(בראשית מג:יד) "וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי שָׁכָלְתִּי"
and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'
ילמדנו רבינו: עד כמה תפלות חייב אדם להתפלל בכל יום?כך שנו רבותינו: אין מתפללין יותר משלש תפלות שתקנו אבות העולם.
Our master should instruct: What is the upper limit of the prayers a person should pray every day?
This is what our masters taught: Do not pray more than the three prayers that were instituted by the patriarchs of the world.
Abraham instituted the morning prayer as it says, "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord" and there is standing in the Bible except indicating prayer as it says, "Then stood up Phinehas, and wrought judgment, and so the plague was stayed."
יצחק תקן תפלת מנחה. שנאמר (בראשית כד:סג) "וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה גְמַלִּים בָּאִים" ואין שיחה אלא תפלה שנאמר (תהלים קב:א) "תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ:
Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer. As it says, And Isaac went out to converse in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming." And there is no conversation except prayer as it says, "A Prayer of the afflicted, when he faints, and before the Lord he pours out his conversation."
Jacob instituted the evening prayer. As it says, "And he engaged upon the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep" And there is no engagement except for prayer as it says, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee"
ואף דניאל כתיב ביה (דניאל ו:יא) :וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל בִּרְכוֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ כָּל קֳבֵל דִּי הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָה"
ולא פירש באיזה שעה.
And even Daniel wrote about prayer: "And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house--now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem--and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." But he did not specify the time.
עמד דוד ופירש (תהלים נה:יח) "עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי"לפיכך אין אדם רשאי להתפלל יותר משלש תפלות ביום. ורבי יוחנן אמר ולואי יתפלל אדם והולך כל היום.
David arose and explicated "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; and He hath heard my voice." Therefore a person is not permitted to pray more than three times a day. And Rabbi Yochanan said if only a person would pray all day.
אמר ליה, 'אסור'
אמר ליה, 'למה'?
אמר ליה, 'שלא ינהג קלות ראש בגבורה'.
לא קבל ממנו. מה עשה רבינו הקדוש?
השכים אצלו. אמר ליה, 'קירי ברא'
לאחר שעה נכנס אצלו אמר ליה "אמפורטור'.
ולאחר שעה אמר ליה, 'שלום עליך המלך'
אמר ליה, 'מה אתה מבזה במלכות?'
אמר ליה, 'ישמעו אזניך מה שפיך אומר. ומה אתה, שאתה בשר ודם, השואל בשלומך בכל שעה אתה אומר מבזה, מלך מלכי המלכים על אחת כמה וכמה?!' שלא יהא אדם מטריחו בכל שעה.
Antonius asked our the holy rabbi, Why do you not pray every hour?
He replied, it is forbidden.
He asked, why?
Rabbi Yehudah answered, to prevent levity when dealing with the Mighty.
He (Antonius) did not accept that answer. What did the Holy Rabbi do?
He got up next to him and said to him, "good day"
After an hour, he (Rabbi Yehudah) to him, Peace unto you, king.
He (Antonius) said to him, why do you belittle the kingdom?
He replied, your ears should hear what you say. And what are you, flesh and blodd, one who asks to your welfare every hour you determine to be belittling, the King of Kings, how much more so?! That one should not be a burden every hour.
He replied, it is forbidden.
He asked, why?
Rabbi Yehudah answered, to prevent levity when dealing with the Mighty.
He (Antonius) did not accept that answer. What did the Holy Rabbi do?
He got up next to him and said to him, "good day"
After an hour, he (Rabbi Yehudah) to him, Peace unto you, king.
He (Antonius) said to him, why do you belittle the kingdom?
He replied, your ears should hear what you say. And what are you, flesh and blodd, one who asks to your welfare every hour you determine to be belittling, the King of Kings, how much more so?! That one should not be a burden every hour.
רבי יוסי בר חלפתא אומר: 'עתים הם לתפלה. שנאמר (תהלים סט:יד) "וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ יְדֹוָד עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלֹקִים בְּרָב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ" אימתי עת רצון?
בשעה שהצבור מתפללין. לפיכך, צריך אדם להשכים לתפלה שאין לך גדולה מן התפלה.
תדע, שהרי משה נגזר עליו שלא ליכנס לארץ ולא לראותה. ועל שהרבה בתפלה כתיב בו (דברים לד:א)
"וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה מֵעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב אֶל הַר נְבוֹ רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וַיַּרְאֵהוּ יְדֹוָד אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ אֶת הַגִּלְעָד עַד דָּן"
וכן חזקיה נתפלל ובטלה הגזרה. ואף יעקב, כששלח את בניו למצרים נתפלל עליהם שנאמר "וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים".
Rabbi Yose ben Halafta said, there are time for prayer. As it says, "But as for me, let my prayer be unto You, Lord, in an desirable time; God, in the abundance of Thy mercy, answer me with the truth of Thy salvation" When is the desirable time?
When the congregation is praying. Therefore a person whould rise to prayer, because there is nothing greater than prayer.
Know that it was decried on Moses that he would not enter the Land nor see the land. And on the basis that he increased in prayer, it says of him, "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, even Gilead as far as Dan"
And similarly Chizkiyahu the king prayed and the decree was annulled. And thus Jacob, when he sent his sons to Egypt, he prayed for them as it says " and God Almighty give you mercy"
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה