Why Aren’t My Prayers Answered?

A Taste of Text—Va’etchanan

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Why Aren't My Prayers Answered?: A Taste of Text—Va’etchanan

Even though Moses’ fervent prayer seems to not have been granted, he teaches us to never give up on our prayers being answered.

Handouts:	Vaetchanana
Audio:	Listen to Audio \| Download this MP3
Topics:	Prayer, Va'etchanan

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Chana Weisberg is host of the Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories podcast and curator of advanced learning experiences on Chabad.org. She lectures internationally on issues relating to women, relationships, meaning, self-esteem and the Jewish soul. She is the author of six books. Her latest book, Shabbat Delights, is a two-volume series on the weekly Torah portion.

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11 Comments

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Sandra Marietta, Ga July 30, 2022

What is the difference between a prayer and a child's request - that we don't understand the answer must sometimes be "no"? Reply

JDV May 20, 2020

Sometimes your prayers are answered but not necessarily right away. Reply

Richard Florida August 17, 2016

Why aren't sincere prayers answered that involve life? I really don't know, and outside of rationalization, I don't think anyone knows. Why is a child abducted and sexually abused and murdered while his/her parents in anguish pray for their child? If G-d doesn't answer such prayer, there doesn't seem to be any situation in which a God would intervene. Reply

Anonymous Lexington August 17, 2016

All prayers are answered, but... All prayers are answered.

Unfortunately, in some cases the answer is "No". Reply

Anonymous November 17, 2013

Tremendous This is tremendous. Thank you for posting this! Reply

Dr. Gregorio Nosovsky Parkland, Fl September 16, 2012

Why oye prayers They are, all our prayers are answered. We just have to pay attention to Hashem.
GREAT CLASS. Thank you Reply

Mendy New York, NY August 6, 2012

This is a real question--please don't censor it There is no evidence that davening or saying tehillim for a refua has any effect whatsoever. If davening/tehillim had any effect, then an amputeee might regrow an arm or leg, which has never happened. Why not? Because it would require a supernatural intervention by Hashem? ANY cure effected by Hashem is supernatural.

The six million davened, and their pleadings were useless. The same with the victims of the Crusades, the Inquisition, the destructions of the Batei Mikdash, the innumerable pogroms, and the 10,000 innocent children who die agonizing deaths from famine every single day because the rain never comes. Their mothers also implore Hashem, and get the same answer: silence. We prayed for cures for polio, plague and smallpox for hundreds of years, and got no response. Scientists--many of them atheists--studied the REAL causes and wiped out these diseases. All the prayer in the world was utterly useless.

When will we ever learn? Reply

Nna PortHarcourt, Nigeria August 4, 2012

Watch it carefully I want to say that G-d is most a time iinterested in our character than our circumstance. If our prayers are not answered then let us look at our character to if need a character change so that G-d can be moved and answer our prayer. We can't love and expect G-d to answer our prayer, we can't forgive and expect G-d to answer our prayer etc. Let us kill every forms of sin in life b/4 we expect G-d to answer our prayers. Reply

Anonymous Sydney August 3, 2012

Great lesson If our prayers are answered, and if I feel that I was helped through a difficult time or was protected through a potentially dangerous situation, what is the best way to thank G_d?
Is it through prayer, or is it through deed? Reply

Natalia Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires August 1, 2012

Wonderful class! Thank you so much for this wonderful class! Reply

Ilana Israel July 31, 2012

Love it! There was a time when i thought my prayers were useless and wondered why they weren't answered on my toughest times of my life, so i started to get angry and even more frustrated and stopped praying for a while...but i knew i couldn't live without prayers and started to pray again.
Those bad times still gave me a little bit of trauma that i actually lost my innocent faith that prayers were always answered and that my prayers were no more effective like it used to be... I just wish i had known this great lesson few years back yet i'm glad i know now that our prayers were being answered in some other way... Reply

A Taste of Text

Each 20-minute video class uses a text from the weekly Torah portion to convey a contemporary insight on leading a more enriched life. Source sheets are included to help students follow along and gain a "taste" of the actual texts studied.

Why Aren't My Prayers Answered?: A Taste of Text—Va’etchanan

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