QUESTION: You said at a previous lecture that a man should pray for health even when he has it; he should ask Hashem that he shouldn’t get sick. But doesn’t that contradict the idea of not opening your mouth to the satan by speaking of misfortunes that could occur (Brachos 19a)?
ANSWER: There’s a Jewish principle, not to speak about unfortunate possibilities. For example, a man shouldn’t say to his wife, “If one of us dies, then I’m going to Eretz Yisroel to settle.” It’s a Jewish principle in how we speak. It’s goyish to say like a boy said to his rebbe; he said, “Rebbe, if an ox would gore you and kill you, does he have to pay kofer?” You don’t talk that way. Jews don’t talk that way.
However, when it comes to tefillah, it’s just the opposite. You’re praying to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and that’s not and so we find everywhere that this kind of tefillah is employed. So, you have a right to ask Hakadosh Baruch Hu to protect you from a whole list of misfortunes (Hashkiveinu, Maariv).
Because when you’re praying to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, that’s the One to Whom you can unburden yourself and you don’t have to worry. But otherwise, in idle conversation, we don’t want to say anything that’s not happy. Even to make yourself unhappy is not virtuous. We always look at the sunny side of life and never mention misfortunes.
There are some people who are crabby and are always thinking about what might happen and Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “If you’re misusing the opportunity I gave you to be happy, then I’m going to make you unhappy; I’ll bring misfortune on you and now you’ll look back and regret the good old days when things were going well.”
So don’t talk about misfortunes and not happy things. But when it comes to prayer, then you can pray to Hakodosh Boruch Hu for all good things including that He should save you from all misfortunes. (Tape # 77 - July 1975)
Reprinted from an email of Toras Avigdor, based on the teachings of Rav Avigdor Miller, zt”l. Adapted from (Parshas Beha’alosocho 5784)
Thoughts that Count
Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments...and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a thread of blue (Num. 15:38)
This was done in ancient times; today, however, we do not know how to make this blue dye, and all eight threads of the tzitzit (fringes) are white. Symbolically, blue alludes to fear of G-d and avoiding the negative ("depart from evil"). White alludes to love, and the service of doing good deeds ("and do good"). From this we learn that in our times, the primary thrust of our Divine service must consist of love and positive actions. (Likutei Sichot)
And it shall be to you for fringes, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the L-rd (Num. 15:39)
Rabbi Meir explained: The Torah uses the singular "it" rather than the plural "them" because it is referring here to the Divine Presence: "Whoever fulfills the commandment of tzitzit is considered to be greeting G-d's countenance." The "blue thread" resembles the sea, which resembles grass, which resembles the sky, which should remind the wearer of the Throne of Glory. (Jerusalem Talmud, Brachot)
Reprinted from the Parashat Shelach 5761/2001 edition of L’Chaim
