A sigh, a cry, a wail

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak discusses the distinction between a sigh, a cry and a wail. We learn that crying involves words, while wailing is crying without words. Because it comes from the heart, prayer with wailing is the most powerful form of prayer. Rabbi B'rechyah gives the example of Samuel, who "wailed to Hashem all night" because this form of prayer allows the closest access to God. The intensity of this silent expression of prayer and sorrow is such that it can effect a change in the decreed Judgment for the individual, since wailing dominates the aspect of Justice in this world and the World to Come.

Relevance

Tears emerge from the eyes, so it is fitting that our eyes now commence the greatest of all wails simply by allowing them to caress the words that adorn this passage. Our heartfelt meditation here gathers the wailings and unutterable emotions of the Righteous throughout history and sends them heavenward. A torrent of healing Light is summoned forth, and all judgments decreed upon this world are repealed.

353. Rabbi Yitzchak said, There are three subjects here, a sigh, a cry, a wail, and each one is different from the other. THEY ARE NOT SIMILAR TO EACH OTHER. "Sigh" as it is written, "And the children of Yisrael sighed" (Shemot 2:23); "wail," as written, "And they wailed" (Ibid.); and "cry" as it is written, "And their cry went up to Hashem." Each one is explained individually, and Yisrael did all of them. Rabbi Yehuda said, Yisrael did cry and wail, but they did not sigh! This is implied from what is written, "And they sighed," INSTEAD OF USING THE REFLEXIVE VERB, as there was sighing for them from above.

353. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, תְּלַת עִנְיָינֵי הָכָא: אֲנָחָה, שַׁוְעָה, צְעָקָה. וְכָל חַד מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מְאַחֲרָא. אֲנָחָה: כְּתִּיב, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. צְעָקָה: דִּכְתִּיב, וַיִּצְעָקוּ. שַׁוְעָה: דִּכְתִּיב, וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם. וְכָל חַד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי מִתְפָּרְשָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ עָבְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, צְעָקָה וְשַׁוְעָה עָבְדוּ, אֲנָחָה לָא עָבְדוּ, מַשְׁמַע מִדִּכְתִּיב וַיֵּאָנְחוּ וּלְמַעְלָה הָיְתָה הָאֲנָחָה בִּשְׁבִילָם.

Adonai Prayer

354. HE ASKS, How are wailing and crying different? Rabbi Yitzchak said, There is no crying, except in prayer! As written, "Hear my prayer, Hashem, and give ear to my cry" (Tehilim 39:13), AND SO, "But to You have I cried, Hashem" (Tehilim 88:14) and, "I cried to You and You have healed me" (Tehilim 30:3). SO WE SEE THAT "CRY" MEANS WORDS OF PRAYER, and "wailing" means wailing without saying anything, MEANING WITHOUT WORDS. Rabbi Yehuda said, Wailing is therefore greater than all of them, because wailing is in the heart. This is written, "Their heart wailed to Adonai" (Eichah 2:18). Wailing and crying out in prayer are closer to the Holy One, blessed be He, than prayer and sighing, for it is written, "And they wail to Me, I will surely hear their wail!" (Shemot 22:22).

354. צְעָקָה וְשַׁוְעָה בְּמַאי אִתְפָּרְשָׁן, אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אֵין לָךְ שַׁוְעָה, אֶלָּא בַּתְּפִלָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, שְׁמָעָה תְפִלָּתִי יְיָ' וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה. אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ' שִׁוַּעְתִּי. שִׁוַּעְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵנִי. צְעָקָה שֶׁצּוֹעֵק וְאֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כְּלוּם. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הִלְכָּךְ גְּדוֹלָה צְעָקָה מִכּוּלָּן, שֶׁצְּעָקָה הִיא בַּלֵּב. הה"ד, צָעַק לִבָּם אֶל יְיָ.' צְעָקָה וּזְעָקָה דָּבָר אֶחָד הוּא, וְזֶה קְרוֹבָה לְהַקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יוֹתֵר מִתְּפִלָּה וַאֲנָחָה, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי אִם צָעוֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ.

Samuel Saul

355. אָמַר רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִשְׁמוּאֵל, נִחַמְתִּי כִּי הִמְלַכְתִּי אֶת שָׁאוּל לְמֶלֶךְ. מַה כְּתִּיב, וַיִּחַר לִשְׁמוּאֵל, וַיִצְעַק אֶל יְיָ' כָּל הַלַּיְלָה. הִנִּיחַ הַכֹּל, וְלָקַח צְעָקָה, מִשּׁוּם דְּהִיא קְרוֹבָה לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יַתִּיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ, הה"ד, וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי.

Judgment Lips Prayer

356. ת"ר, הַאי מַאן דְּצַלֵּי וּבָכֵי וְצָעִיק, עַד לָא יָכִיל לְמִרְחָשׁ בְּשִׂפְוָותֵיהּ, הַאי צְלוֹתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא דְּהִיא בְּלִבָּא, וּלְעוֹלָם לָא הַדְרָא רֵיקָנַיָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, גְּדוֹלָה צְעָקָה, שְׁקוֹרֵעַ גְּזַר דִּינוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִכָּל יָמָיו.

World to Come, The

357. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, גְּדוֹלָה צְעָקָה, שֶׁמּוֹשֶׁלֶת עַל מִדַּת הַדִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, גְּדוֹלָה צְעָקָה, שֶׁמּוֹשֶׁלֶת בעוה"ז ובעוה"ב. בִּשְׁבִיל צְעָקָה נוֹחֵל הָאָדָם העוה"ז והעוה"ב, דִּכְתִּיב, וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל ה' בַּצַּר לָהֶם מִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יַצִּילֵם.