“Abba,” Moishy said as the Friedman family sat down for supper. “You’re not going to believe this! Remember how I said I was having trouble understanding that sugya in Kiddushin? Well I’ve been davening to Hashem for help with it every day and today He answered my tefillos!”
“That’s amazing, Moishy,” Abba said, folding his napkin neatly over his lap.
“I davened that I should get taller,” Aryeh said. “And yesterday when Ima took me to the doctor he said I grew two inches since last winter!”
“I’m davening for a new bike,” said Yehuda.
DING DONG!
“I’ll get it,” Ima said, as everyone turned their heads to see who was at the front door.
“Sign here,” the UPS driver said to Ima, as the Friedmans all stared at the huge box that was just delivered.
“Yehuda, you got a package!” Ima said after the driver had left. “It says it's from Toras Avigdor!”
Confused, Yehuda walked over to the box and opened the envelope that was taped to it.
“Dear Yehuda,” he read. “As a dedicated reader of Toras Avigdor Junior, you have been entered into our annual raffle, sponsored by the Holtzbacher Family. We are excited to inform you that you won first place! Enjoy your new 72-speed mountain bike!”
Yehuda looked at Ima and Abba, stunned. “Thank you Hashem!” he exclaimed.
After supper, everyone gathered around as Yehuda opened up the box. They had never seen such a fancy bicycle before. It had side-view mirrors, 16 cup-holders, and even a rear-view camera with a screen so you could back up without having to look behind you!
As everyone marveled at the bike, Abba noticed Dovid looking unhappy.
“Is everything okay, Dovid?” he asked.
“It’s just that I davened for a new bike last year for even longer than Yehuda,” Dovid said.
“Why did you stop?” asked Abba.
“Because my tefillos weren’t working,” answered Dovid. “So instead I started sending letters to every billionaire in the country asking them to send me a bike.”
“I’m still davening for an ice cream machine next to my bed,” Meir said, patting Dovid kindly on his arm. “Because maybe Hashem will give it to me when I turn five.”
“Meir,” said Ima. “Why do you want an ice cream machine next to your bed?”
“When I wake up in the morning, I want ice cream,” Meir shrugged.
“You may as well stop,” Dovid said glumly. “Hashem isn’t going to put an ice cream machine in your room.”
“Wait, hold on a second,” said Abba. “Meir is right.”
Everyone looked at Abba in surprise.
“You don’t plan on actually putting an ice cream machine next to his bed?” Ima said, somewhat alarmed.
“No, no,” said Abba. “But Meir is right about not giving up on tefillos. In this week’s parsha, we see that Yitzchok and Rivkah davened for TWENTY YEARS for children. You might think that at some point they would have stopped. Why do you think they kept davening? If tefillah wasn’t working, maybe it was time to try something else.
“But no, we learn an important lesson from Yitzchok and Rivkah. We never stop davening. You know why? Because tefillah always works.”
“Really?” asked Dovid. “So I’m going to get the bike if I start davening again?”
“I didn’t say that,” said Abba.
“Then how will my tefillos work if I don’t get what I ask for?”
“Maybe you’ll get it and maybe you won’t,” Abba explained. “But the point of davening isn’t to get what you want. Our tefillos change who WE are! Every time we daven, we are acknowledging that we are nothing and it is only Hashem who has the power to give us what we are asking for. Whether or not we actually get it, every single tefillah brings us an even closer awareness of Hashem.
“So you might get the bike, and you might not. But you will definitely get something much greater than a bike. You will become a better Yid and grow even closer to Hakadosh Boruch Hu.”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
Let’s review:
- Why did Yitzchok and Rivkah never stop davening for children?
- What is the true purpose of tefillah?
