Va’etchanan: Give Prayer A Chance!

I besought G‑D … to say ‘… What power is there … that can do deeds like Yours … ! Please let me go up and see the good Land … But … G‑D said to me: Enough! Don’t speak to me any more about this matter! … Charge Joshua and strengthen him! (Deut 3:23-28)

Many questions arise on these opening verses, particularly when we consider the comment of the Midrash Raba (on Deut 11:10) that Moses pleaded with G‑D no fewer than 515 times alluded to by the title word ואתחנן – (“I besought”) whose gematriya (numerical value) is 515.

Why does Moses pray 515 times on his own behalf? Shouldn’t he have taken ‘No’ for an answer much sooner? And why does G‑D silence him after the 515^th time with the harsh words rav lakh, “Enough!” – or literally “It is too much for you!” Granted it was G‑D’s Will that Moses not enter as leader because of his error in smiting a rock, would it really have been “too much” of a reward for Moses, the greatest teacher and prophet who ever lived, to have accompanied the new generation into the land or at least just to “go up and see” it (which is all he asks for) and then to die?

R’ Pinchas haLevi Horovitz (1731-1805) offers an illuminative comment on our opening words. “‘I besought G‑D at that time’ – to be able to express myself through prayer!” R’ Argueti, a co-author of Me’am Lo’ez (1773), adds that Moses’ ‘beseeching’ was for the sake of his ‘saying’ (see opening quote). He pleaded that he should be able to pray fluently and correctly.

All this becomes even more fascinating when we encounter the dual observation of the 13^th century author of Paneakh Raza. Firstly, he brings to our attention that 515 is the gematria of the generic Hebrew word for prayer, תפלה. Moses’ plea is introduced by a paean of passionate praise. “What power is there in heaven or on earth that can do deeds like Yours!” (3:24).

But that is not all. Continues Paneakh Raza (and noted also by near-contemporary Baal haTurim) 515 is also the numerical-value of שירה, song, “for prayer requires sweet-sounding melody”.

In many aspects of Judaism, process is as important as outcome. In Torah learning, process is even more vital since Heavenly reward accrues for effort rather than achievement. With regard to prayer, a seminal passage in the Talmud (Berakhot 54b/55a) is enlightening: “Said R’ Yehuda: three things, if prolonged, prolong life [the first of which is] spending a long time over prayer … But is that so good? … Hasn’t R’ Chiya bar Abba said in the name of R’ Yochanan that anyone prolonging his prayer um’ayein bah will eventually suffer heartache [as per Proverbs 13:12]? … This is not a difficulty! This objection only applies de-m’ayein bah”.

What is m’ayein bah? Rashi explains: it is when he expects his prayer to be fulfilled (outcome-orientated). In that circumstance, prolonging prayer is inadvisable – it will lead to heartache. G‑D might well say No! But when a person prays for the love of prayer (process-orientated), prolonging one’s prayer can only be life-enhancing.

Now we can better understand the nature of Moses’ 515 prayerful evocations. Moses was in love with the process of prayer! It didn’t matter to him that G‑D would probably say ‘No’. He wanted to enhance his devotional experience, prayer after ecstatic prayer. His utterances to G‑D were not just petitions to enter Erets Yisrael; each one was a new tefila, a new shira. The numerical link between tefila, shira and the number of prayers Moses offered is not accidental!

Now too we can grasp why G‑D said rav lakh, “enough!” G‑D was not speaking of the outcome. Moses did not seek a reward. G‑D was saying “after 515 prayers you have become fluent! It’s more than enough! You have completed the process. Now you can go inspire Joshua your successor!”

In Modim de-rabanan in the Amida-repetition we exclaim: “We thank You … for giving us the privilege of being able to thank You!” Being able to connect to G‑D is an inestimable privilege. Those of us who gabble our tefilot at twice the speed of sound are deaf to the unsurpassable music of this Divine connection. If only we will give prayer a chance!