Our Gemora tells us that Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. The Matriarchs were barren only so that they should pray to Hashem for children. Their desire for progeny caused the Matriarchs and the Patriarchs to pray to Hashem at a level that under normal circumstances they would not have done.
Rabbi Yitzchak said: Why are the prayers of the righteous likened to a pitchfork, as just like a pitchfork turns over the grain on the threshing floor from one place to another, so too the prayers of the righteous transform the manner in which HaShem conducts Himself from the Attribute of Cruel Judgment to the Attribute of Mercy.
*** Why did Hashem have to make them infertile; is there no other reason to pray to Him? If they would have had children, would they not have prayed for their health, sustenance and spiritual growth?
*** Divrei Yoel cites a Zohar and explains: It is on account of the prayers of the righteous that all future salvations will be effected. The Divrei Yoel explains with a parable: A king was traveling in a desert and he became very thirsty. The king's servants sought to bring the king water from a distant land. The king said, "I have the capabilities to bring sufficient water from afar for ourselves, but how will anyone else who passes through this area survive?" The king then commanded his servants to dig in the sand until they would find water, and by discovering a well, all future travelers would be able to survive in the desert. Similarly, explains the Divrei Yoel, people in future generations will be in need of a salvation, but they may not be deserving of it. It is through the tefillos of our forefathers that the gateways for these salvations will be effected.
*** The Sfas Emes writes that Yitzchak was answered through Tefillas Mincha. The Gemora states that one should be extremely careful in Mincha because this was the tefillah that Eliyahu was answered with.
*** The Imrei Emes comments that although the essence of Yitzchak was judgment, in the depths of judgment lies chesed, kindness; it was through this that he had the ability to transform the manner in which HaShem conducts Himself, from the Attribute of Cruel Judgment to the Attribute of Mercy.
*** Imrei Shefer writes that part of the tefillah that Yitzchak prayed at that time was the tefillah of “b’fi yeshorim tisromam etc.” which contains Yitzchak and Rivkah’s name in it.
Rabbi Yitzchak said: Why are the prayers of the righteous likened to a pitchfork, as just like a pitchfork turns over the grain on the threshing floor from one place to another, so too the prayers of the righteous transform the manner in which HaShem conducts Himself from the Attribute of Cruel Judgment to the Attribute of Mercy.
*** Why did Hashem have to make them infertile; is there no other reason to pray to Him? If they would have had children, would they not have prayed for their health, sustenance and spiritual growth?
*** Divrei Yoel cites a Zohar and explains: It is on account of the prayers of the righteous that all future salvations will be effected. The Divrei Yoel explains with a parable: A king was traveling in a desert and he became very thirsty. The king's servants sought to bring the king water from a distant land. The king said, "I have the capabilities to bring sufficient water from afar for ourselves, but how will anyone else who passes through this area survive?" The king then commanded his servants to dig in the sand until they would find water, and by discovering a well, all future travelers would be able to survive in the desert. Similarly, explains the Divrei Yoel, people in future generations will be in need of a salvation, but they may not be deserving of it. It is through the tefillos of our forefathers that the gateways for these salvations will be effected.
*** The Sfas Emes writes that Yitzchak was answered through Tefillas Mincha. The Gemora states that one should be extremely careful in Mincha because this was the tefillah that Eliyahu was answered with.
*** The Imrei Emes comments that although the essence of Yitzchak was judgment, in the depths of judgment lies chesed, kindness; it was through this that he had the ability to transform the manner in which HaShem conducts Himself, from the Attribute of Cruel Judgment to the Attribute of Mercy.
*** Imrei Shefer writes that part of the tefillah that Yitzchak prayed at that time was the tefillah of “b’fi yeshorim tisromam etc.” which contains Yitzchak and Rivkah’s name in it.
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