וַ֭יַּרְא בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם בְּ֝שָׁמְע֗וֹ אֶת־רִנָּתָֽם׃
Gayunman, binigyang-pansin Niya ang kanilang kagipitan nang marinig Niya ang kanilang daing;
Devarim Rabbah
“I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying” (Deuteronomy 3:23).
“I pleaded with the Lord” – halakha: If a person of Israel is standing and praying, is it permitted for him to pray in a loud voice? So taught our Sages: If one was standing and praying, may he, perhaps, make his voice heard? Hannah already articulated this: “Hannah, she was speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13). May he, perhaps, recite all three1All three daily prayers. as one? This was already articulated in Daniel: “And three times a day he knelt on his knees, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Daniel 6:11). May he, perhaps, pray at any time that he wishes? David already articulated: “Evening and morning and noon, I speak and cry aloud, and He hears my voice” (Psalms 55:18). May he, perhaps, demand [that God provide for] his needs and leave? Solomon already articulated: “To hear the cry and the prayer” (I Kings 8:28); “cry” – this is praise of the Holy One blessed be He; “and prayer” – for a person’s needs.
Abba Shaul says: This is an indicator regarding prayer – if a person focused his heart for prayer, he may be certain that his prayer is heard, as it is stated: “You will focus their heart; You will incline Your ear” (Psalms 10:17).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Prayer is called by ten expressions, and these are: Shava, tze’aka, ne’aka, rina, pegia, bitzur, keria, nipul, pilul, and taḥanunim. Shava and tze’aka, as it is stated: “The children of Israel sighed due to the work, and they cried out [vayizaku] [and their plea [shavatam] rose to God]” (Exodus 2:23). Ne’aka, as it is written: “God heard their groan [naakatam]” (Exodus 2:24). Rina and pegia, as it is written: “Do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up a cry [rina] or a prayer on their behalf, and do not plead [tifga] with Me, [for I am not listening to you]” (Jeremiah 7:16). Bitzur and keria, as it is written: “In my distress [batzar] I called [ekra] to the Lord” (Psalms 18:7). Nipul, as it is written: “I threw myself down [va’etnapal] before the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:18). Pilul, as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30). Taḥanunim, as it is written: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.” Of all of them Moses prayed only with the expression of plea [taḥanunim].
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here you learn that no creature has any claim on its Creator, as Moses, the master of all the prophets, came only with an expression of plea. Rabbi Levi said: Why did Moses come only with an expression of plea [taḥanunim]?2Why did he pray to enter the Land of Israel with the expression va’etḥanan, I pleaded, and not with one of the other terms of prayer? The parable says: Be careful not to be caught in a contradiction. How so? So said the Holy One blessed be He to Moses: “I will favor [veḥanoti] whom I favor” (Exodus 33:19). [God] said to him: ‘Upon one who has [credit] with Me, “I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19); I will act with him with the attribute of mercy. One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift.’ When Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “It is enough for you; [do not continue speaking to Me about this matter]” (Deuteronomy 3:26). [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, did You not say this to me: One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift? Now I am not saying that anything is due to me from You, but act with me with grace [ḥinam].’ From where is this derived? From what we read regarding the matter: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.”
“I pleaded with the Lord” – halakha: If a person of Israel is standing and praying, is it permitted for him to pray in a loud voice? So taught our Sages: If one was standing and praying, may he, perhaps, make his voice heard? Hannah already articulated this: “Hannah, she was speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13). May he, perhaps, recite all three1All three daily prayers. as one? This was already articulated in Daniel: “And three times a day he knelt on his knees, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Daniel 6:11). May he, perhaps, pray at any time that he wishes? David already articulated: “Evening and morning and noon, I speak and cry aloud, and He hears my voice” (Psalms 55:18). May he, perhaps, demand [that God provide for] his needs and leave? Solomon already articulated: “To hear the cry and the prayer” (I Kings 8:28); “cry” – this is praise of the Holy One blessed be He; “and prayer” – for a person’s needs.
Abba Shaul says: This is an indicator regarding prayer – if a person focused his heart for prayer, he may be certain that his prayer is heard, as it is stated: “You will focus their heart; You will incline Your ear” (Psalms 10:17).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Prayer is called by ten expressions, and these are: Shava, tze’aka, ne’aka, rina, pegia, bitzur, keria, nipul, pilul, and taḥanunim. Shava and tze’aka, as it is stated: “The children of Israel sighed due to the work, and they cried out [vayizaku] [and their plea [shavatam] rose to God]” (Exodus 2:23). Ne’aka, as it is written: “God heard their groan [naakatam]” (Exodus 2:24). Rina and pegia, as it is written: “Do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up a cry [rina] or a prayer on their behalf, and do not plead [tifga] with Me, [for I am not listening to you]” (Jeremiah 7:16). Bitzur and keria, as it is written: “In my distress [batzar] I called [ekra] to the Lord” (Psalms 18:7). Nipul, as it is written: “I threw myself down [va’etnapal] before the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:18). Pilul, as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30). Taḥanunim, as it is written: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.” Of all of them Moses prayed only with the expression of plea [taḥanunim].
