Our Parsha opens with the famous scene of Yaakov lying down on a pillow of stones and witnessing the dream of angels ascending to Heaven and descending.
Yaakov left Beer Sheva and went toward Charan. He reached the place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took some of the stones of that place, and arranged them around his head, and lay down in that place.
From these Pesukim, and the word פגיעה, the Gemara (Berachot 26a) learns that Yaakov Avinu established the evening prayer – Maariv. Before discussing the Tefilla of Maariv he instituted, I would like to address a recurring theme throughout Sefer Bereshit, from its opening Parsha through its the final one. The Midrash says (Bereshit Rabbah 68:10):
He encountered the place – Yaakov sought to pass, but the entire world became a wall of sorts before him. Because the sun had set – Chazal say, this teaches that Hakadosh Baruch Hu caused the orb of the sun to set not at its proper time, in order to speak with Yaakov privately. This is analogous to a king’s friend who visited on occasion. The king said: “Extinguish the lamps, extinguish the lanterns, as I wish to speak with my friend privately.” Hakadosh Baruch Hu caused the sun to set early, in order to speak with Yaakov privately.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu said: "Shall this righteous man come to My inn – i.e., the place where the Beit Hamikdash would be built and the dwelling place of the Shechinah – and leave without staying overnight? Is it possible for him to depart without resting here?" A miracle occurred, and immediately the sun set prematurely, necessitating that Yaakov stay overnight (Chulin 91a).
The Midrash then continues: He heard the voices of the ministering angels saying, “The sun has arrived; the sun has arrived.” When Yoseph later referenced his father and mother as והנה השמש וירח, Yaakov asked, “Who revealed to him My name is שמש?” Hakadosh Baruch Hu caused the orb of the sun to set two hours early when Yaakov left his father’s house – and when did He restore it? Only when Yaakov returned to his father’s house. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to him: “You are a model for your descendants. Just as I caused the sun to set for you when you departed, and upon your return I restored the orb of the sun for you, so I will do for your descendants upon their departure to exile and upon their return.”
Anyone who pays attention will notice that in every Parsha of Sefer Bereshit, the Torah addresses Tefillah, either directly or indirectly. We’ll briefly go over this idea and then zero in on the subject of Maariv, instituted by Yaakov Avinu.
Prayer in Sefer Bereshit
In Parshat Bereshit, the Torah states:
All the plants of the field were not yet on the earth, and all the herbal vegetation of the field had not yet sprouted, for Hashem Elokim had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was yet no man to work the soil.
Rashi explains: What was the reason Hakadosh Baruch Hu did not bring rain? Because there was no man to work the land. When man would come and recognize that rain is necessary for the world, he would daven for it, and then the rain would fall for the trees and vegetation to grow. Rain is stored in the heavenly treasuries – אוֹצְרוֹת שָׁמַיִם, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu only needs to open the clouds for the rain to descend. However, He says, "Without Tefillah, I will not open the clouds!"
Rav Shimshon David Pincus provides two comparisons. It's like a person who orders 100,000 hats from a factory, pays in full, and the goods are loaded onto trucks. However, it’s all meaningless to the buyer while the factory gate is closed, and the trucks cannot leave. Similarly, a generous donor pledges $100,000 and mails out the check. A week later, the recipient knows the check is waiting at the post office, but despite having confirmation, the pledge is meaningless and valueless until the post office opens.
Rav Pincus says, in Heaven there is water, and on earth there are plants. What’s needed for the plants to grow? The gate must be opened. And what opens the gate? Tefillah! Therefore, right at the beginning of Sefer Bereshit, the concept of Tefillah is already introduced to us.
Prayer in Parshat Noach
In Parshat Noach, Hakadosh Baruch Hu commands Noach to build an ark and says to him: קִנִּים תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַתֵּבָה – Make the ark into compartments. Why does the Torah use the word קִנִּים (nests) instead of the more traditional term חֲדָרִים (rooms)? The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 31:9) says, just as a nest purifies the Metzora, so too the ark purifies Noach. Rav Elyashiv (Devarim B’Agadah) asks what the connection is between the purification from Tzara’at and Noach’s purification through the ark? Did Noach speak lashon hara?
The Gemara (Eruvin 16a) provides a list of seven things which cause Tzara'at. They include lashon hara – the most well-known cause – as well as shfichut damim, the spilling of blood. With regards to murder, does a person receive Tzara'at because he took a life? If he killed intentionally, he should be put to death, and if he killed unintentionally, he should flee to a city of refuge. Why would he get Tzara'at?
