The Sigh of the Traveler

Rav Yitzchok Freiman once told how, on a very rainy day in Yerushalayim, he walked beside Rav Shlomo Zalman at a brisk pace on the way to shul. The Rav grew visibly tired, and as he stepped around the puddles, a small sigh escaped him.

He immediately caught himself and said aloud, “May Hashem not hear the tefillos of the travelers, we want rain.” He went on to explain the Gemara that speaks of the Kohen Gadol's prayer on Yom Kippur that Hashem not accept the tefillos of travelers. A tzaddik who is traveling would never ask for the rain to stop when it is needed, and a wicked person's prayer would not be accepted anyway. So whom was the Kohen Gadol worried about? An ehrlicher Yid who would not actually ask for the rain to stop, but might sigh at the discomfort. Such a small sigh from a good Jew can cause a great stir in Heaven, so be careful.