And Isaac prayed to the Lord opposite his wife because she was barren, and the Lord accepted his prayer, and Rebecca his wife conceived.
|
כא. וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַיהֹוָה לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ כִּי עֲקָרָה הִוא וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ יְהֹוָה וַתַּהַר רִבְקָה
|
Why did Hashem answer Yitzchak’s prayers and not Rivkah’s Prayers?
Rashi says: the prayer of a righteous man, the son of a righteous man, does not compare to the prayer of a righteous man, the son of a wicked man. Therefore, He accepted his prayer and not hers.
What are other reasons for why Hashem answered Yitzchak and not Rivkah? Does this mean if a person has wicked parents their tifillot are less likely to be answered? How is this a just way of answering people’s tifillot? What is the other time in the torah that the word “Vayetear” is used to describe someone’s tifillot? Is there a reason the torah only uses this word for the two of them?
What is the other time in the Torah the word “Vayetear” is used to describe someone’s tfillot?
ReplyDeleteIn Shoftim perek yud gimel pusuk chet, the Torah uses the same word, “וַיֶּעְתַּר”, to describe a similar situation to the one that we find in Parshat Toldot. Here we see that Rivkah was barren and Hashem listened to Yitzchak’s tfillot when he davened for her to become pregnant. In Shoftim, a man named Manoah also had a wife that was barren and we see that he prayed to g-d. Just like in Toldot where we see similar language, here Hashem answered the tfillot of Manoah when he prayed to him.
Rabbeinu Bechaya ben Asher lived from the late 1200s to 1340. He was an expert in kabbalah and wrote a commentary on the Torah
ReplyDeleteThe Rabbeinu Bechaya explains that Rivka's pregnancy did not involve fetal development. Hashem miraculously developed completely formed human beings in miniature size within Rivka's stomach. Since there was no need for fetal development, the Torah mentions that the location of the pregnancy was "b'vitnah" - "in her stomach"; no womb was necessary. The Talmud reveals that Rivka was born physically incapable of ever birthing a child. Whereas Rivka prayed to develop the necessary biological components to father Yitzchak's child, Yitzchak prayed only for her to give birth. The Torah emphasizes that his prayers were answered but hers were not, for her body did not develop in the manner necessary for birthing a child.
Chaya Kaplan Lester says that yitzchak needed to pray for a child before hashem could give rivka one because he needed to confront his past and move on. Yitzchak was emotionally traumatized from when avraham almost offered him that he was unsure about having his own children. Of course rivkas prayers were necessary and meant something to hashem but only once yitzchak confronted his past and began to want a child, did hashem actually reward them and make rivka pregnant.
ReplyDeleteIn Shemot, perek chet pasuk chaf vav, the word וַיֶּעְתַּר (entreat, to exert in tefillah) is used to describe Moshe’s tefillah to Hashem. In this weeks parsha the word וַיֶּעְתַּר is used twice in pasuk chaf aleph. When talking about Yitzchak it means, “…and he offered his tefillah”, while with regard to Hashem it means that Hashem accepted his (Yitzchak’s) tefillah. The Midrash in Bereishit (Midrash Raba 63:5) informs us that the word וַיֶּעְתַּר is related to the word Chatira- which means to dig or to tunnel. The fact that the wordוַיֶּעְתַּר is used in the pasuk and is similar to the word Chatira comes to teach us that while Yitzchak was “tunneling” to Hashem from his side of the world by davening, Hashem was also involved in Chatira from His end in order to facilitate the acceptance of the tefillah of Yitzchak. Knowing this, can we say that because Moshe didn’t go into Israel and failed in his attempts because he did not practice Chatira or because he was not sincere? Of course not. The wordוַיֶּעְתַּר is used in the pasuk when Moshe davens to hashem to get rid of the makot. Even though we don’t see the the wordsוַיֶּעְתַּר ה (as Hashem’s response) there, we see that in the next pasuk, Hashem acted according to what Moshe asked. This shows that Moshe’s tefillah, just like Yitzchak’s, was accepted by Hashem. The wordוַיֶּעְתַּר is used in each of these places to show that the sincere method of davening to hashem is present at both times. There shouldn’t be any doubt in moshes sincerity or practice of chatira because we see that in Moshe’s situation and in Yitzchak’s, the word וַיֶּעְתַּר demonstrates a devoted and complete tefillah to Hashem.
