Teshuvah By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

I would like to suggest that there are numerous chesed opportunities for one to get involved in – an organization, a yeshiva, a hospital, shidduchim, and particularly any chesed that one could do specifically for our brethren in need in Eretz Yisroel.

Perhaps the most important effort we can make on a personal level is to do teshuvah, to utilize this time as a period of introspection in which we examine our behavior bein adam laMakom and bein adam l’chaveiro.

We pray in Shemone Esrei for forgiveness from Hashem – slach lanu avinu … mechal lanu … -- we express our sincere regret and our longing to make amends. In the very next bracha, we ask Hashem re’eh na b’anyeinu – please, Hashem, see our afflictions and redeem us, blessed are You, Hashem, redeemer of Israel.

The sequence is very explicit. First we must do a sincere teshuvah, then we can merit the geulah and ask Hashem to redeem us.

Praying for Rain By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

We learn that any time rain was needed, the chachamim would come to Aba Chilkiyah, the grandson of Choni HaMagol, and ask him to daven. Once there was a great famine, and the chachamim sent two rabbis to ask Aba Chilkiyah to daven for rain. They first went to his house; but he was not at home. They later found him working in the fields. When he reached his home, he said quietly to his wife, “I know that these rabbis came to ask me to pray for rain. Let us go to the attic and daven. If it is the will of Hashem, then rain will come and it will not be obvious that we were the ones who davened for it.”

They both ascended to the attic to pray -- Aba Chilkiyah went to one corner and his wife went to the opposite corner. There was an astonishing occurrence when the rain cloud was noted to hover over the corner where Aba Chiliyah ‘s wife stood.

Aba Chilkiyah then went down to greet the rabbis. He asked why they had come and they explained that they were sent by the chachamim to ask him to pray for rain. “But,” they asked, “can you tell us why the rain clouds appeared in your wife’s corner first?”

Aba Chilkiyah answered them, “Because my wife is the one at home. She immediately helps the poor and the needy who come to the door.”

Torah, Tefillah and Maasim Tovim By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

Tefillah, as we learned above, has to be one that emanates from the depths of the heart. It must be a tefillah that moves us to tears, to beg Hashem for full Siyata d’Shmaya in defeating our enemies. The power of everyone’s tefillah is not to be underestimated. Even the tefillah of one individual can have a major impact on the heavens.

The pasuk tells us in Yeshayah (1:27): Tzion b’mishpot tipodeh v’shoveho b’tzedakah – tzedakah and good deeds will bring our redemption. The performance of every good deed has a powerful influence in Shamayim.

Acheinu Bnei Yisroel By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

Over the last few years, world attention has been focused on our Holy Land. Anti-semitic remarks have been made throughout the world from leaders of the UN, to people who are insane, to admired Hollywood stars. It is impossible for us to continue with our regular daily activities as we grasp the enormity of the transpiring events.

Rav Mordechai Gifter z”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva, used to say yisroel lev ha’amim – Bnai Yisroel are the heart of the world. We understand that it is an eis tzarrah – a time of distress -- for Yaakov. We fully realize that we share equal responsibility for everything that happens to our brethren in Eretz Yisroel, and therefore we all seek for means and ways of helping the matzav.

We can offer invaluable support and chizuk for all of Klal Yisroel with our effectiveness in three major areas: tefillah, learning, and maasim tovim.

The Gates of Tears By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

The Tiferes Shlomo explains that one should not feel that chas v’sholom the tefillos of Klal Yisroel are not accepted. However, when the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed, the main tefillah of Klal Yisroel is to cry out about the exile of the Divine Presence, the Shechinah. Our main concern is to pray for Hashem. When a person is mispallel and cries over the galus haShechinah, then the gates of tears are not closed.

The Gates of Tefillah By Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

R’ Elozor said: Since the days when the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed the Gates of Tefillah have been closed, as it says, “Yes, when I cry and I call for help, He quiets my tefillah.” But though the Gates of Tefillah are closed, the Gates of Weeping are not closed, as it says, “Hear my tefillah, Hashem, and give an ear to my cry, please be not silent at my tears.” (Brachos 32b)

The Meiri says that after the Churban Bais HaMikdash Hashem certainly continues to answer our tefillos. However, it is not the same as it was during the time that the Bais HaMikdash was standing, and therefore, we have to “knock” on the gates before our tefillos are answered.