The Tefillah (Prayer) of a Tzaddik (Righteous One) is Powerful and Effective

Bamidbar {14:11} HaShem said to Moshe, How long will this people despise Me? And how long will they not trust in Me, for all the signs which I have worked among them? {14:12} I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they. {14:13} Moshe said to HaShem, Then the Mitzrayim (Egypt) will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them; {14:14} and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You HaShem are in the midst of this people; for You HaShem are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. {14:15} Now if You shall kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of You will speak, saying, {14:16} Because HaShem was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness. {14:17} Now please let the power of HaShem be great, according as You have spoken, saying, {14:18} HaShem is slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the avot (fathers) on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation. {14:19} Pardon, Please, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your loving-kindness, and according as You have forgiven this people, from Mitzrayim even until now. {14:20} HaShem said, I have pardoned according to your word:

I have given you these Scriptures because there is a very important biblical principle contained here, one that I think we all need to take notice of. First allow me to explain the situation. Bnei Yisrael (children of Israel) had committed a very grave mistake; they did not trust G-d and in doing so they rejected Him. G-d got angry! Now, to all of you who think G-d does not ever get angry, this passage should correct your theology. G-d gets angry! The Shaliach Shaul (Apostle / Emissary Paul) gives us a teaching on anger, which I think is appropriate to bring up here.

Efesim (Ephesians) {4:26} Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

It appears to me like Shaul the Shaliach might have learned this principle from Parsha Shlach lecha (Send thou).

To continue with what was taking place here; as a result of His anger, HaShem advises Moshe of His intention to wipeout the entire nation and begin again with him. However, Moshe rejects the idea and goes on to soothe G-d’s anger by explaining the possible embarrassment He will face in the eyes of Mitzrayim, from where they came, and from the nations of the land to which they were going. What happens next or what Moshe says next is the subject of this drash (principle).

Bamidbar {14:17} Now please let the power of HaShem be great, according as You have spoken, saying, {14:18} HaShem is slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the avot (fathers) on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation. {14:19} Pardon, Please, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving-kindness, and according as You have forgiven this people, from Mitzrayim even until now.

So what is the drash? There is no more effective prayer then to pray HaShem’s Words back to Him. Moshe wasted no time in reminding HaShem of His own Words, and in this case they resulted in an immediate, positive response. Was HaShem really going to destroy bnei Yisrael? I guess we’ll never know! My speculation is that He was not. It seems to me like this was a test of Moshe’s humility and of his commitment to leadership. However, that is the subject of another shiur / discussion. What I want us to see here is the importance of knowing, memorizing and being able to repeat back to HaShem His own Words. As with Moshe the process can be very rewarding.

I would like to give you a modern example, so I have chosen a possible prayer need that you or I might bring to HaShem. I have also chosen a passage of Scripture from which you can compose your prayer. Finally, I have composed a sample prayer as you might present it to HaShem.

The Scripture: Yoel (Joel) {2:32} And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of HaShem shall be delivered: for in mount Tzion (Zion) and in Yerushalyim (Jerusalem) shall be deliverance, as HaShem hath said, and in the remnant whom HaShem shall call.

The prayer, using this promise from Yoel: "HaShem, I am in need of help. Your Word says ‘…whosoever shall call on the name of HaShem shall be delivered…’ I call on your Name in accordance to your promise; deliver today from my need according to your will and loving kindness."

By repeating G-d’s own words and promises back to Him, we are not reminding Him of what He said, because I am sure He never forgot, we are demonstrating our trust, our belief and most of all our faith in what He said!

If I closed now I believe I will only be telling you half the story. Because despite the well worded prayer Moshe prayed to HaShem and despite HaShem’s retraction of His proposed judgement, Yisrael still had to pay the consequences of their sin.

Bamidbar {14:21} but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the kevod (full weigh) of HaShem; {14:22} because all those men who have seen My kevod (glory), and My signs, which I worked in Mitzrayim and in the wilderness, yet have tempted Me these ten times, and have not listened to My voice; {14:23} surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their avot, neither shall any of those who despised Me see it:

As I have taught many times before, and will teach once again today, you cannot pray your way out of consequences. There is consequence to sin! Besides HaShem’s promises of blessing, health, protection and answers to prayer, there is also the warning of His justice. However, prayer, repentance and restitution stop the escalation of consequences, and our korban (draw near) Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) restores our relationship with HaShem.

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2005