ReplyDeleteAn anonymous student studying at tomer devorah says that rivka and yizchak were two different types of Jews. rivka grew up in a less healthy environment (religiously) and therefore had to work hard to make a path for herself. However, yitzchak grew up in a household with the most amazing role models and inspiring parents. sometimes when people are brought up with parents that have such strong faith, the kids mimic their actions robotically without much thought or meaning. Yitzhak had to work 10 times harder just to stay motivated and keep his everyday mitzvot exciting. this is why his prayers were answered as opposed to rivkas. although they both had to work so hard to get to their religious peaks, they had different difficulties and therefore they were davening from different states of mind.
ReplyDeleteR' Shteinhotz quotes R' Simcha Ziesel and explains that there are 2 different types of prayer. The first type comes out of a person feeling deperate because of the situation he is in in his life, and he knows the God is the only one that can save him. This type of prayer usually adds to a person's Kavana however, it is not a prayer completely for God, but a cry for help. This cry for help can be seen as a little bit selfish, and praying simply for a persons own good.
ReplyDeleteThe other type of prayer is not specifically based on a difficulty in a persons life, but rather just praying to be able to stand before God and talk to the creator of the world. R' Ziesel calls this “Prayer for the sake of Prayer”. This type does not reflect ones selfishness and is just expressing the love for God. For himself, Yitzchak had no reason to pray – he was already promised a great nation and many children, he just wasn't sure if the children would come specifically from Rivkah. Rivkah's prayer was different, she was praying not just for the sake of God, but because she desperate. With this we might understand why Yitzchak's prayer was more fitting to be answered.
- Sarah Eisenstadter
Rashi explains that Hashem let himself be entreated of him and not of her because the prayer of a tzaddik, Yitzchak, the son of a tzaddik, Avraham, is superior to the prayer of a tzaddik, Rivkah, the daughter of a rasha, Betuel . This seems to contradict the Gemara (Berachot 34b) that a ba’al teshuvah is greater than a tzaddik?
ReplyDeleteVedibarta Bam answers this question by explaining that Yitzchak and Rivkah both prayed to Hashem for a child. Rivkah’s prayer was, “Please G-d, my husband is such a great tzaddik; he indeed deserves a child.” Yitzchak prayed and said, “Please G-d, my wife grew up in the home of such wicked people as Betuel and Lavan, yet she is so righteous. She certainly deserves to be blessed with a child.” Hashem accepted Yitzchak’s plea and argument and blessed Rivkah because she was such a great ba’alat teshuvah surrounded by so much evil.
Resh Lakish says in a midrash that the Torah says “ויעתר” because it comes from the word עתר. עתר means pitchfork, and Resh Lakish says that Yitzchak “overturned the Divine decree”. Rav Yitzchak says that just like a pitchfork turns grass over, so too does the prayers of tzadikim turn over Hashem to being angry to being merciful.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the pasuk say that Hashem answered Yitzchak's tefillot but not Rivka's? Weren't they both praying for the same thing?
ReplyDeleteNo. Yitzchak prayed for her to have a child, Rivka prayed to develop the "necessary biological components to carry a child" (a womb).
Why would Rivka need to pray for a womb to carry a fetus?
There is a Midrash that states that during Rivka's pregnancy whenever she would walk past a place of Torah study Yaakov would "run" to get out and whenever she would walk past a place of idol worship Esav would "run" to get out.
But they are fetuses and typically fetuses don't run.
Rabbeinu Bahya explains that Rivka's pregnancy did not involve fetal development, Hashem just placed fully developed miniature people into Rivka's stomach, there was no womb which is why it is not mentioned. She had no more children because technically she was still barren.
The reason that Yitzchak's prayers were answered and not Rivka's is that Yitzchak only prayed for her to have a child. Rivka prayed for her body to alter in order for her to be able to carry children.
