Midrash su Isaia 38:2

It is taught that Abba Benjamin says: "I was always sorry for two things, that my prayer should be in front of my bed, and my bed should be placed between the north and the south." My prayer should be in front of my bed. What is meant by 'in front of my bed'? Shall I say it means to pray near the bed? Has not R. Juda said in the name of Rab, and according to others it was R. Joshua b. Levi who said: "Whence do we learn that he who prays shall have nothing between him and the wall? It is said (Is. 38, 2.) Then did Hezekiah turn his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord." [Hence we see, that a man ought not to pray before his bed.] Do not say 'Before the bed,' but say 'Immediately after rising.' And what does he mean by 'My bed shall be placed between the north and the south'? This refers to what R. Chama the son of R. Chanina and according to others R. Isaac said: "He who places his bed between the south and the north will have male children; as it is said (Ps. 17, 14.) And whose belly thou fillest with thy hidden treasury they will be satisfied with sons." Rab. Nachman b. Isaac said: "It will also prevent his wife from having a mis-carriage; for it is written here. Thou fillest their belly, and it is written there (Gen. 25, 24.) And when her days to he delivered were fulfilled." It was taught that Abba Benjamin says: "Two entered the synagogue to pray; one of them finished his prayer first and went out without waiting for his friend; will his prayer be torn to pieces, as it is said (Job 18, 4.) He teareth himself in his anger: shall for thy sake the earth be forsaken? And moreover he causes [by his action] the Shechina to depart from Israel, as it is said (Ib. ib. ib.) And shall the Tzur move away out of His place? And the word Tzur, refers only to the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Deu. 32, 18.) Of the Rock (Tzur) that begot thee thou wast unmindful." And if he waits for his friend what shall his reward be? (Fol. 6a) R. Jose the son of R. Chanina said: "He will be worthy of the following blessings which are said (Is. 48, 18.) Oh, that thou hadst but listened to my commandments! Then would have been as a river thy piece. and as the waves of the sea, thy prosperity." We are taught that Abba Benjamin says: "The prayers of men are not heard [by God] save only when they come from the synagogue, for it is written (I Kin. 8, 28.) To listen, unto the song of Thy praise and unto Thy prayer, i.e., in the place where songs of praise are said, there should be the place of prayer." Rabin b. R. Ada said in the name of R. Isaac: "Whence do we learn that God frequents the synagogue? It is said (Ps. 82, 1.) God standeth in the Congregation of God; whence do we learn that when ten men are praying together the Sheehina rests with them? It is said (Ib.) God standeth in the congregation of God; whence do we learn that when three are sitting and discharging judgment, the Sheehina rests with them? It is said (Ib.) In the midst doth He judge. And whence do we learn that when two are sitting together and studying the Torah. the Sheehina is with them? It is said (Malachi 3, 16.) Then conversed they that feared the Lord, one with another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and there was written a book of remembrance before him for those who feared the Lord and for those who respect his name." What should be understood by the words. And for those who respect His name? R. Ashi said: "Even when one intended to observe a commandment but was accidentally prevented from doing so, it is credited to him as if he had actually observed it." And whence do we learn that even if one sits and studies the Torah, the Sheehina is with him? It is said (Ex. 20, 24.) In every place where I shall permit my name to be mentioned, I will come unto thee and I will bless thee. Now let us see, since we know that the Sheehina is even with one, why is it necessary to infer that it rests with two? Because if two study together the Sheehina inscribes their words in the book of remembrances; for one, however, it does not inscribe his words in the book of remembrances. Since we know that when two study, the Sheehina is with them, why do we need any inference for three? Because we should not think that discharging judgment is merely bringing peace and nothing else, and the Sheehina therefore is not with them. It informs us then that discharging judgment is as important as the Torah: and since we know that the Sheehina is with three, why do we need the inference concerning ten? Because in the case of ten people, the Sheehina precedes, but for three, the Sheehina does not appear until the three are together.

