וַּנִׂצְעַּק אֶׁל־ה ‘אלקי אֲבֹתֵינוּ...
And we cried out to Hashem, the G-d of our fathers... [Devorim 26:7]
Why does the man who brings first fruits to the kohen and tells him that we davened to Hashem in Mitzrayim to save us, he describes Hashem as “the G-d of our forefathers”? A kohen who is serving in the Beis Hamikdash knows quite well that Hashem is the G-d of our forefathers. The Kli Yakar in his peirush on Chumash, comments on this verse and explains that when we davened in Mitzrayim we knew that without the merit of our forefathers Hashem would not be able to save us.
This helps us to answer the fundamental question: “Why do we need to daven?” If we deserve something, we’ll get it anyway. And if we don’t deserve something, how will davening help? With the answer of Kli Yakar on this verse, we see that tefilla (or at least one approach of it) is asking Hashem to answer our requests, even if we are not deserving of it, by using the merits of our forefathers. Perhaps, that’s why every Shmone Esrei begins with, “Blessed are you Hashem, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers...”
וּמָל ה' אֱלֹקיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְ עֶךָ לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹקיךָ בְכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶיךָ. -- דברים ל:ו
And Hashem, your G-d, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your children, to love Hashem, your G-d, with your entire heart and with your entire soul. (Devorim 30:6)
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch [128:1] brings the mesorah that from the fact that the first letters of the words אֶ ת לְ בָבְךָ וְ אֶׁת לְ בַּב (of the verse cited above) spell out אלול, the Torah is telling us that אלול is the month when Hashem will remove the blockages of our hearts and the hearts of our children in order that we should have strong love for Him. But, of course, in order for this to come about, we need to show to our Father in Heaven that we want this to happen, and also put our efforts towards it.
