Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi – Jewish with Feeling
“We are asking the mind to understand that there are some things the mind cannot do. We cannot think our way to G-d. We cannot reach G-d by a safe step-by-step process.”
Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo – Siddur Nehalal beChol
How does man dare to speak to God, the Master of the Universe? The presumption that man can just open his mouth and believe that God will listen to him is unrivaled impertinence. Most of the time, then, praying is a preparation for prayer. Only occasionally with there be a glorious moment when the praying man will actually pray."
R' Joseph Albo, Sefer Halkkarim Ch. 18
"Influence comes down from above when the recipient is in a certain degree and state of preparation to receive them. And if a person does not prepare himself he withholds the good himself."
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks – The Koren Machzor
“In prayer we speak to a presence vaster than the unfathomable universe yet closer to us than we are to ourselves: the G-d who listens and cares, loves and forgives.”
Excerpts from Your Word is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer (Jewish Lights: 1993)
R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch, Maggid Devarav L’Ya’akov, 14a
As a person begins to pray, reciting the words:
“O Lord, open my lips
and let my mouth declare Your praise,”
the Presence of God comes into him.
Then it is the Presence herself
who commands his voice;
it is she who speaks the words through him.
One who knows in faith
that all this happens within him
will be overcome with trembling
and with awe.
R. Yisrael Ba’al Shem, Tza’va’at RiVaSH 4b
There are times when the love of God
burns so powerfully within your heart
that the words of prayer seem to rush forth,
quickly and without deliberation.
At such times it is not you yourself who speak;
rather it is through you
that the words are spoken.
How might we understand this mystical reading of tefila?
One who says the Tefillah must direct their heart to each benediction ; but if unable to do so to each one, they must at least direct their heart to one. To which? R. Hiyya stated that Rab Safra said in the name of one attached to the school of Rabbi : To the "Patriarchs and Matriarchs."
(כה) את גדלך זה האל הגדול. ואת ידך החזקה. זה אתה גבור. אשר מי אל בשמים. כנגד אתה קדוש. אעברה נא. אל ישאל אדם צרכיון בשלש ראשונות:
Your greatness - this is HaEl HaGadol. And Your strong hand - This is You are mighty. That no god in heaven - that corresponds to You are Holy. Let me please cross over - a person should not ask for her/his [personal] needs in the first three [blessings of the Amidah]
(יז) ואדוני האדונים מנהיג המנהיגים והם הגלגלים ומניעיהם שהנהגת כולם מכוונת להשיג תכלית כוונתו כענין המלאכות הפרטיות ביחוד אל הראשיות:
(17) ואדוני האדונים, the supreme leader; the “leaders” referred to are the celestial bodies, especially those that even to the naked eye appear as performing a recognisable orbit. The “leaders” are the ones perceived as guiding and dictating the respective orbits of these celestial bodies. They are performing like different parts of a clockwork, so that when each performs its assigned function, the whole, i.e. the clock, becomes a reliable instrument telling time. [my metaphor. Ed.]
(יז) האל הגדול שאין נמצא שוה לו במדרגת מין מציאותו:
(17) הא-ל הגדול, the like of whom in greatness is not found among any creatures claiming greatness.
(יז) הגבור המקיים כל המציאות במציאותו כאמרו ואתה מחיה את כולם:
(17) הגבור, the One Who, single-handedly, ensures the continued existence of everything, as per Nechemyah 9,6 ואתה מחיה את כולם, “and You keep all of them alive.”
(יז) והנורא משגיח לשלם ולענוש באופן שראוי לירוא מפניו:
(17) והנורא, supervising His creatures’ activities in order to mete out reward and punishment. Seeing that this is so, it behooves us to be in constant awe of Him.
תניא כוותיה דרבי יוסי בר' חנינא אברהם תקן תפלת שחרית שנא' (בראשית יט, כז) וישכם אברהם בבקר אל המקום אשר עמד שם ואין עמידה אלא תפלה שנאמר (תהלים קו, ל) ויעמד פינחס ויפלל יצחק תקן תפלת מנחה שנאמר (בראשית כד, סג) ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה לפנות ערב ואין שיחה אלא תפלה שנאמר (תהלים קב, א) תפלה לעני כי יעטף ולפני ה' ישפוך שיחו יעקב תקן תפלת ערבית שנאמר (בראשית כח, יא) ויפגע במקום וילן שם ואין פגיעה אלא תפלה שנאמר (ירמיהו ז, טז) ואתה אל תתפלל בעד העם הזה ואל תשא בעדם רנה ותפלה ואל תפגע בי
There is a teaching in agreement with R. Jose b. R. Hannina: Abraham instituted the morning Tefillah; as it is said, "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood" (Gen. xix. 27) — "standing" means prayer; as it is said, "Then stood up Phineas and prayed" (Ps. cvi. 30). Isaac instituted the afternoon Tefillah; as it is said, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide" (Gen. xxiv. 63) — "meditation" [sihah] means prayer; as it is said, "A prayer of the afflicted when he fainteth, and poureth out his complaint [sihah] before the Lord" (Ps, cii. 1). Jacob instituted the evening Tefillah ; as it is said, "And he lighted [paga'] upon the place, and tarried there all night" (Gen. xxviii. 11) — "alighting" means prayer; as it is said, "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession [paga'] to Me" (Jer. vii. 16).
(ה) ויתן אברהם וגו' אָמַר רַ' נְחֶמְיָה בְּרָכָה דִיאַתַּיקַי, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה לְאַבְרָהָם וְהָיָה בְּרָכָה הַבְּרָכוֹת מְסוּרוֹת בְּיָדְךָ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת מִי שֶׁתִּרְצֶה, וְאַבְרָהָם מְסָרָן לְיִצְחָק (בראשית רבה):
(5) AND ויתן אברהם וגו AND ABRAHAM GAVE etc. — R. Nehemiah said, he gave him the blessing as a legacy. The Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Abraham (12:2) “Be thou a blessing” which means “the blessing are entrusted to you that you may bless whomsoever you please”, and Abraham transferred them to Isaac (cf. Genesis Rabbah 61).
And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.