Answer: We need to make legal judgements
here regarding two open questions.
1) Is this type of prayer forbidden because it seems like a vain prayer (a
prayer regarding
something that prayer cannot change, e.g. a prayer to change the past) since
"All is in the
hand of Heaven other than the fear of Heaven", which G-d gave over to human
free will
so that there might be reward and punishment in the universe?
2) This seems to be one of the "deep secrets of the Torah" (The phrase is
taken from a
Talmudic dialogue in which King Chizkiyah tries to avoid having children
because he
sees prophetically that his children will be evil, and is told that such
calculations are not
for him to make - "what are you doing dealing with these deep secrets of the
Torah), and
thus (it seems appropriate for human beings to say that) if it seems
appropriate to Him to
cause him (the apostate) to return, he will, and if not, not, since the
prayer's only purpose
for praying is the glory of His Name may It be blessed. So whatever seems
appropriate to
Him, He should do in accordance with His will.
Let us begin by briefly discussing the power-to-choose that was given to
man. This
power-to-choose is not absolute to the extent that G-d will never affect the
hearts of
human beings as He wills in accordance with the depth of His thoughts.
Sometimes the
choice is in human hands, and sometimes G-d "tilts the heart". There are
verses that say
this explicitly, namely "The hearts of kings are in the hands of G-d",
"Therefore I did not
allow you to touch her", and the whole book of Job speaks forcefully about this
type of
power-to choose which is sometimes affected by suffereing which causes one to
turn back
from an evil path, and sometimes not via suffering but rather by G-d directly
"tilting the
heart", as it is written "and I have hardened his heart". And if G-d does this
to cause
people to ?do evil?, all the more so He would do it for good, as it is written
"and I will
remove the stone heart from their flesh", "and I will pour My spirit over
them", "for
behold like matter in the hands of an artisan".
Do not be astonished at G-d's willingness to
change human will after having given them power-to-choose ? this is not a
change in Him, may He be blessed ? as we have seen him behave analogously in
giving the world over to be run by the constellations and laws of nature, but
changing that rule via miracles and wonders, as every member of our nation can
testify personally, in addition to the famous testimonies of the Torah and
prophets, and thus ?astrologers will speak falsehoods?(source?)
No difficulty for this thesis is posed by the
Sages comment on the verse ?Who could make it that their hearts would be like
this ?to serve and be in awe of Me forever??, that (Moshe was criticizing the
Jews for not responding ?You please make it so?, for their it would be their
own prayers and requests which would ause it to be given to them, and it is
similar to our daily prayer ?return us? et al, and it is utterly obvious that
from the time that a person opens himself (to repentance) at all he is assisted
in his intention to become pure. Indeed, without His help may He be blessed,
who could conquer ?those mighty mountains??
However, (the story of Abbay Chilkiyahu and
wife) in Chapter Seder Taanit, where it says ?alternatively, when there were
?biryoni? in my neighborhood, I prayed for their deaths, while she prayed for
them to repent, and they did?, and it appears that they should have asked her
to pray for them, as G-d agreed with her, is not very similar to our case when
analyzed closely. Rashi there translates ?biryoni? as ?ignorant louts?, which
seems difficult, as in Tractate Berakhot and other places he translates the
same word as ?unbounded people? (as in ?unbounded son and bloodshedder?, and in
Gittin as ?amoral and worthless people?. Certainly the reason (for his
differing translations) is that he found it difficult that praying for their
repentance was considered good and worthy of reward when it was a vain prayer.
Thus he explained that they were ?ignorant louts? whose lack of education
caused them to behave as they did, and one can pray for such people (to repent)
as one prays for
the relief of any wound or illness.
It is further possible that this story cannot
be treated as evidence at all. How do we know that Abba Chilkyah?s wife
behaved properly (by praying for their repentance, as ?There is no wisdom in
women other than that of the loom?? The clouds may have appeared on her side
because she benefited the poor more directly (than her husband), as is the case
in the story about Mar Ukva in Ketubot, where her feet are not burned while his
are. This may well be why Abba Chilkyah prefaced this explanation with
?alternatively? when ?furthermore? seems more appropriate ? certainly it was
because he himself was unsure whether she had acted properly.