“And Israel said to Joseph…Moreover, I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow.” (Genesis 48:22)
With my sword and with my bow = With my prayer and with my supplication. (Targum Onkelos)
Why is the bow compared to prayer? Because just as the more one pulls back the bow the further the arrow will fly, so too, the more one focuses their mind to their prayer with true devotion, the higher it will soar into the heavens. (R’ Menachem Mendel of Kotzk)
2 Responses
Rabbi is this the reason why we keep praying and our prayers take long to be answered? I have no other business in this world, only to know Hashem through you Jewish people and to do His will. Thank you for all your teaching through YouTube and Facebook you help many, even the silent one.🤗👂🌈
Certainly, if we put more intention into our prayers, they will be more powerful and more effective. But we don’t know why Hashem answers the prayers the way He does. Sometimes we will be answered right away, at other times we may have to wait for a response. Sometimes He answers prayers in the lives of our descendants. The only thing we know for sure is that He listens to all of our prayers and He truly wants to hear them. But we are not privy to understand His timing in answering prayers. Isaiah 55:8-9 “His thoughts are not our thoughts…”