By Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits

Turning Pages

Throughout our lives, we spend a lot of time davening. From the time we are young children until we grow old, tefillah is part of our daily routine. We daven three times a day, and on Shabbos and Yom Tov we add additional tefillos. But how often do we stop and think about what we are doing? Why do we daven? What is the purpose of tefillah? Why does Hashem want us to ask Him for things when He already knows what we need?

These are important questions because tefillah is not supposed to be something we simply do out of habit. We are supposed to understand that when we daven, we are standing before Hashem and speaking directly to Him.

Davening as a Yoke

For many people, davening can sometimes feel like a burden. We arrive at shul, open the siddur, and begin saying the words. We may be thinking about what we have to do afterward, what happened earlier that day, or what is going on in our lives.

But imagine if someone told you that you were going to have an opportunity to speak personally with an important person who could help you with anything. Would you rush through the conversation without paying attention?

The truth is that Hashem is available to us at every moment. We do not need an appointment. We do not need an introduction. We can speak to Him whenever we want. One of the first things we have to understand about tefillah is that we are not simply reciting words. We are communicating with Hashem. So perhaps we should ask ourselves a simple question: What is the reason you come to shul?

Understanding the Words

Imagine picking up a newspaper written entirely in Chinese. You could look at the pages and recognize that there are words and sentences, but you would have no idea what they mean.

Unfortunately, sometimes people daven in a similar way. They say the words of the siddur but do not understand what they are saying. This is one of the reasons it is so important to learn the meaning of the words we say every day. We spend years learning Torah and going to yeshivah, but how much time do we spend learning the meaning of the tefillos that we say every day?

Our rebbeim and teachers have the opportunity to teach us these things when we are young, but we should also continue learning as adults.

When else should we start learning what the words of our tefillos mean if not now? The more we understand, the more meaningful our davening can become.

A Different Kind of Tefillah

There is another question that many people have about tefillah: If Hashem already knows everything, including exactly what we need, why do we have to ask Him?

If Hashem knows that someone is sick, He knows that person needs a refuah. If someone needs parnassah, Hashem already knows that. If someone is looking for a shidduch, Hashem knows that as well.

So why do we have to ask?

Imagine two young orphans who have been taken in by a wealthy person. He tells them that he will provide them with everything they need. He will give them food, clothing and a place to live. They have nothing to worry about.

One child accepts everything without saying much. The other child develops a close relationship with the person who took him in. He speaks to him, thanks him and asks him for things.

Which child has the closer relationship? The point of tefillah is not simply to tell Hashem something He does not know. Tefillah is about developing a relationship with Him. It is similar to having a cell phone. You may know that someone is always available to you, but unless you actually call that person, there is no conversation. Tefillah is our way of calling Hashem.

A Divine Present

Tefillah is one of the greatest gifts Hashem has given us. He allows us to speak directly to Him and ask Him for whatever we need. There is a famous concept that when we ask Hashem for something, we are not changing His knowledge. Rather, Hashem created a world in which tefillah is one of the ways through which things are accomplished. The Kli Yakar discusses the idea of ribbis, interest, and explains that a person should recognize that everything he has comes from Hashem. We are required to do our part, but ultimately everything comes from Him. Tefillah helps us recognize this. Imagine a farmer who plants seeds in the ground. He works hard. He prepares the field, plants the seeds and takes care of the crops. But he cannot make the seeds grow. He cannot create the rain or make the sun shine. He has to do his part and then recognize that the results are in Hashem’s hands. That is the balance we are supposed to have in life.

From the beginning of creation, Hashem established this concept. The Torah tells us that before Adam was created, the earth had not yet produced vegetation because there was no rain. Rashi explains that Adam was created so that he would recognize the need to ask for rain and daven for it.

This teaches us something fundamental. Hashem could have created the world in a way that everything happened automatically. Instead, He created a world in which we need to turn to Him.

The same idea applies to trees and vegetation. We may plant and water, but we cannot make something grow. We can do what is necessary, but the final result comes from Hashem. Tefillah reminds us of that reality.

Nothing Without Tefillah

Chazal teach us that there is almost nothing in life that a person should take for granted. We need Hashem’s help for everything. We daven for health, parnassah, children, shidduchim, success and countless other things. We even ask Hashem to help us with matters that may seem small.

Moshe Rabbeinu himself had a speech impediment and asked Hashem for help. If Moshe Rabbeinu, who reached the highest levels of spirituality, needed to daven, certainly we do.

Think of a king and his servant. The servant may know that the king cares about him, but he still has to approach the king when he needs something. The act of asking creates a connection between them.

Another way to understand this is to imagine a house filled with valuable items. The owner tells you that you may have whatever you need, but you have to come to him and ask for the key to the room where the item is kept. The owner could simply give you everything without your asking. But he wants you to come to him.

Tefillah is that key.

Being Honest

Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l often spoke about the importance of being honest with Hashem in our tefillos.

We should ask Hashem for health. We should ask Him for parnassah. We should ask Him for happiness. But we should also recognize that we do not always know what is truly good for us.

A person can therefore say, in essence: “Ribono Shel Olam, please give me this only if it is good for me.”

Sometimes we are convinced that something will make us happy, when in reality it may be harmful to us. Hashem sees the entire picture; we see only a small part of it.

There is a Gemara that describes a person who came to visit someone who was ill. The visitor might think that he knows exactly what the sick person needs, but Hashem knows what is truly best.

This is one of the great lessons of tefillah. We are encouraged to ask for what we want, but we should never forget that Hashem knows better than we do.

That does not mean we should daven without passion. Quite the opposite. We should ask Hashem sincerely and honestly, while recognizing that the ultimate decision is His.

Doing Our Part

Understanding tefillah does not mean that we stop making an effort.

A person cannot sit at home and say, “I have bitachon, so I don’t have to work.” At the same time, a person should not think that everything depends entirely on his own efforts.

We have to do our part and then turn to Hashem.

Imagine a person who sees a well and wants water. He cannot simply stand near the well and expect the water to jump into his cup. He has to lower the bucket, draw up the water and bring it to himself.

But where did the water come from? The person did his part, but the water was already there.

This is how we should view hishtadlus and tefillah. We are required to make an effort, but we must remember that the results come from Hashem.

This is also why coming to shul on time is so important. When we rush through davening or arrive late, we are missing an opportunity to stand before Hashem and ask Him for what we need.

Tefillah and hishtadlus are not opposites. They work together.

The Chazon Ish emphasizes the importance of a person’s actions, while also recognizing the role of teshuvah, tefillah and tzedakah. We have to act, but we also have to recognize that our success is ultimately determined by Hashem.

The goal is not simply to finish davening. The goal is to understand what we are doing. Every time we open a siddur, we have an opportunity to speak to Hashem. Every word can strengthen our relationship with Him. If we understand that, tefillah will no longer feel like a burden. It will become one of the greatest opportunities of our day.