There is a concept of killing someone without actually spilling their blood, and the Gemara (Bava Kamma 58b) provides an example: embarrassing someone publicly is like killing them. Rav Elyashiv explains there's an even worse form of bloodless murder: when a person is found dead outside the city, the Torah instructs the elders to perform the Egla Arufa ceremony, declaring, "Our hands did not spill this blood, and our eyes did not see." The Gemara (Sotah 38b) asks if the elders are being suspected of murder, and the answer is no. Their declaration absolves them of responsibility due to neglecting the person’s needs, such as sending them off without provisions or an escort. This teaches that neglecting someone’s basic needs can lead to death, making one guilty of murder even without directly spilling blood.
Rabbi Elyashiv adds one final example: a person who could daven for someone and save them through Tefillah, but does not do so, is also considered a murderer! After Noach left the ark, the Zohar writes that he saw everything had been destroyed and exclaimed: "Ribbono Shel Olam, why did You have no mercy on Your creations?!" Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded: “רָעֲיָא שָׁטְיָא – You foolish shepherd! You’re asking me now for mercy on My creations? When I told you 121 years ago that I planned to destroy the world, all you asked about was your own fate. You followed instructions to save yourself, but never asked for mercy or offered any Tefillah on behalf of the others. And now you ask why I destroyed the world?!” Had Noach davened for his generation, he could have saved them and the fact that he didn’t, caused the Torah to treat him as though he spilled blood. And Tzara'at resulted from that sin, therefore, the Midrash says, just as the nest purifies the Metzora, so too the ark purified Noach.
Prayer in Parshat Lech Lecha
In Parshat Lech Lecha, the Torah says:
And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Bet-el, and pitched his tent, having Bet-el on the west, and ̔Ay on the east: and there he built an altar to Hashem, and called upon the name of Hashem.
Rashi explains that through the gift of prophecy, Avraham Avinu saw that his descendants would stumble there, in sin, through Achan’s transgression (Yehoshua 7). He therefore davened for them at the spot. Later in that same Parsha, as Avraham stood at the border of Mitzrayim, the local officers took notice of his wife and informed Pharoah. The Sefer HaYashar describes what followed. Pharaoh, captivated by Sarai's beauty, took her into his house and rewarded those who informed him about her. Deeply distressed, Avraham davened to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for her rescue, while Sarah herself also fervently davened, reminding Hakadosh Baruch Hu of His promise and of their obedience in leaving their homeland. She pleaded for mercy and rescue. Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded to her Tefillot and sent an angel to save her from Pharaoh. From this account, it is evident that nothing happens without Tefillah.
Later on. when Hagar became pregnant, Sarah said to Avraham: חֲמָסִי עָלֶיךָ – My wrong is upon you, and Rashi comments on the wrong that was done to her by her husband. In her opinion, Avraham davened to Hakadosh Baruch Hu saying, "מה־תִּתֶּן־לִי וְאָנֹכִי עֲרִירִי הוֹלֵךְ – What will You give me, since I am childless?" He prayed only for himself. He should have prayed for her as well, so that she too would have been remembered together with him for a child. Again, an instance that demonstrates the power and necessity for Tefillah.
Prayer in Parshat Vayeira
In Parshat Vayeira, when the angels came to Avraham Avinu’s tent, one of them delivered the message that Avraham and Sarah would have a child. What was Sarah’s response? She laughed! But why did Sarah laugh? The angel was blessing her; why did she not simply respond “Amen”? The Seforno explains that when Sarah laughed, she thought the angel's words were merely a prophet's blessing, like that of Elisha, and not a divine prophecy or direct command from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. She believed that the restoration of youth after old age, akin to the resurrection of the dead, could only occur through a specific divine decree or an earnest Tefillah that found favor with Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Later in Parshat Vayeira, Avraham pleads for the people of Sedom, seeking to save them by negotiating with Hakadosh Baruch Hu over the minimum number of righteous individuals required to spare the city. He begins with fifty righteous people and gradually reduces the number, before ending his attempts once he reached ten. In the same Parsha, Avraham institutes the morning Tefillah – Shacharit, as it is written:
And Avraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
The Gemara (Berachot 26b) explains that עמידה refers to Tefillah, just as we find with Pinchas: ויעמד פינחס ויפלל.
Later, when Sarah was taken by Avimelech, the Torah describes Hakadosh Baruch Hu appearing to him in a dream, warning that he was subject to die because of his actions. Avimelech pleaded his innocence, arguing that he had been misled into believing that Sarah was Avraham’s sister and emphasizing that he had not touched her. Hakadosh Baruch Hu responded that it was He who had prevented Avimelech from sinning, and instructed him to immediately release Sarah and have Avraham daven on his behalf. If he failed to do so, he and his household would perish.