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here you learn that no creature has any claim on its Creator, as Moses, the master of all the prophets, came only with an expression of plea. Rabbi Levi said: Why did Moses come only with an expression of plea [taḥanunim]?2Why did he pray to enter the Land of Israel with the expression va’etḥanan, I pleaded, and not with one of the other terms of prayer? The parable says: Be careful not to be caught in a contradiction. How so? So said the Holy One blessed be He to Moses: “I will favor [veḥanoti] whom I favor” (Exodus 33:19). [God] said to him: ‘Upon one who has [credit] with Me, “I will have mercy” (Exodus 33:19); I will act with him with the attribute of mercy. One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift.’ When Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “It is enough for you; [do not continue speaking to Me about this matter]” (Deuteronomy 3:26). [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, did You not say this to me: One who does not have [credit] with Me, “veḥanoti” – I will act [mercifully] with him as a free [ḥinam] gift? Now I am not saying that anything is due to me from You, but act with me with grace [ḥinam].’ From where is this derived? From what we read regarding the matter: “I pleaded [va’etḥanan] with the Lord.”
Devarim Rabbah
Another matter: Rabbi Elazar said: When Israel was redeemed from Egypt, they were redeemed only due to these five matters: Due to distress, due to repentance, due to the merit of the patriarchs, due to mercy, and due to the end.46According to this view, God had decreed that Abraham’s descendants would be “strangers in a land that is not theirs…four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13), and that this period began from the birth of Isaac. Therefore, once that time period ended, it was time for Israel to be redeemed (Etz Yosef). Due to distress, as it is written: “The children of Israel sighed” (Exodus 2:23). Due to repentance, as it is written: “Their plea rose to God” (Exodus 2:23).47The fact that their pleas rose to God and were accepted indicates that they had repented. Alternatively, see Etz Yosef based on the Jerusalem Talmud. Due to the merit of the patriarchs, as it is written: “God remembered His covenant [with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob]” (Exodus 2:24). Due to mercy, as it is written: “God saw the children of Israel” (Exodus 2:25).48He saw their plight and had mercy on them. And due to the end, as it is written: “And God knew” (Exodus 2:25).49He knew that the time had come to fulfill His promise to Abraham (see Shemot Rabba 1:36).
In the future, too, they will be redeemed only due to those five matters: Due to distress, as it is written: “When you are in distress” – that is due to distress. “You will return to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – that is due to repentance. “As the Lord your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to mercy. “Nor forget the covenant of your fathers” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “And all these matters befall you by the end of days” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – this is due to the end.
David articulated them: “He saw their distress” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to distress. “When He heard their cry” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to repentance. “He remembered His covenant for them” (Psalms 106:45) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “He caused them to receive mercy” (Psalms 106:46) – that is due to mercy. “Save us, Lord our God, and gather us in and save us from the nations” (I Chronicles 16:35)50See also Psalms 106:47. – this is due to the end.
In the future, too, they will be redeemed only due to those five matters: Due to distress, as it is written: “When you are in distress” – that is due to distress. “You will return to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – that is due to repentance. “As the Lord your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to mercy. “Nor forget the covenant of your fathers” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “And all these matters befall you by the end of days” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – this is due to the end.
David articulated them: “He saw their distress” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to distress. “When He heard their cry” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to repentance. “He remembered His covenant for them” (Psalms 106:45) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “He caused them to receive mercy” (Psalms 106:46) – that is due to mercy. “Save us, Lord our God, and gather us in and save us from the nations” (I Chronicles 16:35)50See also Psalms 106:47. – this is due to the end.
Midrash Tehillim
"And He saw that they were in distress when He heard their cry." Rabbi Elazar said: Israel is redeemed only through five things: through distress, through prayer, through the merit of the fathers, through repentance, and through the end (meaning the Messianic era). Through distress, as it says, "And He saw that they were in distress." Through prayer, as it says, "When He heard their cry." Through the merit of the fathers, as it says, "And He remembered His covenant with them." Through repentance, as it says, "He was appeased by my great kindness." Through the end, as it says, "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations" (Psalms 106:47). And even Moses included them all in one verse, as it says, "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you" (Deuteronomy 4:30). Be blessed, O Lord God of Israel, from this world to the next. From the time that we were in Him until now, blessed be He. Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra: 'Amen' is an oath, 'Amen' is acceptance, as it says in Psalm 41:14, "All who respond 'Amen' in the world, etc."