If You Lack Water—Daven!
In Parashas Beshalach, we’re told the incident of Klal Yisrael in Refidim, when they had no drinking water and complained to Moshe Rabbeinu. This led to Moshe Rabbeinu hitting the rock to extract water from it.
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that the Ribbono shel Olam wished to teach the Yidden a timeless lesson here, and that is to turn to Him whenever they need something. This is why there was a dearth of water in the first place—so they would exercise this great tool that brings about emunah and a completion of the soul!
The Ohr HaChaim adds that this is also the reason the Ribbono shel Olam gave the portion of Mahn anew every day—so the Bnei Yisrael would learn to be dependent upon the Ribbono shel Olam, for the essence of the completion of a person is to rely completely upon Hashem.
If You Have a Problem—Daven!
He continues to explain through the ensuing pesukim that Klal Yisrael didn’t hear the message, and instead of crying out to Hashem, they began to argue with Moshe Rabbeinu and complain to him for bringing them into the dessert—the way many of us do when we find ourselves in a difficult situation: We grow angry at the people who have ostensibly caused the problem, forgetting that they are all emissaries of Hashem and His Hashgachah.
Says the Torah: This is a mistake! Why are you so alarmed by a lack? Why are you blaming Moshe Rabbeinu—just because something went differently from the way you’d have wished? Why are you lashing out at the “peripheral reasons”? Moshe Rabbeinu understood the reason for the lack of water. The Yidden did not.
Lack Is Good—for It Causes Us to Daven
Thus, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh teaches us how the Ribbono shel Olam behaves toward us always. When there’s a lack, it’s not because it’s for the best thing that we remain with the lack. To the contrary! The lack comes for the greater purpose of completing the person!
This entire conversation about tefillah has come to us because of our discussion of the Chovos HaLevavos, where he speaks about the principle that Hashem knows far better than we do what is good for us. People asked, “If so, what is the point of davening to change things? If the Ribbono shel Olam wants this, then it’s good. Why plead with Him to change it?”
The answer, says the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, is that you are here because this is what is best for you. But why is this best for you? Because it is through this lack that you will turn to Hashem and daven to Him. And if your tefillah is proper, it will bring you more bitachon and more recognition that you’re dependent only upon the Ribbono shel Olam. And then you will automatically have your needs fulfilled—because the lack has already brought about its intended purpose.
The Kindness of Lack
In other words, it’s not that there’s a world in which Hashem instituted a lack here and a dearth there... lack is part of the essence of life in This World!
This World has been designed to have lack within it. And really, this seems counterintuitive—for there’s no one more perfect than Hashem and His creation. But He nevertheless retracted and refracted His light so that there would be lack in the creation. And lack doesn’t mean suffering, but rather it is when we don’t see our needs and desires within sight. This is the design of Olam HaZeh—and it is all for the purpose of transforming our lives through bitachon and reliance upon Hashem. Through this, the nefesh attains its sheleimus, and the person will experience the pleasure of Olam HaBa even while still he is still in This World.
The Essence of a Yid Is Constant Prayer
The Gemara (Berachos 21a) tells us in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, “halevai that a person should daven the entire day.” This means that the proper mode of life for a Yid is to constantly be davening. This doesn’t mean that we must stand and daven for twelve hours in a row. But it does mean that we should be in a state of tefillah all day—always harboring the feeling that no one can fulfill our lack other than Hashem.
The Ba’alei Mussar further point out regarding this Gemara in reference to another Gemara in Bava Kamma that the essence of a person is one who davens always. A person came down to This World with lack on the one hand and with wisdom on the other. Our work is to bridge the two elements through tefillah and thus attain tremendous completeness of the soul.
Insights in Emunah
The Bnei Yisasschar explains that when a Yid davens, he literally becomes transformed—because he has attained insights in emunah and in humility—and through this, the world itself changes, and many decrees may be annulled.
From the beginning, the world was designed so that when a person ascends a step above, he will merit new measures of kindness and revelation. For this reason, tefillah isn’t considered a change in the Divine Will—because this was the plan all along: A person should get up to daven, become transformed, and thus merit a new reality.
The Problem Is an Indication
We do not daven in order to change the Ribbono shel Olam’s will; we daven because we have been given the opportunity to ascend a measure and encounter a whole new reality. We daven in order to deeper the recognition that we do not have any power or ability, and only Hashem runs the world.
Every time a Yid finds himself in a difficult situation in which he encounters lack, he understands that the Ribbono shel Olam has just performed the greatest favor for him. Hashem doesn’t merely want us to accept reality and distract ourselves from it. No, He wants us to daven to Him. Through my submission and humility, I fulfill the purpose for which the lack was sent to me in the first place—and then there’s no longer a reason for the lack to remain in place.
Silence and Supplication
Chazal teach us (Berachos 62a) קבלה דיסורי שתיקותא ומבעי רחמי, the acceptance of suffering is silence together with supplication for mercy. The first thing we must do is to be silent in the face of suffering—to completely accept the suffering that came upon us.
But simultaneously, a Yid must know that there must be supplication toward Hashem—this is an opportunity to daven. If something is lacking in my life, it is a sign that I can grow through supplicating Hashem. If I daven properly, I will attain completeness in my soul, and I will ultimately merit a new reality of goodness and blessing.
