The Power of Prayer: When Answers Arrive Like a Sword or a Bow

At the end of one of the clever pranks that Hershele of Ostropol played on the rabbi’s wife in the town of Ostropol, she decided that he would never again set foot in their home, and that she would no longer provide food for his family. Hershele tucked this away in the back of his mind, determined to repay her one day.

The opportunity came sooner than expected. One day, when the rabbi’s wife was in a particularly good mood, Hershele approached her with flattery: “My wife told me she has heard so many praises about you and would love to come visit.” The rabbi’s wife agreed. Hershele then added in a whisper, as if sharing a secret: “You should know, my wife is hard of hearing — you’ll need to speak loudly into her ear.” She agreed to that as well.

He then told his own wife the same story in reverse — that she had been invited by the rabbi’s wife, who was hard of hearing, and she would need to speak very loudly so she could be heard.

When the two women finally met at the appointed time, they began shouting at each other at the top of their lungs, each convinced the other couldn’t hear. The rabbi, whose learning was interrupted by the noise, came out and asked in astonishment, “Why are you shouting?” The two women pointed at each other and cried out together: “Hershele said she can’t hear!”

Jacob’s Final Blessing — and a Hidden Gift

Before Jacob passed away, he called his sons and blessed each one with a blessing suited to him. Before the brothers entered his room, Joseph was already there with his two sons. Jacob gave him a special gift — this time not in front of the other brothers: “And I have given you one portion more than your brothers.” Joseph received the city of Shechem as his exclusive inheritance, and it was there that he was ultimately buried. This was in addition to the inheritance that half the tribe of Manasseh would later receive in the Land of Israel.

Jacob explained to Joseph why he had the right to grant him Shechem outside the general division of the land: “Which I took from the Amorite with my sword and my bow.” Since Jacob himself had conquered Shechem, he was free to give it to whomever he wished — unlike the rest of the land, which would later be conquered by Joshua and the tribes.

Sword and Bow — or Prayer?

While this is the straightforward meaning of the verse, the translation of Onkelos offers a different interpretation of “my sword and my bow”: “with my prayer and my supplication.” In other words, Jacob conquered Shechem not through physical force, but through prayer.

When did this happen?

After Simeon and Levi destroyed the city of Shechem, many armies from surrounding regions came to wage war against Jacob’s family. Midrashic sources describe the bravery of Jacob’s sons in battle — but here Jacob reveals that their true strength did not come from physical might. Though they were few against many, it was his prayer and supplication that secured their victory.

Two Types of Prayer

Why is prayer compared to a sword or a bow? A beautiful explanation offers a deeper understanding:

Prayer has tremendous power to bring about change, but not all prayers operate in the same way.

Some prayers are like a sword: immediate and direct. Just as a sword strikes at close range and remains in the hand of the one who wields it, so too there are prayers that are answered quickly, almost as soon as they are uttered.

Other prayers are like a bow: the arrow is released and travels a distance before reaching its target. Sometimes, because of that distance, one does not even see when or how it hits. Similarly, some prayers are answered only after a long time — and we may not even connect the eventual outcome to the original prayer.

When Prayers Seem Unanswered

There is a story about Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the rabbi of Ponevezh in Lithuania. A woman once came to him and complained: “I pray so much to God, but He doesn’t listen to me!”

The rabbi smiled gently and replied, “Who told you He didn’t listen? It’s very possible He heard your request, but decided to answer ‘no.’”

The Power of Prayer

God has given us an incredibly powerful tool of prayer.

Like a loving father, He wants to hear the voices of His children. Things don’t always go the way we want, and we encounter obstacles or dead ends, so that we will turn to Him.

The Sages taught that no prayer ever goes to waste. Some are answered later, like the arrow from a bow. Others are not granted at all, because they are not truly good for us.

Our role, as children of a loving Father, is to continue asking, again and again, about everything that matters to us.

Because no matter what, He is always listening.