Chapter I

קרוב ה׳ לכל קוראיו לכל אשר יקראוהו באמת

"The L-rd is close to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."1

We ascertain from this verse that G‑d is called upon by two distinct groups "all who call upon Him" and "all who call upon Him in truth." Truth refers to Torah, as the Midrash states:2 "Truth is nothing other than Torah." The Sifri states that3 the phrase "the L-rd is close to all who call upon Him" applies only prior to the sealing Heaven forfend of a harsh decree. Accordingly, it is understood that once a harsh decree has been sealed, G‑d must be called upon through Torah, which has the capacity to nullify even a sealed decree.

Since G‑d is entirely merciful, it is clear that even a harsh decree has a spiritual purpose. Consider the great and mighty afflictions of these times, for example "the birthpangs of Moshiach." It is now the last period of exile, and Moshiach's coming is very nigh. Repentance is a prerequisite for his coming, since "Israel shall be redeemed only through repentance."4 Thus, the afflictions of these times serve as an awakening to repentance. Now the time is truly ripe for Moshiach's coming, and by "calling upon Him in truth" the "birthpangs of Moshiach" are eased.

To better understand the matter: The Talmud states5 that R. Yitzchok says four things have the ability to nullify a harsh decree rendered against an individual, G‑d forbid. They are: giving charity; praying aloud (known in Hebrew as tza'aka, a loud cry from the depths of one's heart. It is for this reason, incidentally, that we are advised6 to pray aloud [except for the Shemoneh Esreh] during the month of Elul, on Rosh HaShanah, during the Ten Days of Penitence and on Yom Kippur). The third way to nullify a harsh decree is to change one's name, and the fourth is to change one's actions by improving one's deeds.

The Talmud goes on to prove that these four methods have the ability to nullify a decree by quoting verses and recounting actual incidents wherein one of the above-mentioned actions caused a decree to be nullified.

That charity can nullify a decree is attested to by the verse:7 "And charity saves from death." The efficacy of praying aloud is indicated by the verse:8 "They cried out to the L-rd in their distress, and He brought them out from their calamity."

With regard to our matriarch Sarah it is written:9 "And Sarai was barren; she was childless." When, upon G‑d's command, Sarai's name was changed to Sarah she was able to bear children, as the verse says:10 "Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai (with a yud) but Sarah (with a hei) is her name. And I have blessed her and shall also give you a son from her."

That bettering one's actions can effectively nullify a decree is attested to by the story of Yonah and the city of Ninveh. G‑d sent the prophet Yonah to Ninveh to warn the inhabitants that because of their evil behavior, their city would be destroyed in 40 days. Upon hearing this, the king and all his ministers fasted, and demanded that the rest of the populace also fast and wear garments of mourning. Even the animals were not to be fed. "And G‑d saw their deeds, that they repented of their evil ways, and G‑d reconsidered the retribution which He said He would bring upon them, and He did not do so."11

Quoting the words of remonstration recited during a public fast, the Mishnah says:12 "Brethren, concerning the repentance of the people of Ninveh, it is not written 'that G‑d saw their sackcloth'; rather it says 'that G‑d saw their deeds'."

In summary: Giving charity, praying with heartfelt exclamation, changing one's name or changing one's behavior are four methods by which a harsh decree can be nullified. The efficacy of a change of name is learned from Sarah, and the efficacy of a change in action is learned from the people of Ninveh.

Chapter II

Giving charity, praying aloud, changing one's name and changing one's behavior all of which can nullify a harsh decree are aspects of repentance and good deeds. They reflect the spiritual service of a "contrite and broken heart."

An individual with the sensitivity to feel for another observes his fellow man's difficulties and harsh straits with great compassion. He is sympathetic to the other's plight, whether it be ill health or poverty. And his compassion is heightened upon realizing that the person suffering is his moral and spiritual superior.

[In turn, this leads him to the realization that] no man, even the richest, can be sure that tragedy shall not befall him and turn him into a pauper. As the Talmud says:13 "A person must constantly ask G‑d that he not become impoverished and needy, for there is a wheel [of fortune] that revolves in the world. Even if G‑d protects an individual from need and poverty, he is still not assured that his children will not be stricken with poverty and destitution. Should even his children be wealthy, he is still not sure what will transpire with his grandchildren."

The best assurance [for the continuity of one's wealth] is to give charity. This is as the Talmud14 relates concerning King Munbaz, who distributed the royal treasures to the poor. When asked why he was distributing treasure which had taken his ancestors generations to amass, he replied that his ancestors hid their treasure in cellars and vaults, while he is entrusting it to G‑d for safekeeping, for charity is a guarantee against poverty.

When a person ponders all the above [and realizes the precariousness of his personal wealth] he becomes contrite of heart and assists his fellow man in whatever manner possible.

Crying aloud to G‑d occurs when a person recognizes that everything which transpires in his life is Providential, and that G‑d provides him with more sustenance and health than he deserves. If, Heaven forfend, a person is unwell or unable to make a living, he has only himself to blame, as the Mishnah says:15 "I have conducted myself improperly, and [thus] deprived myself of sustenance."

