Midreshet Amit

• LIVE TORAH:
• Academic Program
• Yimei Iyun
• FAQ
• Recent Shiurim
• View by Parsha
• View By Chag
• Search Database
• Ask the Rav

In this week's Parsha, Vayishlach, Hashem tells Yaakov that it is time for him and his wives and children to return home. But packing up and moving his family is not Yaakovs only fear. Yaakov had deceived Yitzchak to get the special first-born blessing that was meant for Eisav. Fearing Eisav's anger, Yaakov sends a message to Eisav that he is coming with gifts in order to appease Eisav after all these years. The messengers return saying that Eisav is coming to meet him with four hundred men. That doesn't sound very peaceful to Yaakov; it only strengthens his previous fears. How did Yaakov react to the crisis?

Rashi points out that upon hearing the news, Yaakov had three choices before him: to appease Eisav through gifts, to prepare for war with him, or to pray. Yaakov chooses to utilize all three options. However, the order in which he chose to implement them is significant. Rashi notes that Yaakov chose to prepare for battle first by dividing his people, only then did he pray, and then he sent gifts.

It might seem surprising that Yaakov, who had such a strong connection with Hashem would not immediately pray to Hashem for help. But we can learn an important lesson to what prayer is all about from Yaakov's choice.

Hashem responds to us based on our choices. Belief in the power of prayer is also the belief in our responsibility to make the supreme effort ourselves first. Prayers are meaningful and effective when preceded by our own actions. Hashem creates a situation where we are faced with a choice, because through that conflict and choice we have the ability to grow and realize our true potentials. To do nothing and pray for everything in life, without ever making our own effort, is to misread why the situation happened in the first place. This is not what Hashem wants from us.

One may be bothered by the fact that Hashem doesn't always answer our prayers even if we take the first step. It is hard to accept, but sometimes Hashem's answer is simply no! When Hashem says no we have to have enough belief in Him to realize that this is all part of His plan for us and we need to ask ourselves what message Hashem trying to show us.

From the sequence of Yaakov's actions, we can learn that in order to ask Hashem for something we need not only to pray to Him but also show our own initiative. The combination of showing our own efforts and tefillah to Hashem is the way to show that we are willing to work for the things we want in life.