The daily chizuk of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, speaking about the way to turn to Hashem in prayer—with supplications and with compassion

The words of The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, are based on the verses (II Kings 1:13): “He returned and sent a captain of fifty, a third one, with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up and came, and he knelt on his knees before Eliyahu and pleaded with him, and he spoke to him: Man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes. Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty and their fifties; and now, please let my life be precious in your eyes.”

The holy words of The Rav

A person must already be walking with compassion—only with compassion. Go with supplications. We don’t say, “Master of the world, give me.” That’s not how we speak: “Give me a shidduch right now, give me this right now…”

No—plead. Fall to the ground. Go to Kever Rachel when no one is there. Go to the tziyun with tears; kneel on your knees. Here we see how to pray—this is a lesson: “And he knelt on his knees” before Eliyahu, bringing down tears—“and he pleaded.”

Supplications—say the prayer with supplications, not like people who stand for Shemoneh Esrei and force it with their hands… You can’t walk with Hashem like that. People pray in such a way; it’s forbidden to stand for Shemoneh Esrei like that.

You want to pray with enthusiasm? Fine—but it must be something inward. But you don’t pray with a clenched fist, forcefully—that is forbidden. Perhaps with the hand in a gentler way. He kneels on his knees and he pleads; from here we see how to do Hisbodedus.

This is a lesson in Hisbodedus—“And he knelt on his knees before Eliyahu and pleaded”: “Please, have compassion on me—‘Please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes…’ …‘and it consumed the first two captains of fifty.’”

Have compassion on me… Good—I will have compassion on you. Fine!

From now on, we go with compassion!