Most people will pour out their deepest heartfelt prayers only after feeling pain or by sensing a desperate need for help. But right, it's so hard to invoke sincere prayers every single day? Isn't it the hard times that remind us how sidetracked we've gotten? Understanding the root of tefillah will get us back on track - even during those times we're just not in the mood.
Our sages tell us that God really tries to answer our prayers, but will only nudge us in directions that are beneficial. Mrs. Blatt shows how every word of the Amida (silent formal prayer) is synched to our deeper inner wishes, and how the 'tenor' of our speech outside of prayer is like waving a magic wand that gets your every wish answered.
Throughout the centuries, both simple people and great Torah sages have poured years and tears into the holy words of Tehillim - not only to reaffirm their belief, but also as a way of expressing their inner longings and sorrows. This masterfully presented overview of King David's deepest heartfelt sentiments sets the stage for understanding Hashem's mysterious ways, and for finding more meaning in our prayers by awakening those same yearnings within our own hearts.
In this classic series Rav Berkovits reads out the Shulchan Aruch and Rama and traces the topic back to its original sources in the Gemora and Rishonim. He then, with crystal clarity, brings the principle(s) forward to explain how the later Acharonim, the Mishna Brura and modern day poskim apply it to the current generation.
Which aspect carries more weight in Tefillah, to praise Hashem, or to ask Him for all our needs? Rabbi Schoonmaker’s answer leads to a discussion on why we were instructed to begin our prayers with praise, and how this qualitative edge assists us to enrich every request that follows.
Taking stock of the day of reckoning, which will coincide with Hashem's ultimate revelation of being the only force behind the physical world, is not so easy - but necessary. Mrs. Juravel describes the fairness and justice that Hashem uses when considering His beloved creations. Preparing for that future day now by living a perfectly pristine life is impractical. So what can we realistically do to reorient ourselves so as to avoid the shock of that ultimate rebuke?
Mrs. Juravel looks at the link in tefillah between the end of Tehillim to the rest of Shacharis. it is especially interesting that Vayvarech David is the next prayer after Tehillim and that we suddenly interrupt it by giving tzadakah. Hear the significance of following the spiritual high of Tehillim with the practical act of charity, and how this affects the way we view our blessings.
Tehillim are not just a set of blessings and prayers to be recited during tough times. Rebbetzin Kalmanowitz explains how they purify the person who recites them; how they have the power to dissolve the barriers that separate us from Hashem; how they show us the beauty and the value of the individual and the nation, and how we are to jubilantly sing them during our high times of Simcha.
Prayer is not primarily reserved for those with moral refinement or spiritual greatness. Rebbenzin Karlinsky explains the benefits of formal and informal prayer, and how your every glance to the Creator expresses true faith in Him. Hear incredible stories and impossible outcomes borne from tefillah, plus excellent answers for 'Why didn't anything change when I prayed with all my heart?'
Perhaps we pray to flag God's attention, or maybe it's to butter Him up? Or maybe as Rav Yaakov explains in this anatomy of tefillah just how k'dei it is to keep moving towards an intimate relationship with God.