“And we cried out to Hashem the G-d of our forefathers and Hashem heard our voice …” (Devarim 26:7)

The Torah does not state that Hashem heard our prayer but rather that He heard our voice. This teaches us that a person in distress must cry out and Hashem will answer him immediately. Even though Hashem sometimes answers prayers over the course of several days and sometimes even over the course of several years … crying out loud helps. (Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah)

Our prayers are always heard. Sometimes the salvation sprouts later sometimes it seems to simply have come about on its own but it always emanates from our prayers.

But what if we want to be saved immediately? What if we need salvation now? It’s simple: We scream!

“We cried out to Hashem the G-d of our forefathers and Hashem heard our voice.” Not our prayer — the usual softly mumbled words — but our voice the cries and sobs of a broken person who does not let up. Hashem hears the voice that carries our screams.

One should also daven after performing a mitzvah just as we say the prayer of HaRachaman after we perform the mitzvah of bircas hamazon. (ibid.)

When we have a need we should ask Hashem to fulfill it immediately after we’ve done a mitzvah — giving tzedakah taking challah or saying a brachah. The mitzvah adds spiritual merits. This concept was new to me.

The Chofetz Chaim relates that Rav Shlomo Kluger an outstanding talmid chacham and prominent rav was once invited to be sandak at a bris . He came on time but it became clear the family was waiting for something before they began the bris. The minutes kept passing and the bewildering wait continued. Rav Shlomo finally inquired about the delay.

The explanation shocked him. The baby’s father was on his deathbed in another room. His family were at his bedside waiting for the Angel of Death to take his soul so the baby could be named after his father.

As soon as Rav Shlomo heard this he ordered the mohel to do the milah as quickly as possible. He then entered the father’s room. “Mazel tov!” Rav Shlomo wished the father wholeheartedly. “I do not have the ability to force the malach in charge of healing to come here to heal you” Rav Shlomo continued “but the bris is about to begin and the malach of the bris will come to stand alongside the mohel as he has done at every bris since the days of Avraham Avinu to heal the newly circumcised baby. At that point I’ll be able to ask him to enter this room as well to heal you.”

Rav Shlomo returned to the bris. A few minutes later the wails of the infant filled the house. The bris concluded. Almost immediately the father began to recover. Three days later he was walking to shul.

“Chazal advise us to daven for a sick person along with all the ill people in the Jewish Nation and to pray for consolation for a mourner along with all the mourners of Tziyon and Yerushalayim for then the prayers are accepted more readily.” (ibid.)

Our own merits aren’t always sufficient. Sometimes the decree has been sealed sometimes we lack the merit to annul it and sometimes our prayers are weak or insufficient. Let’s include ourselves with all of Klal Yisrael; certainly some of them are more deserving. Hashem will help them and in their merit we’ll also be saved.

Master of the Universe please I need parnassah. Please send me an abundant dignified livelihood from Your open Hand along with the rest of Your people who need sustenance.

Please Hashem help my son get into a good yeshivah where he’ll grow in Torah yiras Shamayim and good middos. Please help him along with all the other bochurim seeking admission to yeshivos.

Please Hashem help me come closer to You to serve You properly and to love You. Please help me along with the rest of Your nation with all the others knocking on the gates of teshuvah during these days.

If I’m not deserving then please grant me my requests along with them and in their merit and hopefully one day I’ll be worthy.