R. Hamnuna said: "What means the passage (Ecc. 8, 1.) Who is like the wise? And who knoweth (as well) the explanation of a thing? i. e., who is like the Holy One, praised be He! who knoweth how to compromise 'between two righteous men, between (King) Hezekiah and Isaiah? Hezekiah said, Isaiah ought to come to me for we find that Elijah went to Ahab, as it is said (I Kings 18, 2.) And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab; and Isaiah said Hezekiah ought to come to me (to pay me a visit), just as we find that Jehoram, the son of Ahab went to Elisha. What did the Holy One, praised be He! do? He brought affliction on Hezekiah, and then said to Isaiah: 'Go and visit the sick,' as it is said (Isaiah, 38, 1.) In those days Hezekiah fell sick unto death; and there came unto him Isaiah, the son of Amotz, the Prophet, and said to him: Thus hath the Lord said. Give thy charge to thy house for thou Shalt die and not live." What is meant by Thou shalt die and not live? [if he will die, he will surely not live]. Thou shalt die in this world, and thou shalt not live in the world to come. "Why so severe a punishment?" asked Hezekiah. "Because," said Isaiah, "thou hast not married." "Aye," said Hezekiah, "it was because I foresaw through the Divine Spirit, that bad children will come forth from me." "What have you to do with, the secret of the Almighty? Whatever you are commanded to do, you ought to fulfill, and whatever pleases the Holy One, praised be He! let Him do." "If so,"' said Hezekiah, "then give me thy daughter, Perhaps thy merits combined with mine will prove effective to bring forth good children." "But," said Isaiah, "it has already been decreed that you must die." "Aye, son of Amotz," exclaimed Hezekiah, "finish thy prophecy and go forth! for thus have I a tradition from the house of my father's father (David): 'Even if the sword already touches the throat, yet should a man not refrain from praying for mercy.' " It has been taught that R. Jochanan and R. Elazar both say, "Even if the sword already touches the throat, yet should a man not refrain from praying for mercy, as it is said (Job 13, 15.) Lo, though he slay me yet will I trust in Him (Ib. b)." Soon after this it is said Then did Hezekiah turn his fare toward the Kir, and prayed to the Lord (Is. 38, 2). What is meant by Kir? R. Simon b. Lakish said: "It means from the chamber of his heart, as it is said (Jer. 4, 19.) My bowels, my bowels! I am shaken at the very chambers (Kiroth), of my heart." R. Levi said: "It means concerning the chamber; he (Hezekiah) said before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the Universe, if for the Shunamith who prepared only one little chamber [for Elisha], Thou hast saved the life of her son, then how much more [should you help me], for the sake of my father (Solomon) who covered the whole Temple with silver and gold?' " Remember now, that I have walked before Thee in truth and with an undivided heart and have done what is worthy in thine eyes (Ib.). What means And have done what is worthy in thine eyes? R. Juda in the name of Rab said: "He was always careful to say the Eighteen Benedictions immediately after the benediction of Ge-ula." R. Levi said: "He hid the book of remedies [so that the sick should pray to God to invoke His mercy, and not depend merely on medicinal help]."

Law: A Jewish person who does not pray the morning prayer, or the Musaf prayer, or the afternoon prayer, many times; that he didn't have time for prayer, or he abridged it to take care of his [toilet] needs, or he had traveled and forgot to pray: Which time is permitted for him to pray and fulfill his obligation? What is he required to do? So taught the sages: The morning prayer is til midday, the afternoon prayer til nightfall, evening prayer has no fixed [time]. But for the Musaf [prayers], all day. Rabbi Elazar said: [If] he forgot and did not pray the Musaf prayer, and he came to pray the afternoon prayer, he should pray the afternoon prayer and afterward the Musaf prayer. Why? For everything was created for its time. The evening prayer has no fixed [time], until dawn. Why? As it is written, (Proverbs 8:17), "I love those who love me and those who seek me find me." And all those who pray and set their hearts [in concentration] for prayer, it is a good sign that his prayer is accepted, as it says, (Psalms 10:17) "You hear the desire of the afflicted..." Great is prayer before the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Elazar said, "Do you want to know the power of prayer? If it does not accomplish the whole [request], it accomplishes half of it. [To illustrate, when] Cain overtook his brother Abel and murdered him, a [divine] decree went out, (Genesis 4:12) 'You will be a restless wanderer (na v'nad) on earth.' Immediately, he stood and confessed before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, (Genesis 4:13) 'My punishment is more than one can bear.' He said before Him: Master of the World! You bear the whole world, yet my sin You cannot bear? You wrote, (Micah 7:18) 'Who bears sin and forgives the transgression,' forgiving the great sinner. Immediately, he found kindness before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He held back the "restlessness" (na), half the decree, and so it is written (Genesis 4:16) 'And he dwelled in the land of Nod [wandering, but not na, restlessness]. From here you learn that prayer is held great before the Holy One, blessed be He. And so for Hezekiah, when He told him, (II Kings 20:1) 'Put your house in order, because you are going to die...' immediately (II Kings 20:2) 'Hezekiah turned his face to the wall [and prayed to God]...' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: (II Kings 20:5-6) 'I have heard your prayer... I have added 15 years for your life...' So is it written, (Psalms 145:19) 'He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.'"

Variantly: "And the L-rd said to me: 'rav lach'" (i.e., you are a "teacher" in this thing) — You are an example for judges to say: If the great sage, Moses, was not forgiven for saying (Bamidbar 20:10) "Hear, now, you rebels," but it was decreed that he not enter Eretz Yisrael, then those who delay judgment and those who pervert justice, how much more so! And if Moses who was told (Ibid. 12) "You shall not bring this congregation into the land," did not refrain from imploring the L-rd for mercy — how much more so (should this be the pattern for) other men, (who were not told such a thing!) And if Chezkiah, who was told (II Kings 20:1) "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live" did not refrain from imploring the L-rd for mercy, acting on the principle of "Even if a sharp sword is poised over a man's neck he should not refrain from imploring mercy," as it is written (Isaiah 38:2) "then Chizkiyahu turned his face to the wall and prayed to the L-rd" — how much more so other men!