R’ David Cohen told me that his father, R’ Chananya, had only boys. He prayed to Hashem that in the merit of the Torah and the merit of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, he should be granted a daughter. His prayers were well-received. After nine months, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. But their joy was bittersweet, as she was born handicapped in her legs.
The father thought he had not prayed sufficiently and that was why he was not answered in the best way possible.
One day, arriving home from prayers, he added a prayer of his own, imploring Hashem for a miracle in the merit of the tzaddikim, that his daughter, Miriam, should open the door for him. He knocked on the door, and who should answer it, but his ill daughter!
This story taught me an important lesson. When we pray to Hashem, we should regard our prayer as a skill, just like any other. We must hone it accordingly, knowing when and how to pray properly, with depth and intent, imbuing it with effort and superhuman power. Then our prayers will emerge pure and pristine, a fitting crown for our exalted King.
