Bach in Yoreh De'ah, at the end of siman 217, cites Rav Chaim Paltiel, who claims that Calev was certainly not praying to the Patriarchs, as it is forbidden to address the deceased in prayer. Rather, Calev was praying to Hashem, and he chose the gravesite of the Patriarchs as an appropriate location for his prayer because prayer is more effective in holy places. Alternatively, Mishnah Berura, at the end of siman 581, writes that instead of addressing the deceased, one may ask Hashem to assist him in the merit of the deceased.
The language of the Gemara in Sotah (34b), however, indicates that Calev directly addressed the Patriarchs. "He said to them, 'My fathers! Pray for mercy on my behalf...'" How can these two interpretations be reconciled with the language of the Gemara?
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