"Prayer with Supplications" — The Daily Chizuk of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

The Daily Chizuk of our teacher, the holy Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, speaking on the way to approach Hashem in prayer - with supplication and mercy

The words of our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, are based on the verses (2 Kings 1:13): “And he returned and sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty, and he went up and came, and the third captain of fifty knelt on his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him, and said to him, ‘O man of God, let my life and the life of these fifty of your servants be precious in your eyes. Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two previous captains of fifty and their fifties; and now, let my life be precious in your eyes.’”

The holy words of our teacher:

He already walks with mercy, only with mercy, to walk with supplications. One does not say: “Master of the Universe, give me.” That is not how one speaks, “Give me a shidduch now, give me this now...”

No—you must plead, you must fall to the ground, you must go to the Tomb of Rachel when no one else is there. One should go to the tzaddik’s gravesite with tears, kneel on his knees; here we see how one prays, this is a lesson: “And he knelt on his knees” before Elijah, shedding tears, “and he pleaded.”

Supplications, to say the prayer with supplications, not like those who stand for the Amidah and force it with their hands... It is impossible to walk with Hashem in that way; people pray in such a manner, it is forbidden to stand for the Amidah like that.

Do you want to pray with enthusiasm? Fine, but it is something internal; one does not use a clenched fist in prayer, that is forbidden. Perhaps with the hand in a more gentle manner. So, he kneels on his knees and he pleads; from here we see how one performs hitbodedut.

This is a lesson in hitbodedut - “And he knelt on his knees before Elijah and pleaded,” “Please have mercy on me, ‘let my life and the life of these fifty of your servants be precious in your eyes... and consumed the two previous captains of fifty.’”

Have mercy on me... Good, upon you I have mercy, very well!

From now on, we walk with mercy!