Parshas Shelach
By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
(1) It has been said that Torah study is G-d talking to Man while Prayer is Man talking to G-d. In fact, the very essence of Prayer is standing in front of G-d, the King of all Kings, and having a conversation with Him. There is even an opinion in Halacha (Jewish law) that if one hasn’t envisioned himself standing before G-d during his prayer, then he hasn’t fulfilled his obligation of prayer at all. Yikes!
(2) The root of the Hebrew word for prayer, tefillah, is palal, a word that means to judge, or clarify. What exactly are we judging or clarifying during our prayers? People always question the need for prayer – does not G-d know our requirements without being reminded? Of course He does, He knows them better than we do! If prayer were intended only to inform G-d of our desires and deficiencies, it would be unnecessary. Its true purpose is for us to judge and to clarify for ourselves what are – or what should be - our priorities in life.
(3) “Prayer without Kavanah, is like a Body without a Soul”. Kavanah is the Hebrew word for intention. In its simplest meaning, it refers to concentrating the mind in the performance of a religious act, ensuring that it doesn’t devolve into rote, mechanical action. It is most commonly associated with concentration and intention in Jewish prayer. With regards to the mitzvah of Prayer, one has to know what the words mean in order to fulfill the mitzvah.
(4) It is important to pray in a synagogue whenever possible. The Talmud in Berachos 8a calls one who has a shul in his community yet who doesn’t attend the services there a “bad neighbor”. It is better to pray in a holy place than to pray at home. When looking for a synagogue to join, remember to look for one where there is less talking and more praying.
(5) Even when one can’t attend a shul, one should always try to pray with a minyan – a quorum of ten men over the age of bar-mitzvah. This way one has the merit of the tzibbur, the community, versus praying alone. [For an interesting explanation as to why women are traditionally not counted in a minyan, see Lisa Aiken’s book To Be a Jewish Woman pp. 97-98.]
(6) It is better to pray in Hebrew (Lashon HaKodesh, lit., the “Holy Tongue”) - the language in which the prayers were originally written (for the most part). This is because the Anshei K’nesses HaGedolah – the “Men of the Great Assembly” – who composed these holy prayers over 2000 years ago, invested tremendous spiritual powers into each and every word. [Of course, if you can’t read Hebrew, then another language will have to do – but speak to your rabbi -dz]
(7) The Mahara”l of Prague writes that one has much greater kavanah when praying to G-d with one’s eyes closed than with them open. Others maintain that it is better for kavanah to look inside the Prayer Book while praying - so it depends on each person what they feel most comfortable with.
(8) Shuckeling, from the Yiddish word meaning "to shake", is the ritual swaying that many Jews do during prayer, usually forward and back but also from side to side. As a source for swaying while praying, the Poskim (Halachic authorities) quote the Abudraham who writes that one should shuckel during the prayers, as it is written in Psalms (35:10): “All my limbs will say, ‘G-d, who is like You’”. Prayers should be recited with emotional intensity and fervor to the point that one’s entire body is moved and he can’t help but sway back and forth in ecstasy. [I should point out, however, that there were some Kabbalists such as Rama MiPano who frowned on those who shuckel during the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, as this prayer should be recited while perfectly still without any movement at all, as befitting one who is standing in front of the King of all Kings.]
(9) In addition to the formal prayers that were instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly such as the Shema and its Blessings, and the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah), there is also room for personal prayers as well. In fact, one can speak to G-d anytime!
[Ed. note: To learn more about the depth, beauty and power of prayer, I highly recommend reading Rabbi Yitzchok Kirzner and Lisa Aiken’s book The Art of Jewish Prayer, Aronson Publishers -dz}
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