AMIDA: The basic 3.6.6.1.3 structure

The ‘amida is the most important prayer. It was composed by anshe keneset hagedola, the Men of the Great Assembly during the Fifth century BCE. The words of ‘amida are extremely significant, second in their importance only to the words of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). The text of the ‘amida was also formulated in a very precise and sophisticated structure, as follows.
The ‘amida contains 19 berakhot, or blessings, each blessing is dedicated to one theme. The 19 blessings are divided in 3 sections. 
(3) The first section, “Praise”, contains 3 berakhot. In this section we are not asking, nor soliciting anything from God. We begin this prayer by praising Him, declaring that we are aware that He protects us, as He shielded our ancestors. We also acknowledge that our physical survival is entirely dependent on His benevolence (hesed, rahamim). 
(6.6.1) The second section, “Requests” contains 13 blessings. In these blessings we ask God to fulfill our needs. The first 6 blessings of this section we focus on our basic personal needs. We ask God to give us wisdom, health, a decent livelihood, etc.   The next 6 berakhot focus on our national aspirations. We ask God to bring to fruition, soon in our days, redemption (=coming back to Erets Israel), having the right political leaders, re-building Yerushalayim, etc. The last berakha of this section, shome’a tefila, contains a general and comprehensive request. We ask God to listen to all our previous pleads. At the same time, because this berakha does not focus on any specific theme, it allows us to beseech God for any particular requests that might not have been covered in the previous berakhot (for example: finding the right wife/husband, having children, etc.).
(3) The Third section, “Gratitude”, contains 3 blessings:  The middle blessing of this section, Modim, is a prayer of gratitude to HaShem. In the blessing that precedes Modim, we ask God to restore the conditions which will allow us to worship Him once again in His Temple with prayers and sacrifices. Finally, in the 19th and last berakha, we ask HaShem to bless Israel with peace. We end the ‘amida asking for peace, “shalom” because peace is the Jewish people’s highest aspiration, personally and nationally, and the most encompassing of all of God’s blessings.


AMIDA: The after effects of the ‘Amida

Last week we explained that prayer, particularly the ‘amida, requires kavana, the proper state of mind. When praying the ‘amida we don’t allow mundane thoughts to enter our mind. We pay attention to every word we pronounce, focusing our mind exclusively on God. 

A good way to detect if my ‘amida has been said with kavana, is to observe our state of mind after the ‘amida. 

If we have taken seriously the notion that when praying the ‘amida we are literally standing in front of God’s Presence, that experience must have left a very noticeable impact in my thoughts, feelings and values. When we pray the ‘amida with kavana we place God back in the center of this world’s reality. We become more humble. We understand that if we want our lives to be meaningful and we wish to leave the periphery of life, we should get closer to Him. 

After the ‘amida, we should also realize that as much as we push for things to happen, we try to adjust the world to our plans it is HaShem who is ultimately in charge.  No matter how strong, rich, and in good-shape we are, our powers and wishes are limited (or enhanced) by the “G” factor”. After the ‘amida, Emuna/faith, usually understood as “hope”, acquires a new deeper meaning:  “acceptance”.

After praying the ‘amida with Kavana, we reach a deeper state of humbleness.   Conducive to getting closer to God and to a higher level of internal peace. 

However, if after the ‘amida we have not become less self-centered and more God-centered, most probably we have not prayed the ‘amida with the proper Kavana. 

Then, it will be time to review the state of our prayers.   



TEFILA: The basics of the ‘amida

The ‘amida or Shemona-Esre –also called by our Rabbis “Tefila”– is the most important prayer. It is said every day, three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening. When we pray the ‘amida we are talking directly to God. There is nothing more significant for a human being that communicating with his or her Creator.
FOCUS: We should not start praying the ‘amida unprepared or unfocused. The ‘amida requires ‘kobed rosh’, a serious effort of concentration. In preparation for the ‘amida we must visualize and internalize that we are standing in front of the King of Kings. Literally, ‘amida means: “The prayer which is said while standing”. In the Jewish protocol a servant stands in front of his King, with his feet together and keeping his head a little down as a sign of humility and submission to the will of the Monarch.
POSTURE: Strictly speaking, the posture we adopt in the ‘amida conveys: “I’m standing at Your service, waiting for Your command”. For this reason, many would recite the ‘amida with their hands together, on the chest, the right hand holding the left closed fist.
ARTICULATION: The ‘amida should be said articulating the words. Articulation -among other things- facilitates a better concentration (=kavana). We should say the ‘amida whispering it to ourselves (lahash). So low no one else could hear our voice, and loud enough we could hear our own whispering.
KAVANA: When saying the ‘amida, we should think and then delve into the meaning of every word. This mental exercise is called Kavana: consciousness / alertness. Distractions or even having a blank mind is not accepted. If we get distracted during the ‘amida, particularly while saying the first berakha, Magen Abraham, we should say the ‘amida again, provided we are sure that this time we will be able to concentrate properly.

