What is Tefillah Really About?

On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed - how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, ...But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree.

(10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to the LORD, weeping all the while. (11) And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Adonoy of Hosts. Why was this Name designated here? She [Chana] said before Him, "Lord of the universe, You created two hosts in Your world. The heavenly beings neither multiply nor do they die; the earthly beings both multiply and die. If I am of the earthly beings, let me multiply and die, and if I am of the heavenly beings, let me not die." I found [this explanation] in the Aggadah of R. Eliezer the son of R. Yose Haglili. Our Rabbis in Maseches Berachos, expounded what they expounded: —Until then, there was no one person who called the Holy One, Blessed is He, [Master of] Hosts. She said thus before Him; "Lord of the universe, of all the hosts which You created in Your world, is it difficult for you to grant me one son?"

(1) And Hannah prayed: My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is high through the LORD. My mouth is wide over my enemies; I rejoice in Your deliverance. (2) There is no holy one like the LORD, Truly, there is none beside You; There is no rock like our God. (3) Talk no more with lofty pride, Let no arrogance cross your lips! For the LORD is an all-knowing God; By Him actions are measured. (4) The bows of the mighty are broken, And the faltering are girded with strength. (5) Men once sated must hire out for bread; Men once hungry hunger no more. While the barren woman bears seven, The mother of many is forlorn. (6) The LORD deals death and gives life, Casts down into Sheol and raises up. (7) The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He casts down, He also lifts high. (8) He raises the poor from the dust, Lifts up the needy from the dunghill, Setting them with nobles, Granting them seats of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s; He has set the world upon them. (9) He guards the steps of His faithful, But the wicked perish in darkness— For not by strength shall man prevail. (10) The foes of the LORD shall be shattered; He will thunder against them in the heavens. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give power to His king, And will raise the horn of His anointed one.

(2) Jonah prayed to the ETERNAL his God from the belly of the fish. (3) He said: In my trouble I called to GOD, Who answered me; From the belly of Sheol I cried out, And You heard my voice. (4) You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; All Your breakers and billows Swept over me. (5) I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy temple? (6) The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head. (7) I sank to the base of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. Yet You brought my life up from the pit, My ETERNAL God! (8) When my life was ebbing away, I called GOD to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy temple. (9) They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare,awelfare Meaning of Heb. uncertain. (10) But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is GOD’s!

Know! when a person prays in the fields, all the flora enters into the prayer, helping him and strengthening his prayer. And this is the reason prayer is called a sicha (conversation), as in the concept that comes from "the siach [translated in context as "shrub," but also means "conversation"] of the field" (Genesis 2:5) - that every "siach of the field" lends help and strength to one's prayer. This is the concept of “And Yitzchak went out lasuach (to converse) in the field” (ibid. 24:63) - his prayer was with the help and power of the field. All the flora of the field empowered and assisted his prayer, on account of which prayer is called sichah.

"Hitbodedut" is the highest level of all, which means to set aside an hour or more to seclude himself in a room or in a field, and to express himself in dialogue with his Creator, with claims, words of favor, and to request and supplicate before God in order for God to draw him close to true Divine service. And this prayer should be in one's native language which is German (in our country), because in Hebrew it is hard to express oneself, and the heart isn't drawn after such words...

And it is that which is [truly] in his heart that he should speak and explain before the Holy One of Blessing whether it be regret and teshuvah on the past, or supplications and pleas to draw nearer to God in truth from that day on, and similar things, each according to his level.

I will bring them to My sacred mount
And let them rejoice in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
Shall be welcome on My altar;
For My House shall be called
A house of prayer for all peoples.”