“When you pray, Al Taas Tefilatkha Keva (do not make your prayer routine), but compassionate pleas and entreaties [before the Omnipresent One].” (Avot 2:13)
It is forbidden for a person to be obstinate about anything. That is, in his prayer, it is prohibited to stubbornly insist that the Holy One must fulfill his request. This is like taking something by force, by robbing it.
Rather, a person has to pray and beseech God with compassionate pleas and entreaties. If God gives it, He gives it; and if not, not. This has been brought elsewhere.
This is: do not make your prayer keva—<The term KeVA (routine)> connotes “stealing,” as it is written (Proverbs 22:23), “and KaVA (rob) the life of those who rob them.”
That is, no matter what a person requests—be it livelihood or children or other needs—it is forbidden for him to stubbornly insist and be obstinate in his prayer; that God must fulfill his prayer. For this is a “keva prayer”—he takes the thing by force, by robbing it. Rather, as explained above, he is to pray “compassionate pleas and entreaties.”
וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה מִתְפַּלֵּל, אַל תַּעַשֶׂה תְּפִלָּתְךָ קֶבַע, אֶלָּא רַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים וְכוּ' (אבות פ"ב).
“When you pray, Al Taas Tefilatkha Keva (do not make your prayer routine), but compassionate pleas and entreaties [before the Omnipresent One].” (Avot 2:13)
כִּי אָסוּר לָאָדָם לַעֲמֹד עַצְמוֹ עַל שׁוּם דָּבָר, הַיְנוּ שֶׁאָסוּר לְהִתְעַקֵּשׁ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ דַּוְקָא אֶת בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ, כִּי זֶה הוּא כְּמוֹ לוֹקֵחַ דָּבָר בְּחָזְקָה, בִּגְזֵלָה;
It is forbidden for a person to be obstinate about anything. That is, in his prayer, it is prohibited to stubbornly insist that the Holy One must fulfill his request. This is like taking something by force, by robbing it.
רַק צָרִיךְ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּרַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים, אִם יִתֵּן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ – יִתֵּן, וְאִם לָאו – לָאו, כַּמּוּבָא בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר.
Rather, a person has to pray and beseech God with compassionate pleas and entreaties. If God gives it, He gives it; and if not, not. This has been brought elsewhere.
וְזֶה: אַל תַּעַשֶׂה תְּפִלָּתְךָ קֶבַע, מִלְּשׁוֹן גְּזֵלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי כ״ב:כ״ג): וְקָבַע אֶת קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָפֶשׁ.
This is: do not make your prayer keva—<The term KeVA (routine)> connotes “stealing,” as it is written (Proverbs 22:23), “and KaVA (rob) the life of those who rob them.”
הַיְנוּ, שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ, הֵן פַּרְנָסָה אוֹ בָּנִים אוֹ שְׁאָר צְרָכִים, אָסוּר לְהִתְעַקֵּשׁ וְלַעֲמֹד עַצְמוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, שֶׁדַּוְקָא יַעֲשֶׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת תְּפִלָּתוֹ, כִּי זֶה הוּא תְּפִלַּת קֶבַע, שֶׁלּוֹקֵחַ הַדָּבָר בְּחָזְקָה, בִּגְזֵלָה, רַק יִתְפַּלֵּל רַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים כַּנַּ"ל:
That is, no matter what a person requests—be it livelihood or children or other needs—it is forbidden for him to stubbornly insist and be obstinate in his prayer; that God must fulfill his prayer. For this is a “keva prayer”—he takes the thing by force, by robbing it. Rather, as explained above, he is to pray “compassionate pleas and entreaties.”