The Requirement of Kavana During Shmoneh Esrei

R. Zera asked him, "Why did the master act so? Is it because the master did not direct his heart [with the first] ? But R. Eleazar has said : A man should always examine himself; if he can direct his heart, then let him pray, but if not, he should not pray!

(15) Inner mindfulness: how does one attain it? Any prayer for which one is not fully mindful is not considered prayer. And if one prays without mindfulness, one must go back and pray [again, this time] with mindfulness. One who is confused or inwardly agitated is forbidden from praying until he settles himself; thus, one who has come in from traveling and is tired or unsettled is forbidden from praying until he settles himself. The sages used to say that he ought to wait for three days until he has rested and his emotions have cooled, and only afterward may he pray.

(16) How is intent (achieved)? A person should urn his heart from all thoughts and envision himself as if he is standing before the presence of God. Therefore he must sit a while before prayer in order to direct his heart and then he can pray with ease and supplications. And he should not treat his prayer like one who is carrying a burden and throws it down and moves on. Therefore he must sit a while after prayer and then take leave. The early pious individuals would wait an hour before prayer and an hour after prayer and would draw out their prayer for an hour.

(1) One who prays needs to have concentration on all the blessings, but if he is not able to concentrate on all of them, he should at least concentrate on the blessing of the forefathers (the first blessing of Shemonah Esrei), but if he doesn't have concentration while saying the blessings of the forefathers, even if he has concentration on the rest [of the blessings], he needs to return [to the beginning of Shemonah] and pray. Gloss: Nowadays we do not return because there is a loss of concentration, and even when he returns [to the beginning of Shemonah Esrei] he will not have concentration; if so, why should he return (Tur)?

A man should not hold the Tefillin in his hand, or a scroll of the Torah on his arm and say his prayers[3]. He may not urinate while holding them, or sleep with them, neither a regular sleep nor a chance sleep. Samuel said: A knife, money, a dish and a loaf come under the same rule.

[If] a Sefer fell on the ground and he is unable to concentrate, it is permissible [for him] to pick it up when he finishes the blessing that he is currently in.