Never Too Late to Pray
On the eve of Hoshana Rabbah, the Rebbe sensed a darkness and prayed through the night for his people.
A story ofRav Dovid Moshe Freidman of Chortkovהרב דוד משה בן ישראל פרידמאןProfile ›
In his last months Rav Dovid Moshe spoke often of the passing of other tzaddikim. He said that he longed to enter the Kodesh Hakodoshim, as the Kohen Gadol did on Yom Kippur.
Right after Yom Kippur he fell ill. On the eve of Hoshana Rabbah he remarked that a real darkness was descending. His gabbai, who stood beside him, had noticed nothing at all.
That night the Rebbe prayed for more than an hour with deep kavanah. He told those near him that it is never too late to pray for the salvation of Yidden.
Before the end he named his son, Rav Yisrael, as his successor. It is told that he passed away as he was saying the closing verses of Nishmas Kol Chai, the prayer that thanks Hashem for every breath.
Chassidim understood the night as a summary of his life. A man who had spent decades carrying the troubles of others did not set them down at the last. He used the last hour he had to ask for them once more.
Source: Deiah veDibur, "Kodshei Kodshim: The Chortkover Rebbe, Reb Dovid Moshe Friedman zt"l", Part III (9 Marcheshvan 5783)
There may be a person or a situation in your life that you have stopped praying about because it seems settled or hopeless. Today, choose one and say a short prayer for it by name. Ask for help specifically and sincerely, even if you do not expect to see a result. The Rebbe's last lesson was that no hour is too late for this. Return to the same prayer tomorrow, and the day after, and let it become a quiet habit.