Should a Person Pester Hashem with Trivial Requests?

Q: How does one know when to ask Hashem for what he wants?

A: And the answer is — there is no limit.

If you’re smart you will ask Him for as many things as you can. And don’t pull any punches. Hashem says, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Tehillim 81:11). The simple meaning is that Hashem says the more you ask of Him — the wider you open your mouth — the more you deserve that He should fill it.

Imagine a child who sees ice cream on the table. He opens his mouth wide for his mother to give him some. And she happily shovels it into his mouth. That is our relationship with Hashem. We are like helpless infants. He implores us to open our mouths wide so He can fulfill our desires.

Of course, sometimes a smart mother is not going to listen to her child. If the child opens his mouth wide before the meal for her to give him ice cream, she says, “Wait. First eat the main meal.” A wise mother does not fill the child’s mouth merely because he opens it.

Hashem is the same way. He hears your prayers. Why hasn’t He given you the million dollars you have been asking for? Because He knows it would be the worst thing for you. Your troubles would soon be multiplied. You would get all this unwanted publicity. Then you would have to hire special armed guards to stand in front of your house day and night. If you have children you would worry that they might be kidnapped and be held hostage until you paid an exorbitant ransom. Money brings all kinds of trouble. It’s usually the greatest misfortune to win the lottery. People’s lives fall apart.

Open your mouth wide means pray as much as you can. How much should you pray? I am not going to tell you that you must pray for everything. But if you want to exercise the quality of bitachon, then pray for everything. When you get into the habit you will see that it’s going to open up your horizons. If you will try to get more bitachon by asking for more and more things, you will be surprised by the reward you’re going to get.

First, things will happen in ways that you never expected. You will be surprised. Young people live only with nature. Young people are materialists. A child only knows cause and effect, because he does not have life experience. But an old man — and even an old non-Jew — is different. That is why Rabbi Yochanan stood up for an old non-Jew (Kiddushin 33a) — because “How many hardships passed over him?” Rashi explains: “How many miracles did he see?” The old person saw that many times in life things did not turn out the way one would have expected.

It’s remarkable how many rich people end up as paupers. I have seen it. It’s remarkable how many poor people end up wealthy. I had a poor man in my first congregation, a very poor man. To me he seemed a flop, an incapable man. But I was shocked to find out that some time before I had come to the community, he was an international businessman. He traveled back and forth to Europe on business.

The older you get the wider your horizon becomes — especially if you practice bitachon. The more you practice bitachon the more you will be surprised. Hashem will show you yesh mei’ayin, “something from nothing.” Sometimes fountains of money will open up. You will be amazed where the money comes from. If it will not be in the form of money, it will be in the form of other satisfactions. Hashem has plenty of ways to satisfy. He will not withhold good.

Therefore, don’t pull punches. Ask for all you want. “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

The pasuk has two parts: “Open your mouth wide” and “I will fill it.” The first part means ask for everything. He will fill it. No question. If you ask, He fills. However, the second part means that He will fill it, with the emphasis on Hashem: “I will fill it.” Hashem does not always fill it up the way you want, but the way He wants. When the child opens its mouth wide for ice cream, the mother sometimes shovels in castor oil. The baby does not like it, but it’s for its benefit. That is what it needs. It’s more important right now.

You may open up your mouth wide and ask for this or that, but Hashem might do something you don’t like. Nevertheless, it’s a life-saver for you.

Sometimes when a man is asking for success in his business, Hashem sees that success in this business is not good for him. It brings him into bad company. He has no time to go to shul. Therefore, Hashem sends a gentleman from the criminal underworld to come into his plant at night, light a firebomb and literally blow up his business.

Suddenly, he is out of business. He is ruined.

But it saved his life. Now he is able to start a new business.

I am telling you an actual story. In his new business, this fellow was able to keep regular hours, which his previous business did not allow. He told me that his health had been deteriorating because of his first business. Now he kept more normal hours and felt better than he had in years. He went to shul. He even began learning Gemara again — and even began teaching people Gemara! It was truly an amazing thing that happened to him — and only because his business was firebombed! He opened his mouth wide asking for good things, and Hashem shoveled in a firebomb!

It says, “And I will fill it.” Hashem will fill it. It will be from Him. The plain meaning seems to imply that, “I will fill your mouth with what you want Me to fill it with.” Sometimes it’s what you want. But sometimes it is not what you want, yet it’s for your benefit.

In spiritual things, the more you ask, the more you’re going to get, so don’t pull punches there either. When you ask, don’t ask merely to know one perek. Ask Hashem for success to know Shas.

Of course, you have to do something about it, too.

But keep on asking. Open your mouth wide. You will be surprised how great you will become eventually. Pray for greatness in ruchniyus. Pray for greatness in emunah. Pray for greatness in bitachon. Open your mouth wide. You will be surprised.

If you want to pray for greatness in business — it helps, too. Don’t be ashamed to ask Hashem for things of a material nature. Cry out to Hashem to heal a toothache. Cry out to Hashem if you want that customer to give you that good order. Never be ashamed to ask Hashem. And ask Him for anything you want.