The Spiritual Dialogue Prayer AJR - Summer 2024

The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that rain must be mentioned specifically in the Amidaprayer? The Gemara answers: As it was taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:13). Which is the service of God that is performed in the heart? You must say that this is referring to prayer. And, afterward, it is written: “And I shall give the rain of your land in its due time, the first rain and the last rain” (Deuteronomy 11:14). This juxtaposition teaches that it is appropriate to request rain while engaged in the service of the heart, i.e., prayer.

(1) It is a positive Torah commandment to pray every day, as [Exodus 23:25] states: "You shall serve God, your Lord." Tradition teaches us that this service is prayer, as [Deuteronomy 11:13] states: "And serve Him with all your heart" and our Sages said: Which is the service of the heart? This is prayer.The number of prayers is not prescribed in the Torah, nor does it prescribe a specific formula for prayer. Also, according to Torah law, there are no fixed times for prayers.
(2) Therefore, women and slaves are obligated to pray, since it is not a time-oriented commandment.Rather, this commandment obligates each person to offer supplication and prayer every day and utter praises of the Holy One, blessed be He; then petition for all his needs with requests and supplications; and finally, give praise and thanks to God for the goodness that He has bestowed upon him; each one according to his own ability.
(3) A person who was eloquent would offer many prayers and requests. [Conversely,] a person who was inarticulate would speak as well as he could and whenever he desired.Similarly, the number of prayers was dependent on each person's ability. Some would pray once daily; others, several times.Everyone would pray facing the Holy Temple, wherever he might be. This was the ongoing practice from [the time of] Moshe Rabbenu until Ezra.

(4) When Israel was exiled in the time of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, they became interspersed in Persia and Greece and other nations. Children were born to them in these foreign countries and those children's language was confused.The speech of each and every one was a concoction of many tongues. No one was able to express himself coherently in any one language, but rather in a mixture [of languages], as [Nehemiah 13:24] states: "And their children spoke half in Ashdodit and did not know how to speak the Jewish language. Rather, [they would speak] according to the language of various other peoples."Consequently, when someone would pray, he would be limited in his ability to request his needs or to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, in Hebrew, unless other languages were mixed in with it. When Ezra and his court saw this, they established eighteen blessings in sequence.The first three [blessings] are praises of God and the last three are thanksgiving. The intermediate [blessings] contain requests for all those things that serve as general categories for the desires of each and every person and the needs of the whole community.Thus, the prayers could be set in the mouths of everyone. They could learn them quickly and the prayers of those unable to express themselves would be as complete as the prayers of the most eloquent. It was because of this matter that they established all the blessings and prayers so that they would be ordered in the mouths of all Israel, so that each blessing would be set in the mouth of each person unable to express himself.
(5) They also decreed that the number of prayers correspond to the number of sacrifices - i.e., two prayers every day, corresponding to the two daily sacrifices. On any day that an additional sacrifice [was offered], they instituted a third prayer, corresponding to the additional offering.The prayer that corresponds to the daily morning sacrifice is called the Shacharit Prayer. The prayer that corresponds to the daily sacrifice offered in the afternoon is called the Minchah Prayer and the prayer corresponding to the additional offerings is called the Musaf Prayer.

(15) Proper intention: What is implied?Any prayer that is not [recited] with proper intention is not prayer. If one prays without proper intention, he must repeat his prayers with proper intention.One who is in a confused or troubled state may not pray until he composes himself. Therefore, one who comes in from a journey and is tired or irritated is forbidden to pray until he composes himself. Our Sages taught that one should wait three days until he is rested and his mind is settled, and then he may pray.
(16) What is meant by [proper] intention?One should clear his mind from all thoughts and envision himself as standing before the Divine Presence. Therefore, one must sit a short while before praying in order to focus his attention and then pray in a pleasant and supplicatory fashion.One should not pray as one carrying a burden who throws it off and walks away. Therefore, one must sit a short while after praying, and then withdraw.The pious ones of the previous generations would wait an hour before praying and an hour after praying. They would [also] extend their prayers for an hour.

