Avraham’s Prayer

בהנוא״

Hashem promises Avraham and Sarah a child.

“I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her.”^[1]

“Avraham threw himself on his face and laughed, as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?”

And then Avraham does something I find quite telling.  In this pivotal moment, in which he is promised the seemingly impossible by God, a moment so incredible, Avraham then davens for his son Yishmael.  He is finally going to have a child with Sarah Imainu, and he takes this moment and davens for  Yishmael.

Avraham’s Prayer to Hashem:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ

“And Avraham said to The Source of All Powers, “O that Yishmael might live a righteous life before You!”^[2]

The Ohr Hachaim says that Avraham asked Hashem for Divine Assistance for Yishmael to live as a Tzadik. Avraham saw the need to pray for this as he had observed negative characteristics in Yishmael (who was still a minor).   Despite seeing these things, he wanted Yishmael to also be included in Hashem’s promise to Avraham of having offspring as innumerable as the stars.

Rashi  on this verse says Avraham davened for Yishmael to live with reverence in his service to Hashem. יִחְיֶה בְיִרְאָתֶךָ.

The Ramban translates this verse as:  “If Ishmael lives before You, I will be pleased with this bracha with which  You hast blessed me, namely, with seed from Sarah.”

Some of the components of Avraham’s prayer for Yishmael

Avraham’s essence of Chesed:

What I find so beautiful is that this was his moment to be joyful, finally! Instead of just basking in his joy, and being content, he uses this moment of miraculous bracha to ask  Hashem for more!   The Ohr Hachaim says that Avraham saw this as a need and then davened.  If Hashem can help him and Sarah have a child and it was a moment of miracles; He can and needs to help his son live righteously.  He asked for more, and even to the point of saying he would be pleased with the bracha if Yishmael would live, indicating he was not yet pleased until the other person was taken care of.

Avraham advocates for Yismael:

He basically tells Hashem, He can’t leave him aside.  He is fighting for his son and wants the best for him.

Avraham’s Ayin Tovah:

Despite seeing the behavior in his son that was not one of a Tzadik, he davens for him to live a life as a Tzadik.  He doesn’t give up on him and instead uses this moment to tell Hashem, “If only Yishmael might live as a Tzadik before You”.  He davens that he live with reverence to Hashem.

Avraham advocates for Hashem:

I think when he davens, he doesn’t daven for himself, and his own needs.  It sounds like he is davening for Hashem and saying, Imagine what a world this would be for You Hashem to have Yishmael become a Tzadik before You!

Avraham seizes and maximizes the moment of Miracle:

The Malbim says that after Avraham saw a miracle, that Hashem was acting in a way that was not according the natural laws in having Sarah have a child and at her age, he said to himself, “I don’t want a moment wasted” and immediately asked for Hashem’s Divine miraculous assistance for Yishmael to live and  be counted in His promise of ” To your offspring I assign this land” and be a Tzadik before Hashem.  He is davening for Yishmael to not only be a Tzadik but to be a very needed participant of the purpose of creation!

 

Sometimes I have wondered if my davening can actually help another person choose a better path. I know I can choose this for myself, but what about others?

When learning this Ohr Hachaim, it made me think differently and I was jolted.  ” Have I bothered to daven for different people that seem to be off the straight path, or have I given up chas V’shalom”?

According to Chazal, Avraham Avinu is davening for Yishmael to become a Tzadik!  We  do know to daven for others when dealing with a physical illness, how much more so for spiritual illnesses?

The Ohr Hachaim describes how Avraham Avinu davened for Yishmael and he was not yet Bar Mitzvah.  What if all of us our children in a way , and do we not all need Hashem’s Divine Assistance?  There have been times, I have seen different behavior that I wished I did not have to see and felt helpless.  However, I am now realizing, that Avraham Avinu would have davened  to Hashem asking, “ל֥וּ  יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ”?

I think about how Avraham grabbed the moment of a miracle to then ask for more, in truth every moment of existence is a miracle and I ask myself, am I asking as I could?  Is this idea one of the reasons we review the Miracles when we sing Az Yashir, and again and again before the Amidah?

May we all be Zoche to  see and daven with the eyes of an Avraham Avinu for each other, for our children, to ask Hashem,  ל֥וּ עַמְךָ יִחְיוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ?

“Would it not be so beautiful for You Hashem to have all of Klal Yisroel  stand before You with reverence in our service to You, and choosing to attach to You, without delay, only possible with Your Divine Assistance”?

 

 

 

^[1] Beraishit, 17:16-17

^[2] Beraishit, 17:18