Rebuke Brings Peace

This week we read פרשת תולדות. It begins by telling us that both Yitzchak and Rivka prayed very hard that they would be blessed with a child for they were barren.

Rabbi Twerski questions the Midrash that says that Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. He points out that it almost seems cruel that Hashem puts Yitzchak and Rivka through the agony of being childless, just because He likes the prayers of צדיקים.

The answer to this question serves to emphasize the power of prayer.

The explanation to this question is that Hashem felt that Yitzchak and Rivka needed to rise spiritually before they were ready to become parents to children who were meant to carry on Jewish values.

Prayer has the ability to do this. We, too, are capable of rising spiritually through prayer. We must not be in a rush to get it over with. But we must work at putting ourselves in a high meditative state, where we can feel Hashem close to us. We must never underestimate the power of prayer. It truly can bring about a change of decrees made against us in Heaven. And we might very well be given, what we ask for. It worked for Yitzchak and Rivka, and can also work for us.