A Tour of The Daily Prayers: Part 3 of The Heart of Prayer
At first glance, the structure of the prayers in the prayerbook may seem arbitrary. How did the “Men of the Great Assembly,” the Talmudic Sages who authored the basic liturgy of Jewish prayer, devise the structure that has remained for over 2,000 years? In this lesson we discover that daily prayer is a ladder comprised of four rungs – acknowledgment, emotion, intellect and submission – that we are meant to climb in our daily spiritual practice.
Learning Torah and fulfilling mitzvot draw down G-dly light to our world. Prayer is different.
Prayer depends on us: how we pray, what we pray for, etc. We are not simply drawing G-dliness from above, but are actually eliciting G-dliness from within our world. This is why prayer is
compared to a ladder. We ascend through our prayers and then descend with a new inspiration. In this way prayer is unique.
It is when begin the process of bringing G-dly inspiration to the world, rather than simply revealing an outer G-dliness in our world.
1. Rung of Acknowledgment
The first rung is the morning blessings. The purpose of the morning blessings is acknowledging that G-d gives us our soul, our intelligence, our mobility, etc. Still waking up, we aren’t getting emotional or sophisticated; we are simply acknowledging that which G-d provides for us.
2. Rung of Emotion
The second rung of prayer is Pesukei d’zimrah (“Verses of Song”). Song is about emotion, and this is the part of prayer where we express our appreciation for the world around us in an emotional way. We connect to and appreciate G-d’s world.
3. Rung of Intellect
The third rung is the Shema and its blessings. This is the only part of the daily prayer that is biblically required (beyond the general obligation to ask G-d for our needs). In fact, reciting Shema predates the institution of the three daily prayers. The basic purpose of Shema is to intellectually recognize the oneness of G-d, and how nothing in this world is a contradiction to His oneness because it’s all an extension of Him.
The second paragraph of the Shema focuses on loving G-d, which would seem to fit better into the rung of emotion. There are two kinds of emotion: 1. natural, instinctive emotion, which is very powerful, but it isn’t the result of your efforts; and 2. deep, emotional connection that comes from the heart, but is nurtured and developed in the mind.
Thought is
Reprinted with permission from Siddur Tehilat Hashem, published and copyrighted by Kehot Publication Society, All rights reserved. Order online at www.Kehot.com
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THE HEART OF PRAYER | LESSON 3
the most powerful human capacity, and Chassidic philosophy explains that it has the ability to develop emotion in our hearts. For example, a student who is creative and explorative by nature enjoys his/her science classes and requires no effort to commit studying. This same student may not appreciate math because it is very linear and structured. In order for this student to earn a degree, however, mathematics must be studied as well. The student can either tolerate it or can intellectually identify how necessary math is for studies in the sciences, and learn to develop a love and enjoyment for it as well. This is the love discussed in this part of Shema. Our natural selves may not have a natural love to G-dliness, but we can develop an intellectual love through recognizing how vital G-d is to our physical existence.
4. Rung of Submission
The first blessing of the silent Amidah opens with the word baruch (“blessed”), which shares a root with the Hebrew word for “kneeling.” This is what the silent Amidah is about: humbling ourselves before G-d, and requesting that He manifest His blessing and presence in our reality.
This part of the prayer concludes with a blessing for peace because the only receptacle of G-d’s blessing is one of peace.
The Holy One, blessed be He, found no vessel that can [sufficiently] hold the blessing for Israel, save for peace. Talmud Niddah 73a
לא מצא הקדוש ברוך הוא כלי מחזיק ברכה לישראל אלא
Guided Meditation: Part 4 of The Heart of Prayer
The core of every prayer service is the “Amida” or “Shmoneh Esreh” – the silent prayer. But in fact it is not so silent. In order to fulfill the requirements of the silent prayer, we have to physically verbalize the words so that we can hear the words we’re saying. In this lesson we will learn why meditative prayer is both silent and not silent, and also explore several meditations, some of them quite mystical, that deepen our connection to the meaning behind the words.