(18) Similarly, one should not stand to pray in the midst of laughter or irreverent behavior, nor in the midst of a conversation, argument or anger, but rather in the midst of words of Torah.[However, one should not stand to pray] in the midst of a judgment or a [difficult] halachic issue, even though these are words of Torah, lest one's mind be distracted by the halachah in question. Rather, [one should pray] in the midst of words of Torah that do not require deep concentration, e.g., laws that have already been accepted.

(3) A study hall is greater1i.e., it is a more auspicious place to pray. than a synagogue. Even though [some of the] great Sages [lived in] cities where many synagogues were located, they would pray only in the place where they studied Torah. The above applies, [however, only] when one can participate in communal prayer there.

The Kessef Mishneh mentions the view of certain rabbinic authorities who maintain that it is preferable for a scholar to pray in a study hall even without a minyan. However, he also mentions the opinion of Rabbenu Asher (See Responsum 4) who writes that if the scholars do not appear in the synagogue the common people will assume that their presence is also unnecessary. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 90:18) quotes the Rambam's position.

(1) A person who prayed without concentrating [on his prayers] must pray a second time with concentration. However, if he had concentrated during the first blessing, nothing more is necessary.

It was stated: Rav Yitzḥak bar Avdimi in the name of Rabbeinu, Rav, said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda who said it in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya. The Gemara relates: Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba prayed and then prayed again. Rav Zeira said to him: Why did the Master do this? If you say because the Master did not focus his mind the first time, didn’t Rabbi Eliezer say: One must always evaluate himself before he prays? If he is able to focus his heart on prayer, he should pray, but if not, if he is unable to do so, he should not pray. Apparently, that was not the reason that he prayed twice. Rather, because my Master did not mention the New Moon in his prayer, so he prayed again.

(1)Before One Prays, One Needs to Wait: containing 4 s'ifim.One should wait one [halakhic] hour before he rises to pray [the Amidah] in order to focus his heart to the Omnipresent. And [one should wait] one [halakhic] hour after the prayer, so that it should not seem like a burden to him, that he is quick to leave it.
(2) One should stand to pray with reverence and humility and not in the midst of laughter, frivolity or purposeless matters, and not in the midst of anger. Rather [he should pray] in the midst of joy, like the words of comfort from the Torah, for example those that follow the redemption from Egypt [i.e. the blessing after the Recitation of the Sh'ma] or that follow Tehila l'David [i.e. Psalm 145], where it is written in it "He will do the will of those who revere Him" [and] "Hashem guards all those who love Him." [Psalms 145:19-20].

(1)One Needs to Have Concentration While Praying, containing 5 s'ifim: One who prays needs to concentrate on the meaning of the words which one brings forth from one's mouth. One should consider [it] as if the Divine Presence is opposite one, and remove all distracting thoughts from one, until one's thought and intention remain purely about one's prayer. And one should consider [it] as if one were speaking to before a king of flesh and blood, and one were organizing one's words beautifully and concentrating on them so as not to stumble, all the more [one should do so] before the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, who is Blessed, who examines all thoughts. And so did the pious ones and the men of action, who would seclude themselves and concentrate on their prayers until they would transcend [their] corporeality and strengthen [their] mental power, until nearly arriving at the level of prophecy. And if another thought comes to one in the midst of the prayer, one should be silent until the thought is eliminated. And one should think about things that humble the heart and concentrate it on one's Father in Heaven, and not think about things that contain levity ("light-headedness"). Gloss: Before prayer, one should think about the loftiness of God who is raised up and the lowliness of humanity, and remove all human pleasures from one's heart.
And it is forbidden for a person to kiss one's small children in synagogue, in order to fix in one's heart that there is no love like the love of the Omnipresent Who is Blessed

