In Defense of Prayer-בהגנת התפילה

Recently, I read (and was appalled by) a source sheet that encouraged readers to shorten their daily prayer. By quoting Shulchan Aruch out of context, the writer managed to convey seeming halakhic support for the notion of taking out many psalms from Pesukei Dezimra, as well as maybe even shortening Shemoneh Esrei. This source sheet is s response to the aforementioned one, and I sincerely hope that you heed the call to stick to the siddur instead of withdrawing meaningful praises and prayers.

שבת קי״ח ב:ה׳

א"ר יוסי יהא חלקי מגומרי הלל בכל יום

Shabbat 118b:5

Rav Yose said: May my lot be like those who complete Hallel every day!

Rambam, as well as many others, take the word Hallel to refer to the final six psalms of Tehillim (due to the fact that a daily recitation of what we call Hallel, Psalms 113-118, is considered blasphemous, and it is therefore impossible that Rav Yose was referring to normal Hallel). According to this interpretation, the recitation of these six psalms is a meritious deed.

Pesukei Dezimra is also a chance to break away from godless, dog-eat-dog, cunningly sly society.

תהילים קמ״ו:ג׳-ה׳

(ג) אַל תִּבְטְחוּ בִנְדִיבִים בְּבֶן אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְשׁוּעָה. (ד) תֵּצֵא רוּחוֹ יָשֻׁב לְאַדְמָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָבְדוּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָיו. (ה) אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁאֵל יַעֲקֹב בְּעֶזְרוֹ שִׂבְרוֹ עַל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו.

Psalms 146:3-5

(3) Put not your trust in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (4) His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his dust; In that very day his thoughts perish. (5) Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

תהילים קמ״ז:י׳-י״ז

(י) לֹא בִגְבוּרַת הַסּוּס יֶחְפָּץ לֹא בְשׁוֹקֵי הָאִישׁ יִרְצֶה. (יא) רוֹצֶה יְהוָה אֶת יְרֵאָיו אֶת הַמְיַחֲלִים לְחַסְדּוֹ. (יב) שַׁבְּחִי יְרוּשָׁלַ‍ִם אֶת יְהוָה הַלְלִי אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן. (יג) כִּי חִזַּק בְּרִיחֵי שְׁעָרָיִךְ בֵּרַךְ בָּנַיִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּךְ. (יד) הַשָּׂם גְּבוּלֵךְ שָׁלוֹם חֵלֶב חִטִּים יַשְׂבִּיעֵךְ. (טו) הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אִמְרָתוֹ אָרֶץ עַד מְהֵרָה יָרוּץ דְּבָרוֹ. (טז) הַנֹּתֵן שֶׁלֶג כַּצָּמֶר כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר יְפַזֵּר. (יז) מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד.

Psalms 147:10-17

(10) He delighteth not in the strength of the horse; He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man. (11) The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, In those that wait for His mercy. (12) Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; Praise thy God, O Zion. (13) For He hath made strong the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee. (14) He maketh thy borders peace; He giveth thee in plenty the fat of wheat. (15) He sendeth out His commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly. (16) He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. (17) He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold?

In beautiful verse, David describes the all-encompassing strength of G-d, his desire for righteousness as opposed to physical strength, and his deserving-ness of praises. Would you, as a millionare, refuse to pay rent to your landlord, especially if he/she/it is especially kind to you? No matter who you are, you have ten minutes in the morning; would you decline to acknowledge the One who sustains the universe?

שמות ט״ו:א׳

(א) אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַיהוָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַיהוָה כִּי גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם.

Exodus 15:1

(1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

Those who know hebrew grammar will realize that the verse should have said, "Shar (sang)", instead of "Yashir (will sing)". The meaning of this switch? Shirat HaYam is not only a historical poem, but is also meant to be sung every day in the future.

The source sheet then turns to Shemoneh Esrei, and, using faulty logic, tries to explain that only the middle blessings of the Amidah are necessary (which means that the sections of praise and thanks are un-needed). I am sure that all of you out there will understand: If you are a slave coming to ask your master for something, would you not praise him and thank him exhaustively?
I will sum up the sheet by providing sources for prayer from last week's as well as this week's Parasha.

בראשית כ״ח:י׳-י״א

(י) וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה׃ (יא) וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃

Gen 28:10-11

(10) And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. (11) And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.

There is a different way to translate the underlined phrase:

תענית ז: 42

...ואין פגיעה אלא תפלה שנאמר (ירמיהו ז, טז) ואתה אל תתפלל בעד העם הזה [וגו'] ואל תפגע בי

Taanit 7b:13

... and there is no term "infliction" except for prayer, as it says, 'And you, do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not come into contact with me."

We can use this source to re-interpret the words of the pasuk: Rather than "he lighted upon the place," we can read "he prayed to the Omnipresent."

Ya'akov is alone, traveling with only a staff in his hand and Yirat Hashem in his heart. How does he survive, even thrive? He prays to Hashem for help, and G-d answers him with a message that He is protecting him.

בראשית ל״ב:י׳-י״ב

(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר֮ יַעֲקֹב֒ אֱלֹהֵי֙ אָבִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם וֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֣י יִצְחָ֑ק יְהוָ֞ה הָאֹמֵ֣ר אֵלַ֗י שׁ֧וּב לְאַרְצְךָ֛ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וְאֵיטִ֥יבָה עִמָּֽךְ׃ (י) קָטֹ֜נְתִּי מִכֹּ֤ל הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכָּל־הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֣י בְמַקְלִ֗י עָבַ֙רְתִּי֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה וְעַתָּ֥ה הָיִ֖יתִי לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת׃ (יא) הַצִּילֵ֥נִי נָ֛א מִיַּ֥ד אָחִ֖י מִיַּ֣ד עֵשָׂ֑ו כִּֽי־יָרֵ֤א אָנֹכִי֙ אֹת֔וֹ פֶּן־יָב֣וֹא וְהִכַּ֔נִי אֵ֖ם עַל־בָּנִֽים׃

Genesis 32:10-12

(9) And Jacob said: ‘O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who saidst unto me: Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good; (10) I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two camps. (11) Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children.

Ya'akov appeals to Hashem for salvation, and miraculously, he is not harmed by his murderous brother and his four-hundred chiefs. Much of Ya'akov's life is full of struggle, pain, and discomfort, yet he surpasses it through sincere prayer to G-d.

So the next time you're sitting down in the morning to daven Shacharit, praise Hashem with all your heart, and do not cut out meaningful psalms, praises, and blessings of thanks to G-d.