In a recent lecture, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto addressed the subject of prayer and explained how it should be approached. “Prayer is not confined to specific hours or a fixed text,” Rabbi Pinto said. “It must come from a sincere, internal place. If a person is praying for their children’s health or for livelihood, there’s no reason to limit how often they pray. One can and should pray again and again—throughout the day, at all times.”
However, Rabbi Pinto emphasized the need for caution: prayer should not become a demand or a form of coercion toward Heaven. “When a person experiences a hardship—they must understand: it’s not truly a misfortune. It may appear as one, but in reality, it is for their benefit. A person with simple faith doesn’t ask, ‘What happened to me?’ but rather, ‘What is God trying to tell me through this?’”
According to Rabbi Pinto, one must ask not only how to solve the problem, but also whether they have erred in their path, and what lesson they are meant to learn from the situation they are facing. “God doesn’t make mistakes. Everything is precise—the challenge, the fall, the crisis—they are all tools for growth, if one is willing to listen to what Heaven is trying to teach.”
Rabbi Pinto concluded: “A person who truly seeks God’s will is not afraid of difficulties. He learns from them. He prays with the understanding that every experience—even the most difficult—is meant to elevate him along his spiritual journey.”
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel