Even in the metaphysical world where all things are possible, it can be a bad idea to push too hard. Our Gemara on Amud Aleph, according to one text of Rashi, discusses an “oath” placed upon the Jewish people in exile to abstain from “pushing for the end.” Rashi explains the Jewish people should not force the Mashiach to come via excessive prayer.

That is a difficult idea to understand. Can there be too much prayer? And I think it is even more complicated than just saying it is disrespectful to cajole and “nag” God, as it were. If that was the only point being expressed, it wouldn’t be described as ידחקו את הקץ pushing for the end, which implies some degree of effectiveness. It is not merely improperly praying excessively, whatever that is supposed to mean, but also in some way actually forcing it to come about. Otherwise the language would be something like יפצירו את הקץ which means to urge verbally. ידחקו in Hebrew means to push against an object with some traction. (See Rashi Devarim 3:26, where יפציר is used in this exact context.)

There is another example of this phenomenon when Moshe beseeches Hashem to let him enter Eretz Yisrael and Hashem says (ibid):

וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר  ה׳ בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה׳ אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

But ה׳ was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. ה׳ said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!

What goes wrong, metaphysically, when a person pushes too hard and prays for something, and gets it, despite not “deserving” it? Arvei Nachal (Yisro) explains that if something comes before its natural predetermined time, it is less supported by nature itself. This makes it more susceptible to “kitrug” (accusations of Satan). Perhaps we can say it is lacking in a certain deterministic momentum, making it more subject to chance, chaos and losing divine protection as a result of sin. 

He suggests that Rivka’s distress over her pregnancy (“If so, why do I exist?” (Bereishis 25:22)) was due to the same idea. She feared that by praying too much and demanding that she have a child, it came too soon, and therefore her pregnancy was difficult and fraught with bad omens.  

This may be similar to another situation in the Torah where a redemption was rushed. As it states in the Haggadah, The Holy One Blessed be He, calculated the end of times, which seems to mean that Hashem went with a more lenient interpretation of exile, and started the clock counting from the birth of Yitschok (see Aburdaham on the Haggadah).  Why did Hashem hurry the Jews out? There is this idea that the Jews already hit 49 gates of impurity, and had they stayed in Egypt any longer, they would have been lost (see Maaseh Rokeach Mishna Pesachim 22, also Chasam Sofer Al Hatorah Vaera 3 and Olas Reiyah Haggadah “Ha Lachma Anya.”)

What is the result of having rushed the Jews out of Egypt before they were ready?  Perhaps the Golden Calf and other failures in the wilderness.  Think of it with the following metaphor: Imagine you have a child who is educated in an out-of-town school, which is local to you but not up to your religious standards. As he or she gets older you feel the influence of peers is not positive, so you send him or her to a more frum high school to board, even of he or she is not so ready to leave home or must skip a grade.  The calculation may be a necessary one, but there also will be consequences for hurrying a developmental process.  I believe this is the idea being expressed by that text in Rashi. Hashem may listen to the prayers, and it could be helpful in one way, but as they say, be careful what you wish for. 

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

Do you like what you see? Please subscribe and also forward any articles you enjoy to your friends, (enemies too, why not?)