Two men came before Rabbi Eliezer to pray. One prayed at great length, pouring out his heart in elaborate, detailed petitions that went on and on. The other prayed briefly — a few words, simply and directly, and was done.
The Talmud (Berakhot 34a) records that Rabbi Eliezer's students were troubled by the short prayer. "Master, this man prays too briefly! He rushes through his words as if he cannot wait to be finished with God."
Rabbi Eliezer replied: "Is his prayer shorter than the prayer of Moses?" When Moses's sister Miriam was struck with leprosy, Moses prayed just five words: "El na, refa na la" — "Please, God, heal her, please" (Numbers 12:13). Five words. The shortest prayer in the Torah. And God answered it.
When the students then criticized the long prayer — "Master, that man prays too long!" — Rabbi Eliezer replied: "Is his prayer longer than the prayer of Moses?" After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses prayed for forty days and forty nights without ceasing (Deuteronomy 9:25). The longest prayer in the Torah.
The lesson was clear: neither length nor brevity determines a prayer's value. What matters is whether the heart is in it. A long prayer without intention is empty noise. A short prayer with total devotion reaches the heavens instantly. God does not count words. He weighs hearts.