[Avodah] The Workings of Tefillah

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Feb 07, 2012 at 3:10:11pm EST, I quoted:
: http://vbm-torah.org/archive/faith/12faith.htm
: 
:     PRINCIPLES OF FAITH
:     By Rav Joshua Amaru
: 
:     ...
: 
:     3. The Anthropocentric Conception of Prayer
...
:     4. The Theurgical Conception of Prayer
...
:     5. Rav Soloveitchik's Existentialist Conception of Prayer
...
:     6. Prayer as Intersubjective Influence

Nishma's Blog (blogmaster: RRW) recently carried two entries on the subject.

1- http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/2012/02/tfilah-request-vs-demand.html

     T'filah: Request vs. Demand
     Guest Blogger
     Rabbi J. Simcha Cohen

     As to whether Tefila is a request or a demand, the following related
     article published this month in my latest book, "Jewish Prayer-The
     Right Way, Resolving Halachic Dilemmas (Urim Publishing)suggests
     at times it may be a demand.(See pp.21-22)

     ...

     The following response was culled from a taped shiur of HaRav HaGoan
     R. Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik,(ZL) Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva University
     which was recorded over fifty years ago at Congregation Moriah in
     Manhattan, NY.

     The Talmud (Berachot 34b) reports the following:

     Rav Gamliel's son was ill. To pray for his son's recovery, Rav
     Gamliel sent two Torah scholars to Rav Chaninan ben Dosa. Upon
     viewing the scholars approach, Rav Chanina went up to his attic and
     solely prayed for recovery. When they came before Rav Chanina, he
     informed them that the sick person was already cured. Subsequently,
     the scholars were able to substantiate not only the cure but also
     the time the cure took place.

     Some issues of concern. Why did Rav Gamliel send two students? Why
     not one? Why the necessity to send Torah scholars? Also, why did
     not Rav Chanina wait for the scholars to formally make the request?

     Subequently, Rav Chanina ben Dosa became a student of Rav Yochanan
     ben Zakkai. Once Rav Yochanan ben Zakkai's son was ill and Rav
     Yochanan ben Zakkai asked his student, Rav Chanina to pray for his
     ill son. Rav Chanina ben Dosa put his head down by his knees and
     prayed and cured the illness.

     At issue is the rationale for Rav Chanina's bizarre mode of
     prayer.Why did he put his head down by his legs? What message did
     such a prayer impart?

     HaRav Soloveitchik (ZL) gave the following analysis of these
     Talmudic incidents. Rav Chanina's mode of prayer expressed a unique
     orientation towards requests or petitions made to the Rebono Shel
     Olam. Who walks with his head down near his feet? Not humans. Humans
     walk with their head held high. The posture of a head hanging near
     one's feet is symtomatic of animals. Rav Chanina's mindset was to
     plead with G-d to sustain his creations with health as he sustains
     the animals in the field. He gave life to the person who is ill,
     therefore, He owes them health. As it is written "Umasbia l'chol
     chai- and He sustains all life". Animals are given life and health
     regardless of their nature to do good or otherwise. The prayer for
     the ill has nothing to do with the character, personality, Torah
     knowledge or religious observances of the person. Rav Chanina felt
     that all humans due to the fact that G-d gave them life deserve
     to be granted health comparable to the health given to the animals
     of the field. To emphasize this quality, Rav Chanina put his head
     between his legs to manifest the animal aspect of all mankind. In
     other words, care should be given to human creations at least in
     the same format that it is provided to the animal world.

     Rav Gamliel had a radically different approach to prayer. His
     position was that people of merit had a right to demand
     considerations from G-d. For this reason he sent to Rav Chanina not
     one but two students who were Talmedai Chachamim, Torah Scholars. He
     believed that a request to heal his son should be through the
     process of a Bet Din. Serving as the leader of the Torah world he
     felt that he deserved some consideration in return.The prayer for
     recovery was to be a P'sak of a Bet Din ruling that he, Rav Gamliel
     merited compassion from G-d for his son.

     Rav Chanina understood Rav Gamliel's intention when he noted that
     two scholars were coming to his home. Consequently, he prayed for
     the recovery of Rav Gamliel's son by himself; for his approach
     to prayer was one of great modesty and not a religious demand for
     payment due to the performance of Mitzvot.

     (Any error or misstatement should be attributed to my understanding
     of the Sheur and not to HaGoan HaRav Soloveitchik (ZL).)

To which RRW wondered out loud:
    Thinking out loud I wonder if we may legitimately distinguish between
    different kinds of DEMANDS

    EG personal demands may be always construed as "selfish"

    However, demands that are Lichvod Shamayim - such as "v'timloch
    aleinu" - might be entirely different because it is not for OUR
    selfish needs etc.

Then RRW copied something from narrowbridge.org (apparently a Breslover
site)
http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/2012/02/stuck-just-pray-your-way-out-of-it.html

    Reb Nosson wrote:
    In every sphere, the only thing a person can do is to wait for G-d's
    salvation and, in the meantime, to petition G-d to send him what
    he needs. Be it small or large, whatever our needs; whether food or
    drink, clothing, shelter, eating utensils, furniture, domestic help,
    tuition money, or anything else, there is no advice and no strategy
    other than to throw our burden on G-d, begging Him to send us what
    we need. If we have to take some action, or to discover some advice
    or strategy about what to do, we should ask and rely on G-d to help
    us and to supply us with good advice at the proper time.
    (Healing Leaves, p. 71)


    What does this mean to me?

    There are people who don't like to hear that prayer is the
    answer. "What about having a duty to make effort? What about
    being realistic about the way that this world works?" they ask,
    exasperated. Reb Nosson shows us that there is no contradiction
    between our need to make effort and the fact that prayer and patience
    is the solution. Whatever we need -- and he is so specific, down to
    the tuition! -- we must turn to G-d for it. Until the help arrives,
    we exercise the quality of patience. And before we make any decision
    or take the steps that we see laid out before us to secure those
    needs, we ask for Good, Orderly Direction -- whose initials spell,
    what else? G-d.

    A prayer:

	G-d of patience, teach me patience.

	Help me learn to wait-
	+ for the good that is just around the corner;
	+ for the assistance that will soon be within reach;
	+ for the relief that is just a moment away

    (The Gentle Weapon*, p. 52)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When a king dies, his power ends,
micha at aishdas.org        but when a prophet dies, his influence is just
http://www.aishdas.org   beginning.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                    - Soren Kierkegaard