The Gemara says that the Avos were childless because this elicited prayer from the Avos and Hash-m desires the tefillos of tzadikkim. From a hashksfic perspective it seems difficult that Hash-m would allow/want a person to suffer just to hear his teffilos. Do any of the meforshim comment on this?
Hillel Lichtman, Queens, NY USA
(Please forgive the delay in response. Technical problems prevented the mailing of a number of responses.)
1) The teaching that Hash-m desires the Tefilos of the Tzadikim is also mentioned in Chulin 60b, and there the Lev Aryeh asks your question: it would not appear to be consistent with the atrribute of Hash-m, that He is good to His creatures, that He should send suffering to the Tzadik in order to fulfil His desire to hear his prayers.
2) The Lev Aryeh answers that Hash-m does this for the good of the Tzadik. As long as the Tzadik has no pain or suffering, he does not notice the Hashgachah of Hash-m and how Hash-m is guarding him. The Tzadik does not realise that it is good in the eyes of Hash-m to hear his prayer, but instead he is wont to believe that Hash-m runs the world merely according to nature, and his love of Hash-m is not as strong as it should be.
3) However, after the Tzadik receives suffering, he calls out to Hash-m in his distress, and Hash-m answers him and saves him from all his pain. The Tzadik can now discern in his heart how Hash-m directs everything and listens to his prayers. He now becomes stronger in his Avodas Hash-m and comes to love Hash-m. It transpires that the suffering he endured was in reality for his own good, because it enabled him to reach this very high level of serving Hash-m through love.
4) The Lev Aryeh writes that this is what David ha'Melech meant when he said (Tehilim 116:1-2), "I love that Hash-m hears the voice of my supplications." David is telling us that he attained the attrribute of loving Hash-m through the fact that Hash-m heard his voice. When David ha'Melech saw that Hash-m was listening to him, he knew that he was important in Hash-m's eyes.
5) This was also taught by David's son, Shlomo ha'Melech, in Mishlei 3:12: "For he whom He loves, Hash-m chastises, and He desires him like a son." The Lev Aryeh explains that when Hash-m desires that somebody should love Him, He rebukes him and afterwards wants him like a son. In this way, the heart of the Tzadik is opened to serve Hash-m out of love.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom