Haleivi and others read this!
From Rabbi Eli Meyer Smith on Hakollel dot com
: Rivkah cried to Yaakov that he should
daven for her that she should have children, and if
the pain of being childless. She wanted Yaakov to
storm the Heavens with prayers in order to ease her
pain and guarantee her a child. This complaint
bothered Yaakov greatly because he knew that he
did not have the power himself to provide her with a
child. The prayers of tzadikim do not have to always
withholding a child from you. Hashem is withholding
mussar that she should not depend upon him alone.
He wanted to tell her that she herself should daven
and beseech Hashem for children. We see this later
in the verse (30:22), where it states: And Hashem
remembered Rochel. And Hashm listened to her and
he opened her womb. We see that she davened and
Hashem heard her prayers.
It is undoubtable that Yaakov davened for Rochel.
Yet, his tefillah went unanswered. Now, when she
complained that he must succeed with his tefillos
and grant her a child, he became upset at her and
told her that she must daven for children herself.
Rashi: Why did Yaakov get angry when Rochel asked
him to daven for her? He answers that Yaakov
of Hashem? Why do you want me to daven to
Hashem and ask Him to give you children through
my payers? You should daven yourself!
Yitzchok davened for Rivkah! Yaakov answered: I am
not like YItzchok. Yitzchok had no children. I have
children and cannot daven for something that I
already have. Even though we know that tzadikim
have the ability to daven for others, the Mizrachi
explains that tzadikim can only daven for something
that they do not have, or they can daven to Hashem
have. However, a tzadik cannot daven for something
related to him that he already has.
Rochel children? Because he already had children. If
he would daven for Rochel to have children, it would
also be a tefillah for himself to have more children.
have any. Yaakov could not daven for more children,
since he already had children.
Why is this so? Why can a person only daven for
something which he lacks, or for someone else for
something that person lacks, but not for himself for
something which he already has?
The verse in Parshas Vayeira, in the story of Hagar
and Yishmoel, says: And Hashem heard the voice of
the lad. Rashi quotes Chazal that say that we learn
from here that the prayers of a sick person are
superior to the prayers of others. The prayers of a
sick person are accepted sooner. Even though Hagar
the prayers of Yishmoel were accepted first. This is
because the sick person feels the pain and suffering.
Even if his tefillah is not said with very much
devotion, it is still a prayer from the depth of his
heart. Such a prayer is accepted quickly.