Our Sages point out that Leah, our matriarch, was destined to marry Eisav who would become the father of Edom. Through the power of prayer, however, Leah changed her destiny and became the wife of Jacob, Yaakov Avinu. As it says in the Akdomus, the piyut (poem) recited on Shavuos, “And prayer helps” (והניא בעותא). When we pray, our prayers are accepted. This is a matter of fact— full stop. The response, however, is up to Hashem.
The power of Leah’s prayers goes beyond changing the identity of her intended to someone more righteous. Not only did Leah bear more sons than all of Yaakov’s other wives; she also bore Dina. In fact, it is the children of Leah from whom the bulk of Klal Yisroel is descended today, up to and including the children of Levi and Yehuda.
The power of prayer, as we see, is not only relegated to the past but is something ongoing: a phenomenon that we see and experience even now. Writers have filled volumes with stories describing the wonders accomplished through heartfelt prayer. Yet these stories are only the tip of the iceberg. Not every wonder is recorded by a writer for posterity, and new wonders continue to happen all the time. Our job is to recognize the wonders and to understand that they result from our prayers, when our prayers are sincere.
Power of Prayer in Illness
One such real-life wonder concerns a young boy diagnosed with a serious illness, God forbid. The treatment, he was warned, would result in the loss of his hair. This brave young boy took the unpleasant news in stride. His only concern was that he would lose his payos (sidelocks). Turning to Hashem, the boy made his case, a heartfelt plea for mercy: “If I must lose my hair, so be it. But must I lose my payos, too?!”
The request of the young boy flowed from a deep desire to honor his Creator. Perhaps this is the reason the young patient’s petition was granted: his hair fell out, but his payos remained. With his prayers, it seems, the youth had changed his destiny; just as Leah had changed her own in her quest to marry a righteous man. Their powerful prayers came from longing; they both longed to follow in the ways of Hashem.
The doctors, as you might have guessed, were baffled by the boy’s selective hair loss, but knowing the story of Leah and Yaakov, we are not. We know why a miracle occurred for a young boy on his sickbed. Such is the power of prayer: prayer can change destinies; even when the petitioner is only a child.
The Power of Prayer | Submitted by Gavriel Lamm
Vonda
says:May bless you and keep you safe at all times and bring you back home alive and well.