ה' אֱ � קִ י ם אַ תָּ ה הַ חִ וֹלּתָ לְ הַ רְ א וֹ ת אֶ ת ﬠַ בְ דְּ� אֶ ת גָּ דְ לְ � וְאֶ ת י ָ דְ � הַ חֲ זָ קָ ה אֲ שֶׁ ר מִ י אֵ -ל בַּשּׁ ָ מַ יִ ם וּבָ אָ רֶ ץ אֲ שֶׁ ר יַﬠֲשׂ ֶ ה כְ מַ ﬠֲשׂ ֶ י� וְ כִ גְ בוּרֹתֶ �) :ג ,כד(
Hashem, Elokim, You had begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there in the heavens or on the earth that can perform according to Your deeds and Your mighty acts? (3:24)
Rashi explains: Hashem, Elokim – merciful in judgment.
The first words that Moshe Rabbeinu uttered from his mouth when he began his prayer were: "Hashem Elokim." These words served as an introduction to his prayer, and Moshe meant to say with them that even if the Attribute of Justice remains in force, and his prayer will make no impression, this would not be a proof, Heaven forbid, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not merciful—for the Attribute of Justice is already, from the outset, blended with Mercy. And even His unwillingness to change the situation as it stands stems from the Attribute of Mercy, for HaKadosh Baruch Hu knows that the person’s request is not actually good for him.
This is also a lesson for every person who seeks to plead before his Creator and to ask that He rescue him from the burden of his grief—that his approach to prayer must come from a place of faith, that his suffering is for his own good. As Chazal said (Berachos 60b): “Everything the Merciful One does is for the good.” And he must not intend, chas v’shalom, to express in his prayer that he is displeased with the conduct of his Creator.
Here one might ask: if all events that a person experiences are for his good, perhaps it is not appropriate at all for him to pray and pour out his heart before Hashem Yisbarach to remove his suffering?
However, it is brought in the works of the Rishonim that the ultimate Divine Will is that when a person has a distress, he should indeed pray for its removal. But first, it is incumbent upon him to nullify his will before the will of his Creator, and to believe that his suffering is for his benefit. And after accepting the Heavenly decree with love, he has a further task—and that is a time-bound mitzvah—to pray for the removal of his suffering. This means that there are two aspects in serving Hashem: The first is regarding "will"—a person must nullify his will to the will of his Creator, and desire only what his Creator desires. The second is to ask that things be improved—not because this is his own will, but because this is the will of the Creator, that a person should pray in his time of distress.
This mitzvah appears difficult to understand. For if Hashem decreed that a person should suffer, why would He want us to pray about it? Have you ever seen a king who wants something, and at the same time wants people to ask him to change his mind? Every king desires that his subjects obey his command! If so, what does it mean that Hashem wants our prayers?
The simple answer is that the King of the Universe is different from a flesh-and-blood king, for a human king—even if he is compassionate—does not allow his compassion to override his decrees. But our Creator, whom we praise three times daily: 'הטוב כל לא חלו רחמיך והמרחם כי לא תמו חסדיך' - “The Good One, for Your compassion has not ended; the Compassionate One, for Your kindnesses have not ceased”—that is, there is nothing that can stand in the way of His compassion, and therefore His kindnesses never cease. So even if He has decreed something, He is prepared to nullify His will before the will of those who plead to Him.
But in truth, we must understand that Hashem’s decrees are different from those of a human king. For while a flesh-and-blood king is happy when his decrees are fulfilled, the King of the World is pained by them. As is taught in the name of the holy Baal Shem Tov, zy”a (brought in Tzava'as HaRivash), that the entire essence of prayer is based on the fact that when a person suffers, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) suffers as well. As it says in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 46a): "Rabbi Meir said: When a person suffers, what does the Shechinah say? 'My head hurts! My arm hurts!'"