Rabbotai, why did Avimelech deserve to die if he didn’t touch Sarah? The Ma’amar Mordechai explains, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu revealed Himself to Avimelech through an angel, He declared, “Behold, you shall die over the woman you have taken.” From Hakadosh Baruch Hu's perspective, Avimelech was erased from the Book of Life right then and there. To be restored to life, Avimelech was instructed to seek Avraham's Tefillah, which would reinstate him in the Book of Life.
Prayer in Parshat Chayei Sarah
Next, in Parshat Chayei Sarah, the Torah states:
Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field towards evening. He raised his eyes and suddenly saw camels approaching.
Rashi comments on the word לָשׂוּחַ that it denotes Tefillah, as in תְּפִלָּתוֹ יִשְׁפֹּךְ לִפְנֵי ה' כִּי־יַעֲטֹף – A prayer of the lowly man when he is faint and pours forth his plea before the Lord. This explanation is based on the Gemara (Berachot 26b) which states that Yitzchak established the Tefillah of Mincha here.
Just prior, Eliezer, Avraham's servant, embarked on finding a match for Yitzchak, and he, too, davened:
He said, Hashem, G-d of my master, Avraham, be present before me today, and act kindly with my master, Avraham.
The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh says, Eliezer was certain that his master's prayer would be answered, and an angel would be sent to ensure the mission was fulfilled. He added a Tefillah of his own, expressing the hope that he would be found worthy to be the instrument through which Avraham's prayer would be fulfilled, because at times, the prayer of the original petitioner goes unanswered due to the unworthiness of the messenger. Thus, he beseeched Hakadosh Baruch Hu, asking for direct assistance.
Prayer in Parshat Toldot
In Parshat Toldot, the Torah states וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה', and Chazal in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 63:5) explain: שֶׁשָּׁפַךְ תְּפִלוֹת בְּעָשֶׁר – he poured abundant prayers.
The Pinnacle: Leah and Rachel's Tefillah
After presenting these examples, and there are more, I believe the pinnacle of the subject of Tefillah is found in this week’s Parsha, and therefore, I would like to focus on the Tefillah of Leah Imenu. The Torah says:
The eyes of Leah were tender. Rachel was of beautiful form and of beautiful appearance.
The Rokeach (Megilat Esther) says the description of Esther as יפת תאר ויפת מראה is an acronym for "יתום" – orphan, and I would like to delve a bit deeper into these words. The Gemara (Bava Batra 123a) asks about the description of Leah Imenu, which focuses on her eyes being tender or weak. What does רַכּוֹת mean? If you say it means weak, as in tears constantly flowing, could we really say something that direct? Even when the Torah speaks of impure animals, it softens the language and does not speak so bluntly – הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנָּה טְהֹרָה.
Furthermore, according to most commentators, Leah and Rachel were twin sisters. If it says that Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance, Leah, being her twin, must have been quite similar. How then could her appearance be so vastly different?
Additionally, how could it be that when Yaakov Avinu took Leah instead of Rachel, and presumably spoke with her throughout the night, he did not recognize her voice? And if we say that Leah changed her voice to imitate Rachel’s, how could that happen? The Chassidim say, this is proof that Yaakov did not meet her throughout the seven years; he was a Chassidic groom! But what do others say? If, as per most opinions, they were twins, then twins often have nearly identical voices. But if their voices were identical, their appearances were surely very similar as well.
The Torah comes to tell us: Listen, Leah distorted her face. Not only were her eyes weak, but even her eyelashes fell out! Rav Chatzkel Levenstein says it was not limited to her eyelashes, but the entire appearance or her face changed. In explaining the meaning of רַכּוֹת, the Gemara asks: could it be that the Torah speaks disparagingly about the righteous? Two opinions are presented. Rabbi Elazar says, the term alludes to the fact that her gifts – i.e., the gifts given to her descendants: Kehuna and Malchut – were long-lasting (אֲרוּכוֹת), as they were passed down from generation to generation. Rav says, the intention of the Pasuk is indeed that her eyes were weak, from much crying. This was not seen as a flaw, but as a praise, because her tears were a sign of her nobility. She would sit at the crossroads, hearing people say, "Rivka has two sons and Lavan has two daughters – one for the elder and one for the younger." Leah would ask the passersby: "What is the character of the elder?" And they would answer: "A wicked man, one who robs others." She would then ask, "What is the character of the younger?" And they would reply: "A simple man, who dwells in tents." Leah would cry and pray that she would not have to marry Eisav. Her weeping was so intense that her eyelashes fell out. Therefore, her weak eyes testified to her great righteousness and her sincere desire to marry a righteous man.
