In the Selichos of Motzei Shabbos, of מוצאי מנוחה we say the following phrase: בעמדם בלילות עתירתם רצה, "Desire their prayer, when they awake at night..." The Rebbe of Munkatz (יששכר שער, תשרי, מאמר סליחות ג"מ) zt'l asks why it doesn’t say בהשכימם בלילות, which would mean that Hashem should answer the tefillos of those who wake up early, while it is still night. Why does it state בעמדם בלילות, that they stand up, when it is still night? It is written this way to hint at the merit of Bnei Yisrael who are עומדים, stand up to tests on their emunah, בלילות, even when Hashem is concealed from them. In that merit, עתירתם רצה, we request that Hashem answer our tefillos.
Chazal (Brochos 60b and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 230:5) say, דעביד מאי כל לאמר רגיל אדם יהא לעולם עביד לטב רחמנא, "A person should accustom himself to say, 'Everything Hashem does, it is for the good.'" The phrase is written in Aramaic. Why isn't it written in lashon hakodesh? I heard from a tzaddik א"שליט that it is for the same reason Kaddish is said in Aramaic. Tosfos (Brachos 3a) writes that people say that Kaddish is in Aramaic because "The tefillah is beautiful and it is a great praise. Therefore, it was established to be said in Aramaic so that the malachim won't understand it, for they would be jealous of us." We can therefore similarly say that the concept of עביד לטב רחמנא דעביד כל, that everything Hashem does is for the good, is a great praise and a high level. We want to conceal what we recognize from the malachim so that they won't be jealous of us.
The Chasam Sofer (נצבים אתם ה"ד נצבים) writes that saying Tehillim is a counsel to annul the tochachah. The Gemara (Pesachim 117a) states an opinion that there are 147 chapters in Tehillim. These annul the 49 tochachos written in parashas Bechukosai and the 98 tochachos written in Ki Savo, which together 49 + 98 = 147.
We can explain this with the Chazal we mentioned above, בתוכחה מפסיקין אין, that we don't interrupt the tochachah, to give part of it as an aliyah to another person. Chazal explain that when one has an aliyah, he says, ברכו את ה' המברך, and he blesses Hashem. Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, "It isn't proper that I should receive brachos when My children are in tzaar." When a person has tzaros, but he nevertheless says Tehillim and praises Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will say, "How can I receive your brachos when my children are in tzaar? I will take away their tzaros."
The Power of Tefillah
It states (26:7) וַנִּצְעַק אֶל ה' אֱלֹקֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע ה' אֶת קֹלֵנוּ, "We shouted out to Hashem, the G-d of our fathers, and Hashem heard our voices." The Chofetz Chaim (ח"ח ת"עה) writes, "It doesn't state וַיִּשְׁמַע ה' אֶת תפילתנו, 'Hashem heard our tefillos,' rather it states וַיִּשְׁמַע ה' אֶת קֹלֵנוּ, 'Hashem heard our voices.' This teaches us that when one is in a difficult, painful situation, he should shout out to Hashem, and his shouts will be answered immediately. Some tefillos are answered after several days or after several years pass, as this is written in the Midrash (Midrash Shmuel 4), but shouts are answered immediately." Every tefillah helps. Every tefillah takes effect. But some tefillos are answered only after much time passes. But when one prays with shouts to Hashem, his tefillos are answered immediately.
The Zohar (vol.2, 20a) states, מכולן צעקה גדולה, "The highest form of tefillah is shouting with heart. As it states (Eichah 2:18) צָעַק לִבָּם אֶל ה', 'Their hearts shouted to Hashem.' ... A shout is closer to Hashem than tefillos or moaning, as it states (Shemos 22:22) כִּי צָעֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹע אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ, 'If he shouts out to Me, I will surely hear his shout.' ... When Hakadosh Baruch Hu told Shmuel (Shmuel 1, 15:11) כִּי נִחַמְתִּי אֶת הִמְלַכְתִּי אֶת שָׁאוּל לְמֶלֶךְ, 'I regret that I have made Shaul king', it states וַיִּחַר לִשְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּזְעַק אֶל ה' כָּל הַלָּיְלָה, 'It distressed Shmuel, and he shouted out to Hashem all night.' He left everything else, and he took himself to shouting, because that is closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu than everything else. This is as it states (Shemos 3:9) וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי, 'And now, behold, the shouts of Bnei Yisrael have come to Me.'"
