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If emunah is the belief that everything that hashem does is for my best then how can I ever daven for something, maybe it’s best for me not to have it and I will cause hashem to give me something that I shouldn’t have through the power of my teffila? (For example maybe the person was going to have a horrible marriage or a sick child so instead hashem decided to withhold his zivug/child to spare him the pain and by asking to get married or have children he’ll be asking for something that’s not best for him….)
It is a question of the Baal Haikarim, Hashem does not change his mind, so how does davenen make Him change? He answers that He does not change but we change through davenen by bringing us closer to Hashem. It says in Ashrei, the will of those who fear Him He does and then He listens to their voices. He fulfilled their will before davening so what are they asking for? Sometimes one asks something that is not good for him but Hashem grants his wishes anyway and then he davens to change and undo it.
The point is the basic definition of tefiloh. And that is discussed extensively throughout Torah sheb’al peh. From Shas through midrashim, from the basics of sifrei Rishonim throughout the rest of our history.
Firstly, the purpose of tefiloh is NOT to inform Hashem of our needs. He already knows our needs better than we do. But He does want us to speak to him several times a day, and to place our bakashos before Him – He wants to hear us. Tefiloh is all about connection, and the content of our tefiloh is secondary to that. How many tefilos do we utter every day without understanding them? Or grasping them only superficially without getting anywhere close to the deep and profound kavanos that are embedded in them?
The sugya is vast and deep. And it would be a valuable undertaking to explore this to the degree possible, both for us to be able to approach tefiloh better, as well as the meriting the zechus of transmitting the precious value of tefiloh to our children and talmidim.
Therefore, we ask Hashem, maleh mishalos libbenu letovah, fulfill our wishes for the good. I don’t know if it is good for me, so only grant my wishes when it is good for me.
The Chidushei Harim asks, what kind of curse was it to the snake to eat dust which is available everywhere? He answers, Hashem told it, here is your food and don’t bother me. We praise Hashem that we can praise Him and He wants to listen to our prayer. Hilel praised Hashem day by day that He provides food for a day at a time requiring to pray for the rest.
The Rabbenu Bachaya in Parashas Korach explains the reason keeping our feet together at the shmonei esrei besides being like malachim. We want to show that without Hashem’s help our feet are tied and thereby we recognize that only He can grant our wishes and no one else. That is what the first three brochos depict. One, there is a Supreme Being who remembers what our forefathers accomplished and brings the redemption in their zechusim. Two, He is mashgiach on us constantly and provides us our needs. Three, He is the only One able to give us this provision and therefore, the only One to daven to.
It is a vast sugya. Let’s go to the beginning. When Adam Harishshon was created and looked around the world what did he see??? Nothing. Absolutely nothing!! The passik says all was “terem yitzmach”. Prior to growing. Why? Adam ayin laavod haadama. Thee was not man to work the field. Rashi says that the pshat of he possuk is there was no man to recognize the good of rain and to ask for it. There was no man to daven that things should grow. That means that Hashem wanted to make things grow but He waited for the Tfillah of man. In this way Hashem has made us part of the process of creation. The world is created with the name Elokim and we are created with then name Elokim….. Btzleme Elokim…. Of course Hashem wanted the should be trees, grass, plants, fruits, veggies, grains etc…. but He gave us the trigger- Tfillah- to make it happen. NO davening? No food. Yes davening, -zechus of being part of the process of bringing shefa brocho down from ON HIGH. I tried to write succinctly and provide a simple livable relatable approach. Hatlocho!
In many instance s the same goes for our needs and for the gzieros of the world. Haashem wants us to be healed, or give parnosshoh, or stop th epandemic. He waits for us to daven. To realy daven. To recognize that He will give it if we daven and if that is what he deems as good.
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