https://www.chabad.org/1265583
https://www.chabad.org/1265591
http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword_cdo/kid/1205/scope/591213/jewish/Prayer.htm
Lesson 2: The Individual and the Community
Joel Chapter 1:14
ַקְדּשׁוּ-צוֹם ִקְראוּ ֲעָצָרה ִאְספוּ ְזֵקִנים כֹּל יְֹשֵׁבי ָה ֶרץ ֵבּית יְהוָה ֱאלֵֹהיֶכם וְַזֲעקוּ ,ֶאל-יְהוָה
Proclaim a fast call an assembly Assemble all the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of G and cry out to your LORD
2 Chronicles Chapter 20:4 וַיִָּקְּבצוּ יְהוָּדה ְלַבֵקּשׁ ֵמיְהוָה ַגּם ִמָכּל-ָעֵרי יְהוָּדה ָבּאוּ ְלַבֵקּשׁ ֶאת -יְהוָה
And the Judeans gathered to seek help from the LORD from all the cities in Judea they all came to plead before G
2 Chronicles Chapter 20:5 וַיֲַּעמֹד יְהוָֹשָׁפט ִבְּקַהל יְהוָּדה וִירוָּשַׁלִם ְבֵּבית יְהוָה
and Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of G
Exodus Chapter 15:1
ז יִָשׁיר-מֶֹשׁה וְּבֵני יְִשָׂרֵאל ֶאת-ַהִשּׁיָרה ַהזֹּאת ,ַליהוָה
At that time Moses and the children of Israel sang this song of praise to G-d
by Lazer Gurkow
The Amidah, or “Silent Prayer” as it’s commonly called, is, in fact, not silent. You need to verbalize the words so that only you can hear them. If you just scan the words with your eyes, you have not said the Amidah. We are actually encouraged to say the words of other parts of the prayers aloud to promote the correct enunciation and concentration, but not the Amidah, which is a private conversation with G-d.
TEXT 1
Chana’s Prayer
As she kept on praying before the L-rd, Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
ְוָהָיה ִכּי ִהְרְבָּתה ְלִהְתַפֵּלּל ִלְפֵני ה' ְוֵעִלי ֹשׁ ֵמר ֶאת־ִֽפּיָה׃ ְוַחָנּה ִהיא ְמַדֶבֶּרת ַעל־ִלָבּהּ ַרק ְשָׂפֶתיָה ָנּעוֹת ְוקוָֹלהּ לֹא ִי ָשּׁ ֵמ ַע ַוַיְּח ְשֶׁבָה ֵעִלי ְל ִשׁ ֹכָּֽרה׃
KEY SUMMARY
In prayer, we request that G-d actually change His will. Why would G-d acquiesce to our request? Ki Atah shome’ah tefillat kol peh: “Because You listen to the prayer of all mouths” and are prepared to respond to our prayer.
MEDITATION
Meditation I:
“Posaiach es Yodecha — You open Your hand.” Your hand is the source of all blessing that come into this world and You open it generously.
“U’masbia lechol chai — And you satisfy all living beings.” All living beings require the intake of elements from the outside in order to sustain life, which is growth. You ensure that every living being is provided with its sustaining needs. Furthermore, You do not only provide for their minimum needs, but You also provide enough for their satisfaction.
“Ratzon — By Your will.” Everything that is granted is by His will. G-d has a conscious plan for how each living being will receive his or her needs.
Meditation II:
In this meditation, we contemplate the amazing love G-d has for us, even though we are so small and seemingly insignificant. What a warming thought to recognize that our value comes from the fact that G-d values and empowered us.
“Ahavat olam ahavtanu — An everlasting love You have for us.” G-d’s love for us is in sharp contrast to the relationship He has with the angels. Angels do not have free choice; they are programmed to do everything they do.
“Chemla gedola vi’saira chamalta alainu — An exceedingly great love You had for us.” We were granted the gift of free choice, which is the ultimate expression of love. Even though free choice means that we will at times fail and be less than perfect, it provides us with the opportunity to achieve and grow, and that is the “exceeding” love that G-d has for us.
Meditation III:
“Ata kadosh — You are holy.” You, whoever You ultimately are, are beyond our ability to understand or conceive. Yet it is that You that we are addressing.
“Ahavat olam ahavtanu — An everlasting love You have for us.” G-d’s love for us is in sharp contrast to the relationship He has with the angels. Angels do not have free choice; they are programmed to do everything they do.
