Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Commenting on the pasuk “the sounds of the kohen gadol’s robe were heard as he entered the Mikdash (28:35)” – the Ba’al Ha’turim observes that the word v’nishma appears in only two other places in the entire Tanach. One is Bnei Yisrael’s famous proclamation, naaseh v’nishma (“We will do and we will hear” – Shemos 24:7). The other is a pasuk in Megilas Ester (1:20) in which Achashveirosh’s advisor tells him that the royal edict would be sounded (v’nishma) throughout his vast empire. What might be the connection between these three pesukim?
Rav Shaul Alter shlit’a explained that a person might mistakenly think that the notion of, that God listens to those who approach Him, is reserved for the exceptionally righteous. Some people assume that they are too distant from Hashem, that they are too flawed, that they have strayed too far, for Hashem to have any interest in them. They feel they should not call out to Him because He does not want to hear them. But the truth is that just as el hakodesh the kohen gadol’s sound was heard in the Mikdash, similarly, v’nishma pitgam hamelech b’chol malchuso throughout His vast empire.
Tradition teaches that the word hamelech in the Megilla alludes to Hashem. This pasuk indicates to us that the ‑King’s” interest extends throughout His “kingdom.” No matter how far a person has wandered, no matter how badly he had stumbled and erred, he is still in Hashem’s kingdom, and Hashem wants a relationship with him. Once our ancestors proclaimed naaseh v’nishma, their unconditional devotion to Hashem, they secured a position in His kingdom, guaranteeing that He will always listen to them. Anytime we wish to speak to Him, lean on Him, turn to Him for help, or to feel His embrace, He is there waiting for us.
I once met a fellow who had grown up in a chassidishe family but then left religious observance entirely. He ended up getting in trouble with the law. The night before the verdict would be announced, he told me that he felt like praying, asking Hashem for a favorable outcome, but he couldn’t do it. “Why would He want to hear from me now?” he asked. “I haven’t spoken to Him or have had anything to do with Him in many years. Why would He listen to me?” I explained to him that one day, he will be a father, and he will see that there is nothing a child could do that would make his parents not want to hear from them. Even if a child leaves his parents and has no contact with them for years, when he eventually picks up the phone and calls, they would not hesitate to answer the call, and they would be overjoyed to hear from him.
The same is true of Hashem. Ever since the pronouncement of naaseh v’nishma, there is nothing we can do that would make Hashem not want to hear from us. Wherever we are, b’chol malchuso whatever condition we are in, v’nishma kolo – Hashem lovingly and compassionately hears our prayers.