Parshas Korach – The Incredible Power of Tefilla
In the middle of Korach’s rebellion, Moshe Rabeinu davened to Hashem, asking “Al tefen el minchasam” (16,15) – don’t accept their mincha, their gift. What type of gift are we talking about? Says the Ramban, Moshe Rabeinu was davening that in case Korach would try to bribe Hashem by bringing korbanos, Hashem should not accept it. Also, Hashem should not accept any tefilla that Korach might daven that he should succeed against Moshe. This was the tefillah of Moshe Rabeinu in the words “Al tefen el minchasam”.
We see from the Ramban that Moshe Rabeinu was worried that in the event that Korach brings a korban nedava or tefilla, perhaps Hashem would accept it and help him succeed. Moshe felt compelled to daven that Hashem shouldn’t accept Korach’s korban or tefillah. This is astounding. What was Moshe Rabeinu worried about? Korach was a kofer! He was trying to destroy the foundation of klal Yisroel! If Korach wins, then the entire Toras Moshe is destroyed ch’’v! What was the possibility that Hashem would answer Korach’s prayer for success? Obviously, Hashem would never listen to such a tefilah. So what was Moshe Rabeinu worried about?
Rav Yechzkel Levinstein answers that a powerful tefilla can destroy everything and even has the ability to destroy the nevua of Moshe Rabeinu (that Hashem would create a new creation of opening up the ground to swallow them alive.) Yes, if Korach would daven strongly enough, Hashem would accept his tefilla and he would be saved, even though it would cause a chilul Hashem. So, Moshe Rabeinu had to daven a tefilla to counter the tefilla of Korach, pleading that Korach’s tefilla shouldn’t be accepted and that the ground should indeed open up to swallow him and his followers.
How powerful is tefilla! Even a rasha who is a kofer in the Torah can save himself through the power of tefilla! It doesn’t matter who you are; if you daven well, you are answered. Let’s get a glimpse of what it means to daven well.
The Brisker Rav had a private minyan where he would daven. One day, Rav Moshe Finkel took his young son along with him to daven in that minyan. That day was Rosh Chodesh, and they heard the Brisker Rav davening shemone esray and they realized he was skipping yaale v’yavo. The Gabbai went over to him, clapping his hand, saying “yaaleh v’yavo,!” “yaaleh v’yavoh!” The Brisker Rav didn’t hear. The Gabay banged really loudly, but again, the Brisker Rav didn’t hear. After davening, the Gabbai goes over and reminds him that it is Rosh Chodesh. “Oy! Yaale v’yavoh!” cried the Brisker Rav. “But Rebbe”, says the Gabbai, “I tried to remind you…” The Brisker Rav had terrible tza’ar that he forgot yaaleh v’yavo, but what a lesson was taught! When the Brisker Rav was davening, he didn’t hear anything. He had such diveikus that nothing could distract him. This was tefilla of the Brisker Rav.
The Chazon Ish (sefer Maase Ish Page 156) never said a bracha or davened without kavana. It simply was not possible for him to daven without kavana. When he was terribly weak and ill, he couldn’t daven or make a bracha. He knew that due to his weakness he couldn’t daven with kavana, so he woudn’t daven at all. A chasan is exempt from krias shema on the night of his wedding because he is busy and can’t have kavana. Today, we don’t have this custom because we anyways don’t have kavana. “But”, said the Chazon Ish, “I do have kavana, so when I am not able to have kavana, I don’t daven or make a bracha”.
Rav Sholom Shwadron once told a story about a yid who was walking in Yerushalayim when suddenly, he feels a punch in his chest and yells “ow!”. He looks around, but nobody is there. Seconds later, he feels a punch again! Again, there’s nobody around. With a start, he realizes that he is in middle of shemone esray and was davening “selach lanu”. It was he who was punching himself in his chest. It would be a funny story if it wasn’t so tragic. That’s unfortunately how many of our tefilos look.
Says the Orchos Chaim L’ha’rosh (siman 36): concentrate on your tefilla, because tefilla is a service of the heart. Imagine, says the Rosh, that your son is speaking to you and his mind is elsewhere. Would you not be angry? How, then, can a human being act this way towards Hashem? What good is it to ask for slicha by the bracha of “selach lanu” if you don’t have kavana? We need a “selach lanu” on the “selach lanu”!
The Chaye Adam (klal 5 siman 1) brings down a story about someone who didn’t have kavana when he said the shem Hashem. He was a talmid chacham that came up to shomayim and the malachim put a sefer Torah in his hand, and they asked him “Did you fulfill the mitzvos of the Torah?” The talmid chacham said yes, and witnesses were called. He was found to have indeed fulfilled the mitzvos well, yet there was one problem – he very often didn’t have kavana when he said the shem Hashem. He was given a choice – either to return to the world or to get punished in gehinnom. This talmid chochom was afraid to be sent back to the world, for who knows if he would correct the wrong? He opted to take his punishment then and there.
These are examples of how our gedolim were machshiv tefilla, and the efforts they invested in davening with kavana. Tefilla is such a powerful tool, a weapon that can break though all barriers. Let us tap into the tremendous koach hatefilla, realizing before Whom we are standing and paying attention to the holy words that we utter. There is no limit to the brochos that we can get by davening with proper kavana. It is well worth the effort.