The Chida (שועת אחת שפה ה"ד) writes that in Nishmas we say two phrases, one after the other, which seem redundant. One is שועת עניים תשמע אתה, and the other is תקשיב הדל צעקת ותושיע. Both say that Hashem listens to the prayers of the poor. But there are significant differences between them. עניים is written in plural form, referring to many poor people, whereas הדל is one poor person. צעקת is a shout, while שועת is a sincere and desperate call to Hashem, but it is without shouting. Another difference is that for the עניים שועת, "the call of the poor," it states תשמע אתה, "You listen," whereas, for the הדל צעקת, "the shouts of the poor," it states תקשיב ותושיע, "You listen and You save." The Chida zt'l explains that the highest form of tefillah is צעקה, shouting out to Hashem. Although there is a special benefit for many people to daven together, however, shouting out to Hashem is so precious that even if a person is praying alone, Hashem will answer his tefillos, as it states תקשיב ותושיע הדל צעקת, "The shout of the poor You listen and You save." Whereas, when the tefillah is without shouting, even if many poor people are praying, Hashem will listen to their prayers (as it states תשמע אתה שועת עניים, "You listen to the calls of the poor"), but it doesn't state ותושיע, "You save them" because the salvation doesn't come as quickly.
The holy sefarim teach that there is also a shout from the heart, which is as powerful as a shout with the mouth. One shouts this way when he realizes that only Hashem can help him.
It states (Tehillim 81:8) רַעַם בְּסֵתֶר אֶעֱנֶךָּ, "I answered you in secret with thunder." Rebbe Mendel of Vorka zt'l explained that when one's request and tefillah is a shout, like a רַעַם, thunder, and it is also בְּסֵתֶר, concealed within his heart, then it will be אֶעֱנֶךָּ, that Hashem will answer his tefillos.
Lessons from the Rambam
The Rambam (Matnos Aniyim 7:3) teaches us laws of helping the poor, and from these halachos, Reb Shimshon Pinkus zt'l teaches us essential concepts related to tefillah. The Rambam writes, "You must give to the poor according to the extent that the poor person is lacking... If, in the past, the poor person [was wealthy, and he] rode a horse and he had a slave who ran before him, and then he became poor, you must buy him a horse to ride on, and a slave to run before him. As it states (Devarim 15:8) דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ, 'You shall give him sufficient for his needs, which he is lacking.'" Each person lacks something else. This pauper needs a horse and a servant to run before him because that is what he had in the past. Therefore, the wealthy must give him all of this.
Later (Matnos Aniyim 7:7), the Rambam writes that the wealthy person doesn't have to give so much. He writes, "When a poor person is collecting door to door, you don't have to give him a large gift. However, you must give him [at least] a small amount. It is forbidden to let a poor man leave empty-handed."
This seems like a contradiction. First, the Rambam says that you must supply the poor person with all his needs, even with a horse and with a slave to run before him, if he was accustomed to this type of lifestyle in the past, when he was wealthy. Later, the Rambam writes that you can give a small gift, and that is sufficient.
The poskim explain that when a poor person is collecting door to door, he isn't relying solely on one person to help him. He wants to receive his needs collectively from many people. Therefore, it is sufficient to give him a small gift. However, there are times when a poor person relies on one person. He feels that no one can help him but this wealthy person. At such times, this wealthy person is obligated to help him, as best as he can.
Reb Shimshon Pinkus zt'l (Shaarim l'Tefillah, p.96) writes that when we daven, we come to Hashem like a poor person in need. As we say in the piyutim of the Yamim Noraim, בפתח כעני לבקש רחמים, "We ask for compassion, like a poor person at the door." How can we merit for Hashem to listen to our tefillos, and grant us our needs? The counsel is to recognize that no one can help him but Hashem alone. When Hashem sees that a person recognizes that only He can help him, Hashem will help him with all his needs. However, when Hashem sees that the person isn't relying solely on Him, but rather he is also making various types of hishtadlus, relying on others to help him, and he also goes to Hashem with tefillah as one of his many forms of hishtadlus, then Hashem will react to him in the same manner as a wealthy person acts with a poor person who comes to his door, when he plans to go to many other doors, as well. Hashem will help him, partially, as it is the obligation of every person to help the poor who come to his door. However, if he wants to be helped entirely, he should rely on Hashem alone.
