It is important to note that the Arizal says that when Moshiach comes, Korach will be the kohen gadol. The hint is in the words יפרח כתמר צדיק, of which the final letters spell קרח. Also, in his lifetime, Korach carried the aron, an indication of his extremely exalted spiritual levels. Nevertheless, the Torah tells us the story of the terrible machlokes, so we can learn the severity of machlokes and know to avoid it at all costs.
The Kobriner zt'l (Toras Avos, Emunah u'Bitachon) says that tefillah has the power to be answered ומיד תיכף, immediately. Whatever one asks for, with tefillah, salvation can come right away. If the salvation doesn't come immediately, it is because he doesn’t believe in his tefillah. "If a person believes that his tefillah pierces the heavens and has the potential to bring him everything he desires, he will receive all his needs, without waiting."
We heard about a person who had the dreaded "disease" in his eyes r”l, and the doctors “ruled” that there was no hope for him. He went with his family to Har HaMenuchos to daven. As they were traveling there, they listened to a Torah shiur on parashas Bahaloscha on the pasuk (Bamidbar 11:1) 'ה בְּא ָזְנֵי רַע כְּמִת ְ אֹנְנִים הָעָם וַיְהִי 'ה וַיִּשְׁמַע. He speaker quoted the Chasam Sofer, who explains that they didn't believe in 'ה בְּא ָזְנֵי that Hashem hears tefillos. Therefore, at this time, Hashem showed them 'ה וַיִּשְׁמַע, that He hears. The proof is that they were punished, as it states there 'ה ׁאֵש בָּם וַת ִּבְעַר אַפּוֹ וַיִּחַר, "Hashem heard and His anger flared, and a fire from Hashem burned among them." This proved that Hashem listens, because if Hashem listened to their complaints, He certainly listens to their tefillos.
The family heard this as they were traveling to daven for this man, and this encouraged them to daven with all their hearts. They poured out their heart at kevarim on Har HaMenuchos. When they returned home and opened the door, the phone was already ringing. It was the renowned medical consultant, Reb Meilech Firer Shlita. He told them that with siyata di'Shmaya, the greatest expert for this type of illness would be dealing with his case.
With Hashem's kindness, he is now well, totally healed.
There is another story of a Jewish girl who suffered from severe headaches. She went to the hospital, where a CT scan showed a large growth on her head r”l. (She was ill before this episode, but the "disease" was in a different part of her body. Now it was discovered in her head, as well.) The doctors recommended emergency surgery, and a date was set for a week later.
Before the operation, the doctor told his student to take another CT scan. The student protested, "The scan we took last week is still fresh. Why do we need another one?" The doctor replied, "Did you come here to learn or to teach? Do as I say." Shockingly, the new CT showed that the growth had shrunk by 50%. The doctor said that if she is getting better, it is better not to operate, and perhaps the growth will disappear entirely.
The grateful father asked the doctor why he insisted on taking another scan. The irreligious doctor answered as follows: "I never operate before taking another test. I have experienced with hundreds of cases, and particularly with the religious community, and I repeatedly see that the second test comes out better than the first one. I always ask what happened. How did the situation improve? Which treatment did you use? And the answer is always the same: There were tefillos. So, I learned never to operate before checking again.
From here, we learn the strength of tefillah. These two hundred and fifty people were committing a terrible aveirah. They were joining the camp with Korach, who was attempting to destroy the emunah of Klal Yisrael (because Korach was fighting against the validity of Moshe Rabbeinu and the Torah he taught).
Korach and these people were also trying to go against Hashem's will and take away the kehunah from Aharon HaKohen. They were also creating a terrible rift and machlokes in Klal Yisrael, So, we wonder why Moshe had to request that Hashem shouldn't listen to Korach's and his followers' tefillos? Why would Hashem accept their davening? The answer is that this shows us the power of tefillah. No matter who is davening, his tefillos have potential, because Hashem listens to the tefillos of all people.
Indeed, for this girl, many people in the kollel where the father learns davened with kavanah for the health of this young girl. Their tefillos brought the yeshuah.
The Value of Simple Tefillah
Chasidim of the Tzemach Hashem L'Tzvi were in their rebbe's beis medresh and were discussing the greatness of tefillah – how much it accomplishes in heaven above and on earth below. A simple person said, "Not my tefillah. My tefillah isn't worth anything. If someone would offer to pay me a single prutah for my shacharis, I would sell it to him willingly, and I would have made a good deal."