When a person makes a true accounting and honest reckoning and contemplates this deeply, he will become contrite of heart. He will then pray to G‑d from the depth of his heart, saying [as did the Psalmist]:16 "I called to You, O L-rd, and I made supplication to the L-rd: What profit is there in my death, in my going down to the grave? Can earth praise You? Can it proclaim Your truth?" Though it is true that the very earth praises G‑d, His purpose in creating human beings is that man, with his intellect, come to understand G‑dliness.

In summary: When one is sympathetic to the poverty and pains of his fellow man, and considers that even the very rich, or their children and grandchildren, are not immune from the threat of poverty and need, then one becomes contrite of heart and prays to G‑d with a deep and heartfelt cry.

Chapter III

The verse: "They cried out to the L-rd in their distress, and He brought them out from their calamity," is repeated four times in Psalm 10717 with the minor variation of vayitzaku and vayizaku " they cried out" and "they called out." Concerning the manner of salvation, three different expressions are used: "He delivered them," "He saved them," "He brought them out." Each expression refers to a different form of salvation, since the verses allude to four kinds of distress and deliverance.

The central theme of Psalm 107 is the "Blessing of Thanksgiving" recited by the "four [categories] who are obliged to give thanks,"18 namely, those who have traversed the sea; lost their way in a desert and managed to reach civilization; were [seriously] ill and then recovered; or were incarcerated and in danger of losing their lives [and were subsequently released].

Concerning those lost in the desert, salvation is referred to with the phrase "He delivered them." Regarding those released from imprisonment or healed of sickness, the expression "He saved them" is used, while the term "He brought them out" applies to those who traversed the sea.

It is stated19 that Psalm 107 is to be recited as part of the Friday afternoon Minchah service. It serves as a "Blessing of Thanksgiving" for G‑d's having helped the person during the six working days, during which time every individual can undergo the four above-mentioned kinds of affliction in his struggle to earn a living, as indicated by the verse:20 "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread."

Shabbos is a day of rest following the six days of labor. This is expressed by the Midrashic saying:21 "Comes Shabbos, comes rest and tranquillity." Indeed, herein lies the difference between Shabbos and the Festivals. Festivals are known&22 as "festive days of rejoicing" while Shabbos is "a day of rest,"23 a restful and pleasurable day. This is why the Psalm of the "Blessing of Thanksgiving" is recited before ushering in the Shabbos.

The four abovementioned categories can also be found within the context of man's spiritual service, inasmuch as they represent four kinds of spiritual faults.

In a spiritual context, a "descent into the sea" refers to a person who "drowns" in materialism. There are those individuals who "drown" in physical and corporeal delights. Others become totally submerged in worldly matters. Not only are they so engrossed in their business dealings that they have no time for study or public prayer, but they also "drown" in the frivolity of idle talk, which consumes more time than the actual business.

Some are deemed to be "wanderers in the desert." A desert is a desolate place, lacking vegetation. In a spiritual context, this refers to idlers who immerse themselves in inconsequential matters.

Then there are those who are spiritually ill, as Maimonides says:24 "Just as there are those afflicted with physical maladies, so too are there individuals afflicted with maladies of the spirit." Their illnesses may be either intellectual or emotional.

Finally, there are those who are, G‑d forbid, "imprisoned" by their evil inclination and animal soul.

The remedies for these four spiritual ailments are: the giving of charity, crying aloud to G‑d, changing one's name, and changing one's deeds. Regarding the above, the verse "The L-rd is close to all who call upon Him" is germane. Any person who finds himself in the above categories and calls out to G‑d is answered by Him.

Yet these four spiritual remedies are effective only prior to the sealing of a decree. Once a decree has been sealed, these four methods simply do not suffice. G‑d must then be called upon "in truth," i.e. called upon through the Torah, with a simple faith in all that is written in the Torah, and its explanations by our sages of blessed memory.

Throughout the many years of exile, the four above-mentioned methods of repentance sufficed. Nowadays, however, when we are close on the heels of Moshiach , they are insufficient. At the time of the original exodus from Egypt, the insolent Amalakites descended upon the Jews in order to make us cold to Torah, mitzvos and G‑dliness.25 Just as it was then, so it is prior to the ultimate Redemption. There are those who seek to make Jews frigid and unresponsive to G‑d's promises [of redemption] revealed in the Torah and through the words of our prophets and sages of blessed memory.

When G‑d gave the Torah, He gave with it the strength to believe in it [without reservation], as well as the ability to repent [fully and] "in truth." In turn, this [wholehearted belief and truthful repentance] will ease the "birthpangs of Moshiach," so that we may merit to very speedily, and with kindness and mercy, welcome and receive Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

In summary: Three distinct expressions describing salvation "delivering," "saving" and "bringing out" are used in the "Blessing of Thanksgiving" of Psalm 107. They refer to salvation from the four kinds of difficulty encountered by a person during the six working days. They are: a) drowning oneself in business, b) idleness and inconsequential talk, c) spiritual maladies and d) imprisonment by the evil inclination. Now, during the time that immediately precedes the coming of Moshiach, G‑d must be called upon "in truth."