 



TEFILA: Blessing vs Magic

Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel (1437-1508. Tomorrow BH we will have a special column about him) explained that the concept of berakha (=blessing) must be understood from three different viewpoints. 
1. First and most importantly is the berakha that HaShem bestows upon us. His free blessings to us. Everything we have (most of it we take for granted!) is part of the berakha coming from HaShem.  The first example of this berakha is the blessing of procreation. When HaShem, after creating the first forms of life, established the mechanism of procreation so life perpetuates itself. “God blessed them saying: Be fertile and multiply….” (Bereshit  1:22 ).  The creation of life and life’s ability to reproduce itself is part of HaShem’s blessings.  The first type of berakha is ALL what HaShem gives or does for us.   
2. The second type of berakha is from us to HaShem. When a person recognizes, acknowledges and expresses that all what he or she has, comes directly or indirectly from Him. One of the best and most beautiful examples of this type of berakha is the Tefila of King David, which in due of its magnificence we recite everyday while standing (I Chronic. 29:10-13: “Vaybarekh David” . In this superb blessing David blesses HaShem, not by giving something to Him but by acknowledging that He is the Supreme Giver and the Master of the whole universe.   
3. Then there is a third form of blessing, a blessing from man to man. One of the best example of this type of berakha is birkat kohanim, the priestly blessing we read in last weeks’ parasha. The Kohanim bless the people of Israel. But they don’t bestow anything unto us directly, as if they would have some type of superpowers or magic abilities.  The Kohanim invoke the berakha of HaShem: may HaShem bless you and protect you. This type of berakha, when we wish someone to be blessed, never goes directly from man-to-man, but thru HaShem. By invoking His blessings. Not mine. 
(To be continued….)



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This is WATER  

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TEFILA: Understanding The Blessing Asher Yasar

…אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה, וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים, חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים. גָּלוּי וְיָדֽוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶֽךָ, שֶׁאִם יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אוֹ אִם יִפָּתֵֽחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם אֲפִילוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה ,רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת
In Masekhet Berakhot, (60 b) the Rabbis mentioned the blessings to be said every morning when we wake up (birkot hashaḥar). One of them is asher yaṣar. This berakha praises God’s wisdom in the creation of our body and its functions, particularly the digestive system. It refers to the sophisticated processes by which our bodies absorb the nutrients from the food we eat and drink, identifying the good and discarding the waste. Following the words of Yiob (19:26,  “from my body I will see God”) the Rabbis considered our bodily functions as a perpetual testimony of God’s wisdom. 
  
God designed a self-sufficient and autonomous body–with organs and numberless orifices and valves–which heals itself without our voluntary intervention. 
  
This berakha also hints that most of us only realize the full extent of God’s wisdom in the fashioning of our body when our bodies, God forbid, stop working properly.  It indicates that if any element of its sophisticated mechanisms would not work properly–an organ will open up, a body vessel will clog up, or a valve will not unlock–we will not be able to survive.  This berakha opens our eyes and hearts to the wonders of our body, inviting us to recognize the wisdom (and compassion) of its Creator.  
After we leave the bathroom, we wash our hands and recite this blessing of gratitude to the Creator of the awesome human body.
  
“Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who formed man with wisdom and created within him many orifices and organs. It is revealed and known before Your Throne of Glory that if one of them ruptures, or one of them clogs up, it would be impossible to survive even for a short moment. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who heals all bodies and acts wondrously.”
  

READ HERE Dr Daniel Gordis “When Balance becomes Betryal” 



TEFILA: Netilat Yadayim

                  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹ-ינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָֽיִם.
One of the first things we do in the morning is washing our hands in preparation for our prayers. This ritual washing of the hands is called: netilat yadayim. 
Literally, netilat yadayim means “elevating, raising or lifting our hands”.  We use that expression because at the conclusion ofnetilat yadayim the hands are elevated.  Other rabbis (Abuderham) explained that the Hebrew word netila should be understood in the sense of ‘receiving’. i.e., receiving the waters that are poured into our hands. 
The rabbis are divided as to what the main reason for the ritual washing of the hands in the morning is. 
√ The first Biblical source for the washing of the hands is found in Exodus 30:19-20. The Kohanim (=Priests) would wash their hands (and feet) before performing the holy service.  The Rishba says that we imitate the Kohen, preparing ourselves to dedicate our day to serve God, by washing our hands every morning. 
√ According to the Rosh the main reason for netilat yadayim in the morning is basic hygiene. Our hands might have touched unclean parts of our bodies during sleep and therefore, before the morning prayer, we should clean our hands. 
√ The Shulḥan ‘arukh mentions also the reason of impurity (ruaḥra’a). In the words of Rabbi Melamed, when we sleep we lost part of our divine image, which we recover upon waking up.  But the state of impurity remains in the hands until we wash them ritually. This is why the Shulḥan ‘arukh (4:2) indicates that we have to wash our hands, alternating three times, as a purification ritual. 
√ Maimonides mentions the washing of the hands as a prerequisite for every prayer. (MT, Tefila 4:2). Thus, according to Maimonides we should wash our hands not only for the morning prayer (shaḥarit) but for the afternoon and night prayers as well.    Thus,  Psalms 26:6  says: “I will wash my hands in cleanliness,and [then I] will go around Your altar, O Lord”.