The Tzemach Hashem L'Tzvi heard about his conversation and was very upset. "How can a person say such a thing about tefillah?" He sent someone to tell this simple person that he doesn't have permission to come to the beis medresh anymore. Someone who doesn't believe in tefillah can't come to his beis medresh.
Some days passed, and the people of the beis medresh spoke with the Tzemach Hashem L'Tzvi and explained to him that this man is very simple and doesn't know much. He davens what he was taught in cheder. Why shouldn't he be allowed to come back to the beis medresh?
The Tzemach Hashem L'Tzvi agreed to allow him to return to the beis medresh, but on condition that he never speak that way again. "Because the simplest tefillah accomplishes wondrous things."
The Tzemach Hashem L'Tzvi then told his students the following mashal: There was a person who was highly talented in creating music. He would sing his compositions, and people would melt from pleasure. When he passed away, his son took his place. His son wasn't at all like his father, but he would sing his father's songs, and when he did so, people remembered the father, and they had immense enjoyment.
The same can be said about the tefillah. Anshei Kneses HaGedolah compiled the siddur with ruach hakodesh and beautiful words. These words created a wonderful nachas ruach for Hashem, and the tefillos go up to heaven and accomplish so much, above and below. The Anshei Kneses HaGedolah aren't in the world right now, and we aren't able to create the wonderful tefillah like they composed. Nevertheless, when we say the tefillah that the Anshei Kneses HaGedolah established, it generates immense pleasure in the upper worlds. Regardless of who is saying the words, it creates a great nachas ruach and the tefillos are answered, as if the Anshei Kneses HaGedolah themselves are saying these words.
Never Lose Hope from Tefillah
It states (16:34) לְקֹלָם נָסוּ סְבִיבֹתֵיהֶם ֶׁראֲש יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָל, "All Yisrael who were around them fled from their voices." Rashi writes, הקול בשביל בליעתן על היוצא, "because of the sound that came forth when they were swallowed." When the ground was swallowing them, there was a loud sound, and everyone around them ran away in fear. The miforshim ask that it should have been written as נָסוּ קֹלָםמְ, "They fled from their voices." Why does it state קֹלָםלְ נָסוּ, that they were running to their voices?
It is hinting that whenever a Yid has a tzarah, he escapes and runs לְקֹלָם to the voice of tefillah. This is our only strength when we have a tzarah, to run to tefillah.
Regarding the miracle of Purim, the Gemara (Megillah 4a) says, "A person is obligated to read the megillah at night and again by daytime." Rashi writes, לנס זכר, "This is in memory of the miracle, that during their days of their sorrow they shouted [to Hashem] day and night." We wonder, how is this לנס זכר, a memory of the miracle? When they were shouting out to Hashem, the miracle hadn't yet occurred? They were amid their tzarah!
But a great miracle occurred, that they didn't lose hope from tefillah. The decree was signed and sealed, in heaven and also on earth, ולאבד להרוג להשמיד, to destroy all Yidden, r'l, and there seemed to be no hope; it seemed as if it was too late to daven. Miraculously, they didn't lose hope from prayer. They continued to knock on heaven’s doors until they opened, and there was salvation for Bnei Yisrael.
We can say that this is alluded to in (Tehillim 66:20) וְחַס ְדּוֹ תְּפ ִלָּתִי הֵס ִיר לֹא ֶׁראֲש א ֱלֹק ִים בָּ רוּ ךְ מֵאִתִּי, "Bless Hashem, Who did not remove my prayer and His kindness from me." This pasuk is stating two points. One is that Hashem didn't remove His kindness, and He sent his salvation. The second point is תְּפ ִלָּתִי הֵס ִיר לֹא ֶׁראֲש that Hashem gave us strength to daven, and we didn't lose hope from our tefillos.
The yetzer hara works hard to cause a person to lose hope from tefillah. He tells the person, "It is too late, it is impossible to change this situation." Or he says, "You davened many times in the past, and you weren't answered. It is obvious that heaven isn't interested in listening to your tefillos." At times, the yetzer hara says, "You have many aveiros, and you don't deserve to be answered." A person must be strong and daven with kavanah and be aware that he can accomplish so much with his tefillos.