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David, (2) when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had come to Bathsheba.aCf. 2 Sam. 12.(3) Have mercy upon me, O God,as befits Your faithfulness;in keeping with Your abundant compassion,blot out my transgressions. (4) Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity,and purify me of my sin; (5) for I recognize my transgressions,and am ever conscious of my sin. (6) Against You alone have I sinned,and done what is evil in Your sight;so You are just in Your sentence,and right in Your judgment. (7) Indeed I was born with iniquity;with sin my mother conceived me. (8) bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Indeed You desire truth about that which is hidden;teach me wisdom about secret things.-b (9) Purge me with hyssop till I am pure;wash me till I am whiter than snow. (10) Let me hear tidings of joy and gladness;let the bones You have crushed exult. (11) Hide Your face from my sins;blot out all my iniquities. (12) Fashion a pure heart for me, O God;create in me a steadfast spirit. (13) Do not cast me out of Your presence,or take Your holy spirit away from me. (14) Let me again rejoice in Your help;let a vigorous spirit sustain me. (15) I will teach transgressors Your ways,that sinners may return to You. (16) Save me from bloodguilt,O God, God, my deliverer,that I may sing forth Your beneficence. (17) O Lord, open my lips,and let my mouth declare Your praise. (18) You do not want me to bring sacrifices;You do not desire burnt offerings; (19) True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit;God, You will not despisea contrite and crushed heart. (20) May it please You to make Zion prosper;rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (21) Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness,burnt and whole offerings;then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

(1)That One Must Direct One's Intention For All The Blessings and That One Can Pray In Any Language, containing 4 s'ifim. One who prays [the Amidah] needs to direct one's intention for all the blessings, but if one is not able to direct one's intention during all of them, one should at least concentrate on the blessing of the forefathers [the first blessing of the Amidah]. If one didn't direct one's intention while saying the blessing of the forefathers, even if one directed one's intention for the rest [of the blessings], one needs to return [to the beginning of the Amidah] and pray. Gloss: (Nowadays we do not return [to repeat the prayer when it is] due to a lack of intention, because [there's a fair chance that] even in the repeating [of the Amidah] it is likely that one will not direct one's intention [again]; if so, why should one return?) (Tur)
(2) And one should not only pray in one's heart, but one must actually enunciate the words with one lips and let them be heard in a whisper tone by one's own ears, [however] one should not let one's voice be heard [fully during the Amidah]. [However,] if one is unable to direct one's intention [to the Amidah] while in a whisper tone, one is allowed to raise one's voice. And this is [only] when one is praying privately, but [if one is praying] with the congregation, it is forbidden, as this is a nuisance for the congregation. Gloss: If one is letting one's voice be heard in one's home when praying so that the members of one's household will learn from one, it is permitted (Tur).

On a similar note, the Gemara recounts related stories with different approaches. The Sages taught: When Rabbi Eliezer fell ill, his students entered to visit him. They said to him: Teach us paths of life, guidelines by which to live, and we will thereby merit the life of the World-to-Come.He said to them: Be vigilant in the honor of your counterparts, and prevent your children from logic when studying verses that tend toward heresy (ge’onim), and place your children, while they are still young, between the knees of Torah scholars, and when you pray, know before Whom you stand. For doing that, you will merit the life of the World-to-Come.

This is as the sages (OBM) stated (Avot 2:18) that one who prays must intend his heart/mind toward the Ma-kome. And so too they stated (Avot 2:18) “And when you pray, don’t make…; rather make it [an expression of] compassion and grace before the Ma-kome (blessed is He).” And it’s per the context when Rabbee Eliezer said to his students (Berakhot 28b): “Know before Whom you [plural] are praying.”

Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem.

Along the same lines, Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays? As it is stated: “I will bring them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in the house of My prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). The verse does not say the house of their prayer, but rather, “the house of My prayer”; from here we see that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays. The Gemara asks: What does God pray?Rav Zutra bar Tovia said that Rav said: God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions, and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished, and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy,and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law. Similarly, it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, the High Priest, said: Once, on Yom Kippur, I entered the innermost sanctum, the Holy of Holies, to offer incense, and in a vision I saw Akatriel Ya, the Lord of Hosts, one of the names of God expressing His ultimate authority, seated upon a high and exalted throne (see Isaiah 6). And He said to me: Yishmael, My son, bless Me.I said to Him the prayer that God prays: “May it be Your will that Your mercy overcome Your anger,and may Your mercy prevail over Your other attributes,and may You act toward Your children with the attribute of mercy,and may You enter before them beyond the letter of the law.”The Holy One, Blessed be He, nodded His head and accepted the blessing. This event teaches us that you should not take the blessing of an ordinary person lightly. If God asked for and accepted a man’s blessing, all the more so that a man must value the blessing of another man.

(5) The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.