The Midrash (Tanchuma, Vayeitzei 4) asks how we know Hakadosh Baruch Hu immediately hears the Tefillah a person whispers in their heart. After presenting the example of Chana, the Midrash suggests it can also be learned from Leah and Rachel, describing how Leah cried bitterly at the thought of marrying Eisav. וְהָיְתָה בוֹכָה וּמִתְעַנָּה עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ עֵינֶיהָ רַכּוֹת – She wept and fasted until her sight became weak.
Why did Leah need to go to the crossroads every day to hear what people were saying? I came across an explanation in a sefer called LeHa’ir LeHorot u’LeHaskil. When a person faces great distress, on the first day they are often in shock, unable to speak and crying all day. By the second day, the crying lessens, and by the third day, even more so. Slowly, they begin to calm down. Leah feared that, Heaven forbid, she might grow accustomed to it. She knew that, according to Lavan's agreement with Rivka, she was meant to marry Eisav. So, she went every day to the crossroads to speak with travelers coming from Eretz Yisrael to ask about him. Why did she return again and again each day? Chazal explain it was to prevent herself from getting used to the idea. After all, criminals get married too! She was scared she might become accustomed to it and end up raising a crime family! To avoid this, she wanted to hear the bad reports about Eisav every day to keep herself from becoming complacent. As a result, her eyelashes fell out from shedding so many tears.
Rav Meir Chadash asks a powerful question. When Rachel cried, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said: מִנְעִי קוֹלֵךְ מִבֶּכִי וְעֵינַיִךְ מִדִּמְעָה. But when Leah cried, He never tells her to refrain from weeping and crying! He says, “Cry, cry, and cry some more!” Why doesn’t He have mercy on her? Why not tell Leah the same as was told to her sister? He offers a profound insight. When a person cries due to personal suffering, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, "Don’t cry!” But when a person cries to build the Jewish people – like Leah crying for the sake of the future of Bnei Yisrael, crying over the fact that she wouldn't be married to Yaakov – Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't say to stop. She cried and cried, until her eyelashes fell out, for the sake of Bnei Yisrael. “Cry, and cry, and cry some more! The more you cry, the greater your portion in Klal Yisrael will be.” For those who cry for spirituality, righteous children, and a chelek in the building of Torah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “Cry!"
Just look at what Leah merited because of her tears. Chazal say that not only did Leah merit to marry Yaakov, but she also preceded her sister – she married first! And not only that, but out of the twelve tribes, six came from Leah. Look at what she earned: Keter Kehuna (Moshe), Keter Malchut (Yehuda, from whom David descended), and Keter Torah (Yissachar). All three crowns belong to her! Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to Leah: "Do you want a portion in the building of Am Yisrael? The more tears you shed, the more crowns you will have!" The spiritual building of Am Yisrael was achieved through tears.
The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah, 40:15) says: Tefillah is powerful enough to annul a decree. Not only that, but Leah was able, through the power of Tefillah, to change an agreement and vow – she would marry Yaakov, not Eisav.
Rachel’s Prayer and Yaakov’s Response
Now, let's turn to Rachel’s prayer. Rachel had no children, while her sister Leah already had four. The Torah says:
Rachel saw that she was not bearing children to Yaakov. Rachel became jealous of her sister, and she said to Yaakov, Give me children; if not I am considered dead. Yaakov became very angry with Rachel, and he said, Am I in G-d’s place? It is He who withheld from you the fruit of the womb.
Rashi explains: Rachel challenged Yaakov, pointing out that his father davened on behalf of his mother so that they’d have children. Yaakov responded, “You say that I should do as my father did, but I am not like my father. He had no children at all, while I, however, do have children! It is only from you that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has withheld children, not from me!”
Rabbotai, have you ever heard a conversation like this? One person comes to a tzaddik and says, "Rebbi, I have no parnassah," and the tzaddik replies, "What can I do? I have plenty!" Is this a normal conversation? Why did he come to the rebbe? It was surely to ask for his Tefillah! Rachel went to Yaakov and said, "Yaakov, daven for me!" And Yaakov responded, "Why should I daven? I already have children. You daven for yourself!" How does this make any sense?!
The Ramban addresses Yaakov’s response as it pertains to davening for someone else: The commentators said that this means Rachel asked Yaakov to daven on her behalf, but the Ramban questions this. If so, why was Yaakov angry with her? And why did he respond by questioning whether he was in place of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who we know listens to the righteous? Do the righteous not daven on behalf of others? Eliyahu and Elisha both davened on behalf of strange women! It would appear that on account of Yaakov’s answer, Chazal took him to task, saying in the Midrash that Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “Is this the way to answer a woman who is oppressed by her barrenness? By your life! Your children are destined to stand before her son Yoseph!” In line with the peshat of the text, Rachel asked of Yaakov that he give her children, but her intent was truly to say that he should daven on her behalf and...
