Community Magazine January 2017

The Top 10 For the Hatzlacha of Michal and Sivan Bat Tovah RABBI DANIEL D. LEVY Kavanah In Tefilah – Intention During Prayer 1 WHAT IS THE BASIC KAVANAH (INTENT) ONE SHOULD HAVE WHEN PRAYING? The Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim (O.C. 98:1) states that one who is praying should: a) Have kavanah in regards to the simple interpretation of the words he is praying by thinking of their meaning before saying them. The Kaf Hachaim (O.C. 98:2) emphasizes that one should be particularly sure to enunciate and pronounce the vowels of each word correctly. b) One should also envision, to the best of his ability, that Hashem is in front of him. In that vein, he should be mindful of the fact that he is standing in front of Hashem. To ground his understanding, he should remove all other thoughts from his head and visualize himself standing in front of a human king. In that situation, how much would he take care with his words so as not to stumble? All the more so, then, would he act respectfully in front of Hashem the King of Kings. The Mishnah Berurah (98:1) says that one shouldn’t focus on the deep mystical meaning of the words or on connecting Hashem’s names to them, unless he is on an extremely high level, as more damage than benefit can come from such actions if any average person were to attempt them. 2 WE KNOWTHAT THE ACT OF PRAYER HAS REPLACED BRINGINGA KORBAN (SACRIFICE). WHAT IMPORTANT HALACHOT ARE GLEANEDFROMTHIS COMPARISON? The Shulchan Aruch (98:4) states prayer serves in place of a sacrificial offering to Hashem. Therefore one should be cautious to: a) Focus while praying, without allowing intruding thoughts to enter his mind. After all, entertaining other intruding thoughts while performing a sacrifice rendered it invalid. b) Stand during Amidah, just as the service of the korban was done standing. c) Have a set place to pray just as a korban had a designated place in which it was slaughtered and its blood sprinkled before the sacrifice. d) Allow no separation between oneself and the wall, just as a chatzitzah (separation) between a person and the vessel of service disqualified the korban . e) Don special, respectable garments for prayer, just as the Kohenwore special garments when performing his service in the Beit Hamikdash. Even if one cannot afford a whole special wardrobe for prayer, he should at the very least wear a clean pair of pants in honor of standing in front of Hashem. 3 ASSUMING ONE DOES HAVE KAVANAH , IS THERE AN OTHER KIND OF MINDSET THAT WOULD PREVENT ONE’S PRAYERS FROM BEING ACCEPTED? The Shulchan Aruch (98:5) states that one shouldn’t think to himself, “Since I had kavanah it is befitting for Hashem to fulfill my request,” as such thoughts cause Hashem to analyze whether this individual is truly worthy of receiving his heart’s desires. Rather one should humble himself and think, “I am a poor simple creation standing in front of the King of Kings. Please Hashem, although I may not be worthy of this desired request, in Your abundant kindness and mercy, please fulfill my request.” 4 WHAT ACTIONS CAN ONE TAKE TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR PRAYING? The pasuk says “ Hikon LeKrat Elokecha” – prepare yourself before coming in front of Hashem. Just as meticulous preparation before a wedding enhances the pleasure of the wedding itself, so too, the more one prepares himself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to converse with Hashem, the more enjoyable and powerful his praying experience will be. Here are some recommended ways to prepare for prayer: a) When possible, one should arrive early to minyan in order to spend time clearing his mind before beginning to pray. His mind should be clear and pure for tefilah . (Shulchan Aruch 98:1) b) Before praying, it is advisable not to engage in trivial matters or idle speech. Rather one should pursue spiritual actions such as dipping in a mikveh , doing netilat yadayim , learning Torah, or giving tzedakah (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 92:10). As it says in Tehilim, “ Ani Betzedek Echezeh Panecha” – I (Hashem) will come in front of your face with righteousness” – meaning when one behaves righteously. c) One should prepare himself physically by blowing his nose and using the restroom before beginning his prayers. He should also clean his physical surroundings so that he can maximize his kavanah during tefilah (S.A. O.C. 92:3 and 2:6). d) It says of one who has a set place to pray “The Gd of Abraham will be to his aid.” (Berachot 6b, Shulchan Aruch 90:19) 5 WHAT IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR ONE TO FULFILL HIS OBLIGATION OF PRAYING THE AMIDAH? At a bare minimum, one needs to have kavanah in the first berachah of the Amidah, concluding with the words “Magen Avraham.” Although it does state that one who didn’t have this minimal kavanah on any blessing must repeat the Amidah, numerous Halachic sources concede that since the average person’s kavanah today is not stellar, it is advisable not to repeat the Amidah, as this might constitute saying a blessing in vain if proper kavanah is not executed the second time. At the very least, one should face eastward and have in mind that he is standing in front of Hashem in the direction of the Kodesh Kodashim in the Beit Hamikdash. 6 WHAT IS A PERSON ALLOWED TO HOLD WHILE PRAYING? The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 96:1,2) explains that one should not hold any object that he fearsmay fall out of his hand, (such as tefillin , a holy book, a full plate, a knife, or money), so that he doesn’t become distracted while praying. Additionally, the Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 97:7) says that one should not hold a tissue or a cane during tefilah . However, holding a lulav during tefilah on Sukkot is permitted, since one is involved in a beloved mitzvah while using it. Also, a Sefer Torah may be held during prayers at the appropriate timewhen the Torah is taken out. Likewise, onemay hold a siddur in which to pray from, since he is using it to enhance his praying. Questions & Answers Regarding Customs and Laws of 46 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE