19. Reb Shimon Daskal, a Satmar chassid from Bnei Brak, was once deliberating between buying a small store on Reb Akiva St., corner Yerushalayim St., a prime location, or a store triple that size, on a side street. The Satmar Rebbe told him, "The Tana'im and Amora'im wrote many tefillos (see Brachos 17.), but few people say them. But there's a tefillah written by an acharon, the Chayei Adam, it is called זכה תפילת, and it is widely recited. This is because זכה תפילת is said when Yom Kippur is approaching. So, you see that it's all about location... Therefore, I advise you to buy the smaller store in the premium location."
When one lights Chanukah lecht, he is at a prime location and should utilize this location and auspicious time for tefillah.
20. When one says Al HaNisim in the correct place, he doesn’t daven for miracles. However, when one forgets Al HaNisim, he earns a bonus and can pray for miracles. Perhaps the explanation is that when one forgets Al HaNisim, he becomes heartbroken that he lost out on such a unique opportunity. His broken and humble heart makes him a worthy candidate for miracles.
21. Shoel u'Meishiv proves that we don't daven for miracles from the following Gemara (Taanis 24:): Rava's beis din administered malkus to a sinner, and the person died. The king heard what happened and wanted to punish Rava. The king's mother warned her son, "Don't start up with the Yidden. Whatever they ask from their G-d, He gives them. When they pray for rain, it rains!" The king replied, "That's because they pray for rain in the winter season. It was going to rain, regardless. Let them pray now, in the summer, and see if they can bring rain!" The king's mother had rachmanus on Rava, so she sent him a message, warning him to daven for rain. Rava davened, but it didn’t rain. Rava said, "Ribono Shel Olam, (Tehillim 47) קדם בימי בימיהם פעלת פועל לנו ספרו אבותינו שמענו באזנינו אלקים, 'with our ears we heard, our forefathers told us; You performed miracles in their days, in days of old,' but we haven’t seen these miracles with our eyes." Suddenly, it started to pour—although it was in the middle of summer (and it never rains in the summer in Bavel)!
Whenever one performs a mitzvah, it is a good time for tefillah. As is brought in Tosefta (Maasar Sheni 5:15), “When one performs a mitzvah, it is an ideal time to daven to Hashem.” This is particularly true after lighting the lecht of a mitzvah (Such as Shabbos or Chanukah lecht) . Rabbeinu b’Chaya (19:3) writes, “When a woman lights the Shabbos candles, she should daven that she merit children talmidei chachamim, who will shine with Torah because tefillos are more accepted after performing a mitzvah."
Lighting Shabbos and Chanukah lecht are mesugal for children talmidei chachamim, so one should daven for this at this auspicious time.
Praying for Miracles
We say Al HaNissim in Shemonah Esrei and in Birkas Hamazon to praise Hashem for the miracles of Chanukah. Shulchan Aruch (187:4) states, "If one forgot to say Al HaNissim [in Birkas Hamazon], he can say it in the הרחמןs... הזה בזמן ההם בימים שעשה כמו נסים לנו יעשה הוא הרחמן ...יוחנן בן מתתיהו בימי , 'May Hashem perform miracles for us just as He performed miracles in those days...’" and then he says the rest of Al HaNissim.
Similarly, if one forgets Al HaNissim in Shemonah Esrei, he should say this הרחמן at the end of Shemonah Esrei (see Mishnah Berurah 682:4) . He prays that Hashem should make miracles for us, as He made in those days... and then he says the rest of Al Hanissim.
The Shoel u'Meishiv (Divrei Shaul) zt'l asks that it is known that one shouldn't pray for miracles, so how can we say לנו יעשה הוא הרחמן נסים , "May Hashem perform miracles for us"?
