How to Pray? By Rabbi Simcha Weinberg

I need help understanding Moshe’s prayer at the end of Beha’alotecha: “Moshe cried out to God, saying, “Please, God, heal her now!” Rashi offers two explanations for this concise prayer: 1) Moshe did not want Israel to criticize him for spending too long in prayer while his sister suffered. 2) Moshe did not want Israel to complain that he spent more time praying for his sister than he did praying for them.

I took a poll this past Shabbat, asking people; “If, God forbid, someone close to you was seriously ill, would you pray concisely, as in, “Please God, heal her!” or, would you pray a more elaborate prayer?

I asked 25 people. Only one immediately understood that I was asking about Moshe’s prayer for Miriam. 20 people answered that if they thought about it, which they probably would not, they would pray concisely. 5 argued that a longer prayer is more effective.

Why is Rashi so bothered by Moshe’s prayer?

How could he be criticized for a long prayer while his sister was suffering if he was praying for her healing? Can we infer that we should not pray a long prayer for someone who is ill? Halacha reminds us to not pray a long prayer at someone’s bedside as it may make him or her nervous that he or she is in more danger than he or she previously thought, but there is no mention in Halacha of praying for too much time while someone is suffering.

Miriam was not suffering as much as she was ashamed. Is that the key to understand why Moshe could not pray at length? Did Moshe’s prayer work at least to shorten the time of her suffering?

How could Israel possibly complain that Moshe had not prayed quite elaborate prayers for them?

If Moshe was so concerned, how could he pray 515 prayers to be allowed into Israel? Would Israel not complain that he did not pray 515 times for them to be allowed to enter Israel after the sin of the spies?

When we ask someone to pray for us, would we prefer a concise or lengthy prayer?

Author Info:-

Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies. The Foundation Stone is the ultimate resource for Jews, Judaism, Jewish Education, Jewish Spirituality & the holy Torah. For more information visit http://www.thefoundationstone.org/.

Rabbi Simcha Weinberg

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Prayer

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thank you for sharing this. I feel that a persons prayer will depend on what he or she is feeling inside.

i also feel a prayer is a prayer no matter how long or short it is.God hears our heart.Thank you for sharing Simcha

(32:30-32). But it is clear that the prayer recorded in our parasha is not this prayer – since it is formulated quite differently – but rather the first prayer described in Sefer Shemot. [2]

How, then, are we to explain the difference between the two descriptions?

An elaborate prayer shows much patience and compassion towards the person one prays for, the more emotion in a prayer makes it come alive that much more.

A simple prayer is very good it is still very effective.

I have also noticed in myself when i am very impatient my prayers will become shorter than normal, when i can connect with the prayer and become part of the prayer i sense healing in all that GOD is.

so when one prays ask yourself do i have patience to pray for as long as needed?

I believe we will know when the prayer is finished.

Simcha wrote:How could he be criticized for a long prayer while his sister was suffering if he was praying for her healing? Can we infer that we should not pray a long prayer for someone who is ill?

He loved his sister and went about it in the only way he knew asking GOD to please help her be well. This was a love and a prayer that was very powerful. I believe if we truly love them with all our hearts our prayers will become much longer. As did Moshe's Prayer.

Simcha wrote:How could Israel possibly complain that Moshe had not prayed quite elaborate prayers for them?

If Moshe was so concerned, how could he pray 515 prayers to be allowed into Israel? Would Israel not complain that he did not pray 515 times for them to be allowed to enter Israel after the sin of the spies?

When we ask someone to pray for us, would we prefer a concise or lengthy prayer?

At this moment Israel obviously did not know Moshes Heart. Sometimes we forget to look at the good works.

If Israel knew who Moshe's GOD was they would listen with their minds, hearts, & soul...

Personally i would be very grateful for any length of prayer, that came my way.

Miriam was a prophetess, as the Torah states clearly (Exod. 15:20). Our Sages tell us that the spirit of prophecy came to her when she was still a child. Her earliest prophecy was that her mother was going to give birth to a son who would free the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage. This is one of the reasons why she was also called Puah, meaning "Whisperer," for she was whispering words of prophecy (Sotah 11b, 12b). Her Prophecy was of Moshe he came to help the people of israel.

Many Blessings