OCT. 22 ‘25 // Questions & Answers from Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l’s Thursday Night Lecture Why Are We Permitted To Daven Q. If whatever Hakodosh Boruch Hu does for us is good, why do we bother asking Him for specific things that we think are good? On Visualizing Hashem Q. What picture should we have of Hashem when we daven? A. That’s a good question. It means we shouldn’t say anything in tefilla except, “Ribono Shel Olam, do what’s good for us.” But we shouldn’t specify a thing. We shouldn’t even say, “Give us health” according to this. Because you’ll recall that in the case of Achav, Achav prayed when he heard bad news that was prophesized against him and he was spared; he was allowed to live. So the Gemara says, לא טוב היה לאחאב – It wasn’t good for Achav that he was spared. Had Achav received the sentence in his lifetime and he would have perished, it would have been much better for him. Sometimes it’s better for a man that he should be punished in this world. Otherwise he continues to amass debits; he does more and more sins and it ends up being a great misfortune that he lived that long. And therefore the question now remains: Why do we ask Hakodosh Boruch Hu for health? Why do we specify other things that we need or want? And the answer is as follows: What’s the use of being dishonest? If you wouldn’t ask for health, it means you don’t want it? You don’t want money? You don’t want all forms of happiness? If you’re not going to ask for it, you know what you’re going to do? You’re going to try to get it anyhow! So therefore a man must say with his mouth what he wants; just that he should add a proviso, “Ribono Shel Olam, if it’s good for me.” But he should ask for what he wants because that’s what he sincerely wants. Everybody wants good health. Everybody wants to succeed in business. So therefore, you should ask for it. Otherwise, you’re being a hypocrite if you’re not saying what you want and you’re going to go ahead anyhow and try to gain those things. That’s one very good reason why you should specify what you want in your tefillos – in order that you shouldn’t think that you’re doing it on your own; in order that you should be reminded always that only Hakodosh Boruch Hu is going to give you health and only Hakodosh Boruch Hu is going to give you wealth. There’s another reason, but I won’t take up the time now. A. There are two parts to this. One is what we should know and the second is what we should think. We should know that אין לו גוף – He has no form that’s physical at all. Because when you talk about electricity, do you think you can see electricity? You can never see it, never in your life. But you see the effects of electricity. It turns into light, it turns into sound, it turns into heat, it turns into movement. But that’s not electricity; that’s only the effect of electricity. You can see the results of electricity but you never see electricity in this world. Nobody ever saw electricity and nobody ever will. Therefore, even though you can see the results of Hashem’s deeds, but you can’t see Hashem – because He’s not a physical thing like a piece of wood. Energy is something you can’t see with your eyes, but it’s there; it’s as real as could be, that energy. But you’ll never see energy. So Hashem is a form of energy; He’s the energy of all energies. Aleph Lamed – “Keil,” means that He is the koach, He is the energy behind everything. Because even a piece of wood is nothing but energy; that we know. Matter is only a form of energy; they’re interchangeable. And so we understand that Hashem is the energy behind everything – but there’s nothing physical about Him at all. However, when we speak to Hashem, so for our benefit He gives us permission to imagine that a compassionate old Sage is standing in front of us and listening to us; or that a King is sitting on a throne and looking down with kindly eyes upon us and listening to us. Each person can utilize whatever picture is more beneficial to him. So we have a right to think those thoughts but at the same time we should know that these thoughts are only forms of our imagination meant to help us gain an awareness of Hashem. Actually, Hashem is far above any form that you can ever imagine. אין לו דמות הגוף ואינו גוף. So therefore, both things are true. We have the right to picture Hashem in order to gain more awareness of Him, and nevertheless we know that Hashem is exalted above all forms that we could ever imagine. Reprinted with permission from “Ask Rabbi Miller”, compiled by Avrohom Tikotzky. Copyright 2019, Simchas Hachaim Publishing 718-258-7400 x103 To receive Mr. Tikotsky’s weekly email: tikotzky@gmail.com or www.rmillerqa.com Ask Rabbi Miller 70
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