כוחה של תחנונים מתוך שפלות רוח
The power of pleading with a low spirit
וָאֶתְחַנַן אֶל ה ' בָעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר :(ג :כג )
I implored Hashem at that time saying. (3:23)
Rashi explains: ‘Imploring in all places means nothing except requesting a gift for free. Although the righteous could make their requests dependent on their good deeds, they seek nothing from the Omnipresent but a gift without payment. Another meaning, this is one of the ten expressions that denote prayer, as stated in Sifrei (Sifrei 26).
We have to understand what Rashi’s intent was by adding the second explanation that is one of the expressions of prayer. This does not add to the explanation of imploring, just that this is one of the ten expressions of prayer, that is, asking for a free gift is one of the expressions of prayer, why ‘another meaning’?
We can say that at first Rashi explains that ‘va’eschanan’ is a way of avodah that only applies to tzaddikim, for only the righteous can request a free gift, for with their broader understanding they recognize their worth. Although they increase Torah and good deeds, they do not see this as a merit for themselves, for to their broad minds they recognize this as the loftiness of Yisbarach, and they know that to His great loftiness even Heaven does not merit in His eyes, how much more so is it not relevant to a human to fulfill his obligation to his Creator, therefore, they can request a ‘free gift’. However, ordinary people who do not come to this level cannot merit a prayer like this.
A similar story is brought down in the sefer ‘Sidduro shel Shabbos’ (Cheilek 2, Third Drush, Perek 3) about Rav Saadya Gaon. Once one of his students came to him suddenly at night and found him rolling in the snow. The student stood there shocked, trembling with fear, and asked him, “Rebbe, Rebbe, do you chas v’shalom need to do teshuva so much to endure such great sorrows and suffering?! Has his honor ever transgressed a hint or thought of sin that he oppresses himself like this? What should we do when we are like a wall filled with sins and iniquities, various types of punishments and challenges as bitter as death would not suffice to cleanse us? Why is the Rav rolling in the snow?”
The Rebbe replied, “You should know that I have never done this before for I knew in my soul that I have never transgressed a sin that would be deserving of this. However, I learned this from a householder who I came to stay by in his hotel. He did not recognize me and he honored me like he honored every other person. When word got out in the city that I had come there, all the people of the city gathered, men, women and children, to receive me like Jews all over who honor talmidei chachmim who are dear in their eyes.
“When the host saw that this was so, he also began to honor me with great honor as much as he could and even more. When I wanted to leave there and go on my way, he fell before my feet, cried, and begged me to forgive him for not showing me respect. I said to him, ‘All this honor that you showed me was in your power to do so, what else could you have done to honor me?’ He replied, ‘I am apologizing for the first hour I met you when I did not know the esteem of the Admor, and I did not honor him properly. For this I fall at the feet of the Admor and ask his forgiveness since I did not know his greatness.’
“His words aroused me very much as I said to myself that if he falls before me for the honor of a flesh and blood person and begs me for my forgiveness, certainly it is appropriate to beseech our Creator.
For even if in the past I recognized His greatness, now I recognize His greatness even more, also now I have increased my avodah, my awe, and my love for Him in line with my recognition of Him. I regret the past and I beg of Him, and I punish myself like this so that He forgive me for my diminished avodah, awe, and love in the past, since I did not serve Him out of fear and awe as I serve Him today as you see.”
You see from this story that this is the trait of tzaddikim, they do not see the value of their deeds, therefore, they request all their needs as ‘free gifts’, but the masses are not able to merit Tefillos like this.
Since this is so, Rashi adds an alternate explanation, that this is one of the ten expressions of prayer, and all expressions of prayer are for people in general not just the tzaddikim, and even if an ordinary person does not have the trait of humility of the tzaddikim, he can still earn this category, and in a way more than the tzaddikim. This comes about when he prays to Hashem for his troubles, that he recognizes that he is owed nothing since he has transgressed much and his troubles that come upon him are justly deserved, based on this he only requests a ‘free gift’, and he says before his Creator, ‘It is true that I am not fit for anything, but I am only asking for a ‘free gift’ and accept me like a father to his children, even if they have nothing.
Based on what was mentioned, I would like to explain the intent of the posuk in this light (Tehillim 69:14) 'ואני תפילתי לך השם' – ‘But as for me, my prayer is to you, Hashem’ – when I ask that my prayer go up before Hashem Yisbarach, 'עת רצון אלקים' – ‘at a time of favor, O G-d’ – I want that even at a time that I do not deserve it based on my deeds, and the category of ‘Elokim’ which is the trait of true justice holds it back, even then, it should be ‘a time of favor’ to accept my Tefillah, the advice for this is 'ברוב חסדך ענני' – ‘in the abundance of Your kindness, answer me’ – I request to be answered in the merit of ‘an abundance of His kindness’, for there is no opening for an accuser with a Tefillah like this, and the person even prepares himself with this to receive the abundance since he realizes that he is nothing.
Perhaps we can also explain that this is the meaning of what we say every day in Tachanun, 'מתרצה ברחמים ומתפיס בתחנונים' – ‘become favorable through compassion and become appeased through supplication’, that from the side of your abundant mercy there is no limit to help, and even if the person is not prepared to receive abundance based on his deeds, still, when he asks through supplication, out of the realization that he is not deserving based on his deeds, he is found favorable. Therefore, 'התרצה והתפיס לדור עני' – ‘become favorable and appeased to the poor generation’, since we recognize our low worth, and we know that 'כי אין עוזר' – ‘for there is no helper’ – we are not worthy of help based on our few deeds. We double up and request, 'א בינו מלכנו חננו' – ‘our Father, our King, be gracious’ with a free gift 'ועננו' – ‘and answer us’ once we realize 'כי אין בנו מעשים' – ‘we have no deeds’, and we know that we do not deserve anything based on merit, rather all our requests are 'עשה עמנו צדקה וחסד' – ‘treat us with charity and kindness’, so it is fitting that You arouse Your trait of mercy and kindness 'והושיענו' – ‘and save us’.
Hashem Yisbarach should help us that we recognize how small our deeds are before Him, and we should merit to stand before Him with humility, and in this merit our prayers should be accepted before Him, and He should grant our requests for our good.
