Why does Hashem not hear our prayers?  If He is omnipotent, why can He not do us a “small” favor. Perhaps cure my neighbor of cancer, or send me a winning lottery ticket.  To quote Tevye, “Would it spoil some vast eternal plan, if I were a wealthy man?”  Let’s find out.

The Gemara after the Mishna on Amud beis notes that according to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, “Even a barrier of iron does not separate between the Jewish people and their Father in Heaven.” Which means according to Tosafos, in terms of answering public prayers, such as Kaddish, Borchu, or being yotze hearing shofar or Megillah, no physical barriers interfere. However it is notable, that to add to the required minyan quorum of ten, the members must be all in one area not separated by walls.

Psychologically and spiritually, how do we understand this difference? After all, if it is true that not even an iron wall can separate the Jewish people from G-d, why does a wall stop a minyan?

The logical answer is that the formation of a minyan not only requires a person to connect to G-d, but also to connect to his fellow Jew (see Kitzur 12:2). True the barrier does not stop a person from connecting to G-d, but it can stop people from connecting.

My friends, here we see a powerful lesson. We often cry out to Hashem wondering why He has forsaken us. But maybe that’s not the problem. There are no barriers to G-d. Maybe we have forsaken each other.  We have seen the enemy and it is us.

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

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