Moshe continues his farewell speech to the Jewish Nation. He relates how he implored G-d to allow him entry into the Land of Israel, only for G-d to shut him down and command him to cease his requests completely (Debarim 3:23-26).
Moshe used an interesting word, the very name of our perasha, ‘Va’ethanan’, which many humashim translate as implored or pleaded; a passionate plea. The Gemara (Sotah 14a) asks why Moshe desired so greatly to enter the land. With legendary achievements to his name, why did this matter so much to him? The answer given is that there are a handful of misvot that can only be performed in Israel. Moshe only wanted to “cross the Jordan and see” the land (Debarim 3:26). He didn’t need to reside there, he just wanted an opportunity to enter, perform those misvot, and he would have been satisfied.
G-d stops Moshe in his tracks and says, “Enough for you!” (Debarim 3:26). The Ramban, on that same pasuk, states that Moshe had reached the end of his spiritual journey and it was time to hand over the reins to Yehoshua. Until G-d told Moshe to stop, he had prayed a total of 515 times, coinciding with the numerical value of the letters in Va’ethanan, which adds up to exactly 515. Had he prayed one more time, G-d would have been compelled to allow him entry (Debarim Rabbah 11:10).
So, were those 515 prayers wasted? On the contrary, no heartfelt prayer is ever wasted. G-d saved them, and generations later, during the time of Purim, when Esther offered a single prayer to save the Jewish Nation from extermination, G-d combined it with Moshe’s 515 held prayers and was compelled to save the Jewish Nation from its enemies (Yalkut Shimoni, Debarim 940).
You don’t need to be Moshe or Esther for your prayers to be answered. Last November, shortly before his bar misva, my son’s tefillin arrived from Israel. Excited to use them for the first time, he brought them to school to practice, only he didn’t come home with them. For two days we frantically checked with the bus company, his principal at school, and even reached out to the sofer (scribe) in Israel to see if it would be possible to get him a new pair in time. Then it dawned on me. I had been asking everyone except the One who could actually help. I stopped and prayed heartily for a few moments. A short time later, the principal informed me that he decided, suddenly, to check the security cameras and discovered where they were. Within minutes I received a picture of my son holding his tefillin. Our first instinct should have been to check the security cameras, yet G-d held that idea back. When we stop and connect with G-d, realizing only He can help us, doors open that were previously closed.
We all have the ability to pray. With joy and gratitude, thank G-d for what He has given you and ask for what you need. This is a proven formula. No task is too small or too grand for G-d. You may think that G-d is too busy to help you find your car keys or a parking spot, but you’d be wrong. G-d shouldn’t only be our “go-to” when we are looking for our spouse to be or to close a business deal. Too often we turn to G-d as a last resort, when really He should be our first call. Just remember that there are times that what you want, what you’re requesting, may not be what is best for you, and G-d will turn you down. Still, as we saw with Moshe, no prayer is ever wasted. Even when we pray for someone to recover from illness, and G-d forbid they don’t, your prayers may have eased their suffering. G-d is always ready to hear our prayers, no matter who you are or what you’re asking for. His door is always open, ready and waiting for you.