5784/2023
In this week’s Parashah, Parashat VaYeira, Hashem tells Avraham that he will destroy Sedom. Avraham then prays to Hashem and tries to “negotiate” with Hashem into convincing Him not to destroy Sedom. However, once Avraham is told that there aren’t 10 Tzadikim in Sedom, he realizes that they do not have enough merits to be saved and he stops praying fo them and Hashem later destroys Sedom.
The very next day, right after Hashem destroyed Sedom, Avraham goes to the exact place that he davened the previous day: “וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּבֹּ֑קֶר אֶ֨ל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥מַד שָׁ֖ם אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה,” “Avraham arose early the next morning and went to the place he stood before Hashem the day before” (BeReishit 19:27). The Gemara in Berachot learns from this Pasuk that one must have a Makom Kavu’a, a set place, in which he davens:
Rabbi Ḥelbo said that Rav Huna said: One who sets a fixed place for his prayer, the God of Abraham assists him. Since prayer parallels the Temple service, it is a sign of respect to set a fixed place for this sacred rite (Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto). The God of Abraham assists him because this pious custom evokes Abraham’s conduct. When he dies, those who eulogize one who set a fixed place for his prayer say about him: “Where is the humble one, where is the pious one, of the disciples of our father Abraham?” Presumably, one who sets a fixed place for prayer is a disciple of Abraham in every respect, including humility and piety (Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto). The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that Abraham our father set a fixed place for his prayer? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “And Abraham rose in the morning to the place where he had stood before God” (Genesis 19:27), and the verb “standing” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “And Pinehas stood and prayed” (Psalms 106:30). (Berachos 6b, William Davidson translation of the Talmud).
There are clearly tremendous merits that are associated with praying in a set place consistently, something we learn from Avraham. From the outside, praying in a set place seems to be a matter of preference and comfortability. Why is there such merits associated with someone who just prays in a Makom Kavu’a? Furthermore, why does Rav Huna say that one who has a Makom Kavu’a is considered humble; what does praying in one place have to do with humility? Lastly, the Torah says that the day after Avraham destroyed Sedom, “וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף עַל־פְּנֵ֤י סְדֹם֙ וַעֲמֹרָ֔ה,” “[Avraham] gazed down upon Sedom and Amorah” (BeReishit 19:28). Rashi elsewhere mentions that וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף has a negative connotation - gazing upon something negatively. How can that be? One day Avraham was praying with all his might for Sedom to be saved and the very next day Avraham looks at Sedom negatively?
Rav Avigdor Nebhentzal Shlit”a offers a beautiful idea that gives tremendous insight into Anavah and Tefillah. In last week’s Parashah, Parashat Lech Lecha, Avraham was told to get up and leave his home, to make an enormous change to his life for the sake of Avodat Hashem. These types of changes are only necessary in extreme circumstances. For example, someone who is very sick changes his name and someone who gets Tzara’at needs to leave his house and live outside the camp for some time. All though there are severe circumstances when such intense change is needed, most of the time, when it comes to our Avodas Hashem, steadiness and continuity are what’s necessary. That is what a Makom Kavu’a is. Usually we need to be able to build off the previous day in our Avodas Hashem and to continue growing on the same path. That is why someone who davens in a Makom Kavu’a is called a Tzaddik, a righteous, growth-oriented person. However, what does that have to do with humility?
Humility, says Rav Nebhentzal, is not necessarily becoming a low spirited person who denies the gifts he has but rather to become someone that is aware that all that they have is from God. A humble person recognizes his gifts and talents and recognizes that they are from Hashem and should be used in the service of Hashem. That is why we begin our Shemoneh Esrei with “Hashem Sifatai Tiftach,” “God, please open my my lips.” We recognize that we are unable to pray without Hashem’s help and we ask Hashem to assist us in getting closer to Him and praying. This sort of humility is a prerequisite to Tefillah and Avraham recognized this, which is why Avraham had a Makom Kavu’a; he wanted to have the stability and continuity of growing from the day before while also recognizing that all of his growth was coming from Hashem.
This is why Avraham looked negatively upon Sedom the day after praying for it as hard as he could. All he wanted to do was Avodat Hashem. At first, he thought that Avodat Hashem in this context was praying for Sedom to be saved. However, once he recognized that there weren’t even 10 Tzaddikim in Sedom, he realized that it wasn’t the will of Hashem to save Sedom and therefore his Avodat Hashem was no longer to try to pray and save Sedom but rather to be able to view Sedom negatively and understand where they went wrong and learn from their mistakes. Because of his Makom Kavu’a, Avraham had such humility that he recognized that all that he had was from Hashem and meant to be used in the service of Hashem.
In this time of immense Tefillah, when so much of Klal Yisrael is in danger, we should be praying with greater intensity than ever before. We should also pray in a Makom Kavu’a, recognizing the value of consistency and stability while also having the humility to recognize that all we have is from Hashem and should be used for the service of Hashem.