Hope to Hashem, and Hope Again

Chazal teach, “If a person sees that he prays and is not answered, he should pray again, as it says, ‘Kaveh el Hashem — Hope to Hashem; strengthen yourself and He will give you courage, and hope to Hashem’” (Berachos 32b).

A Jew needs to put his hope in Hashem. Even if a situation doesn’t seem to be working out the way he wanted he should still put his hope in Hashem and not lose his bitachon. He should daven, and then daven more. This is the lesson we must take away from this mizmor, which we say in Elul — to always look toward the future.

Many times people stand in tefillah a long time asking for something that’s to their detriment. It looks good to them but it’s not good for them. So when they insist davka this and nothing else — their stubbornness is foolishness. But if a man stands long in tefillah without insisting, meaning he wants Hashem to do what is good for him, that’s something else entirely. He’s not saying, “I must have this.” He’s saying, “Do kindness with me.” Let Hashem decide what’s good in the long run.

A person has a right to pray again and again but each time he must pray with the attitude: Ribbono shel Olam, You know what is good for me. That’s what it means, “Kaveh el Hashem — Hope to Hashem, chazak v’ya’ametz libecha — strengthen yourself and strengthen your heart.” And then again, “kaveh el Hashem — hope again” (Tehillim 27:14). …