MC Complete's Guide for the Perplexed, Part 1: Prayer

Daniel: I don’t get this whole prayer business.

Isaac: Prayer is praise, requests, and thanks.  What is there not to get?

Daniel: What about the requests?  What is the sense in asking Hashem to do things for me?  Doesn’t He already know what I want?

Isaac: Yes, he knows what you want.  But most of the time, you don’t ask for the things you want.

Daniel: I don’t?  What do you mean?

Isaac: Every Jew has his own specific set of desires.  But we all say the same Shmone Esrei.

Daniel: That may be, but how does that solve anything?  Doesn’t Hashem know what I’m going to say?

Isaac: Of course not.

Daniel: What?  What do you mean?

Isaac: Hashem knows the text of the Shmone Esrei very well.  He knows it by heart.  But he doesn’t know whether you are going to say it.

Daniel: Wait a minute.  Are you saying that God doesn’t know the future?

Isaac: No, it has nothing to do with that.  All I mean to say is that if you say the Shmoneh Esrei you say it, and if you don’t say it, you don’t say it.  God’s knowledge of the future, as well as His knowledge of the text, is irrelevant.

Daniel: Are you saying that Hashem want me to pray so that I focus on the needs of the community rather than my own?

Isaac: Exactly.  Better to pray for the needs of the community and take care of yourself, than to pray for your own needs and take care of the community.

Daniel: OK fine, let’s take one of the blessings of the Shmoneh Esrei.  Let’s take Refaenu.  In Refaenu, I ask Hashem -- we all ask Hashem -- to heal the sick Jews.

Isaac: Right.

Daniel: Does my prayer make it more likely that Hashem will heal the sick Jews?

Isaac: Hashem will heal the sick Jews.  We know that for certain.

Daniel: Well, I suppose we know (almost) for certain that He will heal some, but we also know for certain that He won’t heal them all, at least until the Moshiach comes.

Isaac: And maybe not even then.

Daniel: OK, so does my prayer make it more likely that a greater percentage of the sick Jews will be healed?

Isaac: We don’t know.

Daniel: I mean, on what basis does Hashem decide what percent will be healed?  What factors enter into these kinds of decisions?  What motivates Hashem?  What is He trying to achieve?  Why did he make people sick in the first place?

Isaac: We don’t know.

Daniel: So what is the significance of my prayer?

Isaac: Hashem cares about you.  You are asking Him to heal the sick Jews.  He will decide what percentage, based on His own calculations.  That’s all we know, and all we need to know.

Daniel: OK, I don’t know if you answered my question, but you certainly confused me enough that I no longer remember what my question was.