“Chemla gedola vi’saira chamalta alainu — An exceedingly great love You had for us.” We were granted the gift of free choice, which is the ultimate expression of love. Even though free choice means that we will at times fail and be less than perfect, it provides us with the opportunity to achieve and grow, and that is the “exceeding” love that G-d has for us.
Reprinted with permission from Siddur Tehilat Hashem, published and copyrighted by Kehot Publication Society, All rights reserved. Order online at www.Kehot.com
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THE HEART OF PRAYER | LESSON 4
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NOTES
“V’shimcha kadosh — Your name is holy.” Even Your name, which is only an external expression of You, is also holy and beyond us.
“U’kedoshim bechol yom yehalleucha sela — And the holy ones praise eternally.” We have been granted the extraordinary gift and privilege of being able to offer praise to our G-d, which we will continue to do eternally.
A related theme to thanking the Creator of the Universe for slowing us down connected with computers programmed like angels--I will play these last two lessons many times through to absorb even a fraction of the wisdom you have imparted here, Rabbi Kaplan. One day I will print out the psalms and prayers that you provided on-line. The overall scheme of the thrid and fourth rungs of the ladder of prayer are challenging to me in my 75th year of life and almost or mostly exhilarating in the ways they suggest how to do and be more than I have yet managed to be. Thank you for getting into the centre of a topic with such a generosity of spirit. This podium makes you shine in just the way you have worked so hard to be able to elevate us all. Thank you again!
G-d compensates for humans inability to comprehend the ultimate problem of why bad things happen to good people. Prayers for healing are that compensation.
in response to Brick Hodge:
There are many causes for illness and indeed some may be related to sin. However, our understanding of G-d's oneness is that nothing happens outside of the direct will of G-d and His providence and that includes everything that we see as evil. Why our infinite G-d chooses any particular course of events is, by definition, ultimately unknowable to us as finite human beings. It is part of the famous question, first asked by Mosses himself, why bad things to good people and good things to bad people.
Indeed, because we can't know or understand these things we have the ability to ask G-d to reverse course and heal the sick, bring relief to the suffering and sooth the broken spirits.
Shmuel Kaplan
February 13, 2018
in response to Brick Hodge:
There are many causes for illness and indeed some may be related to sin. However, our understanding of G-d's oneness is that nothing happens outside of the direct will of G-d and His providence and that includes everything that we see as evil. Why our infinite G-d chooses any particular course of events is, by definition, ultimately unknowable to us as finite human beings. It is part of the famous question, first asked by Mosses himself, why bad things to good people and good things to bad people.
Indeed, because we can't know or understand these things we have the ability to ask G-d to reverse course and heal the sick, bring relief to the suffering and sooth the broken spirits.
Can you elaborate on G-d's to reverse the course on his otherwise unknowable edicts? Prayer can reverse his immutable course > His designs are therefore not immutable and we can reason with G-d as Isaiah states?
Shmuel Kaplan
February 13, 2018
in response to Brick Hodge:
There are many causes for illness and indeed some may be related to sin. However, our understanding of G-d's oneness is that nothing happens outside of the direct will of G-d and His providence and that includes everything that we see as evil. Why our infinite G-d chooses any particular course of events is, by definition, ultimately unknowable to us as finite human beings. It is part of the famous question, first asked by Mosses himself, why bad things to good people and good things to bad people.
Indeed, because we can't know or understand these things we have the ability to ask G-d to reverse course and heal the sick, bring relief to the suffering and sooth the broken spirits.
Can you elaborate on G-d's designs to reverse the course on his otherwise unknowable edicts? Prayer can reverse his immutable course > His designs are therefore not immutable and we can reason with G-d as Isaiah states?
I am so grateful for your very lucid teachings Rabbi Gurkow. I have learned so much in your presentation and it has seeped down to my soul which has been lethargic and cold for a long time. My intellect was engaged but this soul of mine uttered words often mindlessly. How grateful I am that G-d allows a spectrum of kavanah and awaits with patience and inexpressible love as I grow and mature in love. I am so grateful that he gave us Hillel the more merciful application of Judaism, and then you await our progress to Moschiach where the more demanding and Shammaite /Talmudic expectancies will prevail. We will welcome such expectancies prevail in that era where our only preoccupation will be to know and love G-d and our neighbor with no distractions ED Y
