The Power of Prayer

In the first Pasuk of this week's Perasha, we find that Moshe Rabbeinu prayed 515 times (the gematria of Va'et'hanan) to enter Eretz Yisrael, but was denied. Hashem told him not to pray again for if he did, kevayachol, Hashem would have to grant his request.

When we pray, although our prayers are not as powerful as Moshe Rabbeinu's, nevertheless, depending on our spiritual levels, an imprint is made in heaven. Sometimes, our prayers are granted right away. Sometimes, Hashem denies the request as He knows what is truly best for us. There are other times when our prayers don't get answered until many years later.

I found this on Arutz Sheva:

9 Year Old Who Wrote to Begin will Get Reply at Age 38

(IsraelNN.com) When Reut Naveh was 9 years old, she wrote a letter to Menachem Begin, who was then the Prime Minister, asking for an autographed picture. Begin's reply is about to reach her, 30 years later.

The staff at the Begin Memorial Center, who are making preparations for a study day marking the Herut movement's 60th anniversary, were sifting through their archives Thursday when they found a sealed envelope containing a letter to Reut from Begin's Bureau Chief Yechiel Kadishai and a signed photograph of Begin. They located Naveh, who now works as a nurse at Asaf HaRofeh Hospital.

She will receive the letter next week in a special ceremony.

Just as Reut got her wish many years later, Moshe Rabeinu's prayers to enter the land will not go for waste. He will be one of the 7 shephards mentioned in Micha 5:4:

וְהָיָה זֶה, שָׁלוֹם; אַשּׁוּר כִּי-יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ, וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ, וַהֲקֵמֹנוּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה רֹעִים, וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָם.

as the Gemara in Sukkah 52b says:

מאן נינהו שבעה רועים דוד באמצע אדם שת ומתושלח מימינו אברהם יעקב ומשה בשמאלו

We see that our prayers sometimes take time to be answered. Let's hope that the prayers of all the generations for the coming Redemption will be set before the Kisei Hakavod now and Hashem will actualize it soon, so we can have a true consolation on this Shabbat Nahamu. Amen.