Refraining from Personal Prayers

Question

Are we supposed to refrain from reciting our own personal petitionary prayers and just trust that Hashem is doing everything for the best, even when it seems like we are down in the dumps? A video I just saw from a rabbi not known to me sounds like that.

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    No, absolutely not. It is one of the most fundamental and beautiful dimensions of Judaism that, built into the concept of prayer, is the ability for each person to ask for whatever they want. Not only is it permissible but it is also recommended. What is true is that there are certain very righteous people who understand both intellectually and emotionally that whatever Hashem sends their way is exactly what they need, and they refrain from asking for personal needs. But they are always petitioning Hashem for the needs of others – both for individuals and for the general Klal. For example, I do not know of anyone who is not storming the Heavens right now in an attempt to annul the terrible decree that has been decreed upon the Jewish nation.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team