A tefillah uttered with emunah peshutah and temimus has the power to break through the Heavens and arouse Divine compassion.
It is related that a talmid chochom who lives in Eretz Yisroel once was diagnosed with a dreaded disease. The doctors said that there was no hope for him and gave him only a short while to live.
Some of his acquaintances suggested that he travel to America to be seen by a top doctor who might be able to help him. Someone approached a leading Posek and explained to him the entire situation. He asked if it was worthwhile for him to travel to America for a small chance of a cure, and the Posek said, “In my opinion, it is not worthwhile to do this.”
A few days later, the talmid chochom’s wife came to the Posek’s home and asked to speak with him. She began to cry and said, “If, chas v’shalom, the worst occurs, will be able to look my orphaned children in the face and tell them that I did all I could for their father? Will I have what to answer if Bais Din Shel Maaloh asks me if I did everything in my power?”
The Posek accepted her words and said that the sick man should travel to see the doctor in America. Those close to him knew that he rarely retracted from a p’sak, so they asked him what made him do that this time. He answered, “When I heard what this lady had to say, I realized that she possessed a tremendous power of emunah and tefillah. I then knew that she has a tremendous ability to change situations through her prayers. Therefore, I recognized that her husband could be saved if they go to America.”
It is said that Rav Dovid of Lelov zy”a was once trying to hammer a nail into the wall when he accidentally hit his hand instead. His hand was badly injured and bloody. He later said that he learned from this episode that one must daven to Hashem for even the smallest things. Even if one just wants to bang a nail into a wall, he has to daven to Hashem for the hammer to hit the nail and not to hit his finger.
