Parshas Vayichi

כב וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ, שְׁכֶם אַחַד--עַל-אַחֶיךָ: אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי, בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי
The Targum and Rashi explain the words 'sword and arrow' to relate to tefilah. The Brisker Rav explains that there are two types of prayers. We have the Siddur, the daily tefilos that the Anshe knesses Hagdolah implemented. We also have prayers that a Jew can say anytime - speak directly to Hashem- our own words our own tefilah. The difference between them is the same difference between a sword and an arrow. A sword is sharp and can do damage even when a small child is carrying it- it's own sharpness is what damages. An arrow does not have its own power, it needs a bow and someone to shoot it in order for it to damage. The strength of the shooter is what damages. The prayers that Chazal were misaken are like a sword. There is a sharpness to them, the words are potent and full of meaning. When a jew says the words of the Siddur- as weak and lowly as he feels- they can cut through the heavens and have a desired effect. The Nefesh Hachaim says that one should daven from a siddur, for the words and letters themselves, without the meaning of the words, have a certain strength to them. Then we have prayers that are like arrows- the words are made up by us, but they don't have the sharpness of Chazal. In order for those tefilos to have the desired effect we must put our strength into them. We must really direct all of our energies to the prayer to shoot it through the heavens. That is the reason why when one is troubled he goes to a gadol to pray for him. The tefilos we say when we are in trouble, the ones that we say on our own, need more power then the ones that we say everyday.

Mazel Tov to my grandmother, Uncle Yossi and Mendy B. on the birth of a baby boy. May he be a source of nachas for the whole family.