Amidah: Refaeinu 3/4/10 Part Five: Esther & Prayer
Transcribed and prepared by Chava Janovsky:
Megillas Esther
and Davening for Everything
We can see something amazing in Megillas Esther
Esther goes into part and Achashvarus asks her – “what is it that you are asking for (Shiala) and it will be given to you?” This is an unequivocal statement – whatever it is shall be given to you.
Then he say: “And what is your bekasha? – until half of the kingdom it will be given to you…” This statement is equivocal
So he is differentiating between shiala and bekasha:
shiala is: what do you want right now? If you would ask me what do you want right now it would be that Hashem should make a nays as big as splitting of red sea that my car will last a few more months – that’s my shiala
Bekasha is: the dream – so in this case, no question, in this example -a Lamborghini
In other words- there is the immediate need (shiala) but there is also the dream (bekasha)
So when asking what is immediate shiala he says: Your immediate need it will be given
But what is your vision for yourself – that already only“until the half the kingdom and it will be done”– it is reasonable, correct?
Your immediate need –whatever you need will get it
Your big dream – until half it will be done
What does Esther answer?
“Shialiasi u’vakashasi” – my shiaila and my bekasha are one and the same
Why would I hesitate, if I am davening to Hashem-, I am going to ask for a revealed miracle for my car to last a few months? Once He is already doing a nays nigla I would go right for Lamborghini. Why should there be a difference between shiala and bekasha
If davening to Hashem- who loves me, cares, has all the power in the world… does it really matter is shiala or bekasha – only difference is because of who? Hashem? No! In whose mind is the difference? Only in ours
Esther says they are one in the same
Achasheverus doesn’t believe her because at the second party he says the same thing to her . He can’t conceive that there is a person that there is no separation at all between the two , between shiala and bekashsa
When we begin bracha of ata chonane l’adam daas for what are we asking?
Is it a shiala or a bekahasa?
Class: both
RW: NO – they are the same thing! – what are you davening for ? You want to daven for all Clal Israel. What do we mean when we say chanenu me-eta deah bina v’haskel – what are you asking for?
Class: Total knowledge
Answer : Of what? Of Everything – absolutely everything. A limited davening pashnitz, a limited davening pashnitz to Hashem. It is not befitting to Hashem.
You have an opportunity to ask for the world – what you going to ask for? –
Are you going to say, sheepishly…
well, can you help me to do well on a test?
Can you help me to diagnose al patients correctly today?
You are davening for all Clal Israel – what you davening for?
Some people daven for clarity but that is just one thing…
For me, if I had a world filled with people like Moshe Rabbenu, then I would be happy.
Do you understand that to ask Hashem for anything less is my limitation, not Hashem’s?