- Rabbis Blessings 2
-
- Moshe Ben Chaim
-
- A rabbi, like any other human being, can voice his needs directed to
G-d. According to Maimonides, the higher the level of one's
perfection, the more G-d is involved with one's life. According to one
explanation, Job was suffering his trials due to his incorrect opinion
of G-d. As he became aware of his mistake and admitted it, G-d came
back into his life. This shows that when a person reaches a higher
level, G-d is more related to his actions. Maimonides spells this out
clearly in the "Guide for the Perplexed".
-
- Everyone has a "direct link" to G-d. It's based on a
passage, "v'col makom she-azkir as shmi, avo alecha
uvarachticha", "in all places where you mention my name, I
will come to you and bless you". This shows that G-d is aware of
everyone who learns, even individually. From here we see that G-d is
aware of all people and their actions, hence, one can pray directly to
G-d. Additionally, Judaism does not believe in intermediaries. This is
actually how idolatry began.
-
- G-d will respond with what is good for a person based on the
person's level. But I believe that the person must do the act of
prayer himself. He must formally request his needs, and by doing so,
perhaps he will discover during his prayer that he is asking for
something worthwhile, and will continue. Or, he will observe that what
he's asking for is not correct, and he will abandon his prayer.
- It is brought down by the Rabbis, "Why were the Matriarchs all
barren? Because G-d desires the prayer of the righteous." What
this means is that G-d desires the perfection of those who want
perfection - the righteous. He doesn't need their prayer for
Himself, as G-d is perfect. G-d desires their prayer, as this will
help them reflect upon their desires to search within and find a
reason for why they might not have been answered as of yet. By G-d
refraining from giving the matriarchs children, perhaps He was
allowing them time to perfect themselves, as their desire for children
might not have been for the proper
- reasons at first. Through years of reflection, the may have been
allowed by G-d to perfect themselves.
-
- True repentance means that a person recognizes a new idea about
himself, primarily, an idea about where he is lacking in perfection,
to the point that he regrets his act and he decides not to commit the
wrong action again.
|