Yitzchak and Rivka both davened for the same thing, but it says in the pasuk that Yitzchak's prayer was answered and not Rivka's. Why? R' Simcha Ziesel says that there are two kinds of tfilot; one is a tfila in which the person saying it is desperate and needs Hashem to save him. The person saying this kind of tfila has a lot of kevana, but it still is ultimately a prayer for the person's own good, and not as great as the other kind. The other type of prayer is just talking to hashem, not because you need anything, but just to talk to Him. How does this answer the question? Yitzchak had no real reason to pray. He knew that a great nation would come from him, so he knew that he would eventually have kids and that they didn't have to come from Rivka. So he just added the request into his reguar tfilot, and it wasn't desperate.Because of that, it was answered by Hashem.
ReplyDeleteWhat are other reasons for why Hashem answered Yitzchak and not Rivka?
ReplyDeleteRashi ויעתר לו says: Hashem allowed himself be swayed by Yitzchaks prayers. The word עתר is an expression of increase. The Rashi goes on to say that the word could mean that he has multiplied his words to Hashem. Then it says just like the kisses of an enemy are a burden so to are the many words that Yitzchak was saying to Hahem, were excessive. I think this Rashi means that because Yitzchak was excessively saying many tefilot to Hashem about how he wants Rivka to have children, Hashem listened to Yitzchak and gave her children.
R’ Simcha Ziesel explains that there are two different kinds of prayers in the world. The first is a prayer which is borne out of desperation that one feels because of his situation in life and his recognition that God is the only one who can save him. While this prayer is certainly a lofty prayer, and is well received by God, and will usually generate a lot of Kavana in the one who is praying, R’ Simcha Ziesel explains that this kind of prayer is not completely for the sake or God, but rather a desperate cry for help which is coming from a certain place of selfishness and one’s desire for his own good. On the other hand there is a prayer which is far loftier, but on the same token is far more difficult to generate concentration for. This is a prayer that one makes to God, not on account of any difficulty that one is experiencing, but rather solely for the ability to stand in front of God and talk to one’s creator. He calls this “Prayer for the sake of Prayer”. This kind of prayer evidences that this person has no selfish motivation for his prayer, rather he is one who possesses an unconditional love for God. This, explains R’ Simcah, is what the Gemorah is referring to when it says that one should always precede his difficulties with prayer and not wait until he has anguish to begin praying.
ReplyDeleteThis principle answers our question. While it is certainly true that both Yitzchak and Rivka’s prayers were very special, Yitzchak himself had no reason to pray. Yitzchak, being the son of Avraham Avinu was already assured that he would be made into a great nation and have many children. The only thing he wasn’t sure of was whether or not his progeny would come through Rivka or another woman. His prayer, therefore, was not borne out of desperation, but rather was just his normal every day prayer which happened to have a request in it. Rivka on the other hand had no such assurance. Her prayer ergo could not have been totally for the sake of heaven and was therefore not as fitting to be answered as Yitzchak’s was.
If a person has wicked parents, isn't it more impressive that they chose their own path by becoming righteous and not following in their parents' footsteps? So then why did Rivka not deserve for her tefillot to be answered?
ReplyDeleteR’ Shteinholtz quotes R’ Simcha Ziesel, whos says that there are two different types of tefillah in the world. One is davening out of desperation because one knows that Hashem is the only one who can save in the given situation. R’ Simcha Ziesel explains that while this type of tefillah is meaningful and is usually recited with kavanah, it is often said for the wrong reasons. This can include davening for selfish motives, rather than davening for Hashem. Alternatively, the other type of tefillah is said when one genuinely wants to stand in front of Hashem and speak to his creator. This kind of tefillah displays the appropriate motives, the unconditional love that one has for his master and shows no selfish concerns. R’ Shteinholtz explains that while both RIvka and Yitzchak's prayers were sincere, Yitzchak had no reason to daven. Yitzchak already knew from Hashem's promise to Avraham that he would have many descendants. Therefore, when Yitzchak davened it was not with selfish intentions. Rather, it was his everyday tefillah in which he added a request to Hashem. On the other hand, Rivka davened out of desperation and therefore, Yitzchak's prayers were the ones that were answered.