The Power of Women’s Prayers
Who can resist a woman’s tear, the heartbreaking sobs of a woman in need?
When a woman in prayer sheds heart rending tears her prayers reach the sky and her cries break down the gates of Heaven.
God gave the woman the power of prayer. As fragile and delicate as a woman seems her prayer is powerful, strong and effective. The woman knows how to wisely use her emotions in order to enhance her prayer and elevate it to higher levels.
Throughout Jewish history the women proved to be stronger in their belief in God and in their commitment to follow God’s commandments. Many incidents are told of powerful Jewish women who were willing to sacrifice everything, including their own life in order to fulfill God’s will.
The Gemara states that the Israeli Nation was redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the Jewish women and many stories in the Bible stress the power of one woman who came to the rescue of the entire nation such as Devorah the prophet, Yael, Queen Ester and others.
This is one of the reasons why God favors the prayer of women and does not turn it down.
Our Matriarchs were all barren at first and only after many prayers were granted with children. The sages state that God caused these holy women to be barren because of His longing to their prayers.
God cherishes women’s prayers especially those which come out of a broken heart. The famous women in Jewish Tradition are always referred to as our mothers. The nature of a mother is to protect, save and comfort her children while the nature of a child is to lean on his mother and cry for her help when in need.
This is the reason why for thousands of years the Jewish people constantly turned to their mothers’ graves and cried out for their help in calling upon God.
One of the most famous graves is Kever Rachel. Rachel the wife of Jacob was intentionally buried in the midst of the road so that in future generations her tomb will be available for her children on their way to exile. And indeed it became a monument for all Jews in need. God had even promised Rachel that her prayers will be answered and used the words:
מנעי קולך מבכי ועינייך מדמעה
Stop your voice from crying and your eyes from sheding tears.
When Harav Chaim Shmulevitz came to Kever Rachel he burst out in tears and as a contra to the verses words he cried out loud:” Rachel our mother, this is your son, Chaim, calling upon you and begging please don’t stop crying, please continue to shed tears, for your children are desperate and are calling for your help.”
Until these days we benefit from these great women’s merit and hope for the redemption of the Jewish Nation which as our sages’ state will again be in the merit of righteous Jewish women.