on Bereishis 12:6; Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 9. ↩
In shortYaakov prayed as a son seeking to please his Father and opened that path for us, so that “Forgive us, our Father” may bring redemption.
Takeaway
When something blocks our path and interrupts our service, it may be Hashem Himself sending the encounter, because He longs for our prayer, as when the sun set suddenly for Yaakov. We turn to Him then not as servants hoping merely to be pardoned, but as children whose return gives their Father pleasure and draws them closer than before. That is the meaning of “Forgive us, our Father.”
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
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