“When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.”
                                                                              Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972)



TEFILA: Mode Ani Lefanekha

                       מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ, מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם, שֶׁהֶחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה, רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ.
Virtually all Siddurim (Jewish prayer books) that we have today begin with the prayer Mode (or Moda) Ani Lefanekha…  “I thank You, Oh living and everlasting King, for You have returned to me my soul with [Your] compassion. Great is Your faithfulness”. 
This is a short prayer of gratitude that is said when one wakes up in the morning. It is one of the best known prayers, although ironically, it was not mentioned in the Talmud or Shulchan Arukh.   The first time this prayer appears is in 1599 in the book Seder haYom, written by the Mequbbal Rabbi Moshe ben Makhir from Tzefat (16th Century). 
The content of this beautiful prayer alludes to the idea (or motif)  that  the soul–the sensorial elements of it– is stored by God and it is returned to us when we wake up in the morning.  This idea is based on the Pasuq from the Psalms (31:5) beyadekha -afqid ruchi… “In your hands, oh God, I entrust my soul”. With this prayer we express our gratitude to God for giving us back our spirit of life.  “Mode Ani” paraphrases the belief formulated in “Elo-hay, Neshama…”, which is the original prayer mentioned in the Talmud: when a new day begin and our inert bodies (pegarim metim) recover their vitality, we are virtually born again and for that new opportunity we thank the Almighty. Thus, our first thought and the first word that we utter everyday, is one of gratitude for being alive. 
Mode Ani was formulated to be said before we wash our hands (netilat yadayim) and this is why the name of God does not appear explicitly in it. God is referred to as the “living and eternal King”.  


√ Click here to listen to “Mode Ani”, the song. By Beny Elbaz. 
  
√ Read The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy by Charlie Harary



TEFILA (Jewish prayer): Introduction.

Praying is an innate tendency of any human being who believes in God.  Since God is all-powerful, merciful and compassionate,  man would naturally make contact with Him.  Man has needs and often faces difficulties that cannot be solved by his own efforts. Sickness, accidents or other tragedies bring us to call God. When man is betrayed, or alone or feel hopeless he seeks God for comfort and hope.
Our forefathers have prayed to HaShem numberless times asking for His help or intervention: Abraham prayed to God to spare the lives of the inhabitants of Sodoma and Gomorra. Yitzchaq and his wife Ribqa prayed to HaShem to have a child. Ya’aqob prayed to haShem to save him from the murderous hands of Esav.    Moshe prayed to haShem asking Him to forgive the great sin of the people of Israel (the golden calf). Aharon, Yehoshua’, Shemuel, King David and king Salomon, just to mention a few, prayed constantly to God. 
One of the most famous Biblical prayers, very esteemed by our Rabbis, was the prayer of a woman: Chana, the mother of the prophet Shemuel. Chana was barren and she begged God wholeheartedly to have a son (I Samuel, 1:12) and finally God blessed her with a son.  An extraordinary thing happened then: Chana prayed to God again. This time, with no additional requests, she prayed to praise Him. To acknowledge His power. To assert that He is the One who can turn a poor man rich or a rich man poor. He is the one that gives life or takes life away. Chana prayed to God out of happiness and relief, and to say thank you for her son. 
Prayer is one of the most essential principles of Judaism. Like our forefathers we pray with numberless requests, but we also pray to praise and acknowledge God, and to thank Him for all His blessings to us, as individuals and as part of His chosen Nation.  
(Adapted from Penine Halakha, Tefila, Alef and Bet)

Ninety percent of Americans have a spiritual interlude with God every day, according to a study released by Brandeis University.  See HERE



Praying ‘ exclusively’ to God

23rd day of Av, 5770

God is the only one whom we may serve, praise, and whom we may pray to. Praying to anything or anyone other than God is absolutely forbidden.

We can’t pray to an angel, and not even to ask from an angel to carry our prayer to God.

Three times a day, every day, we express our belief that: “Ki Atta Shomea’ Tefillat Kol Pe…” “YOU listen to everyone’s prayer… “. YOU, directly, without any intermediaries.

While other religions might consider ‘a grave’ (keber) as a sacred place of worship, our Rabbis warned against praying in a cemetery, next to a grave — except for saying Kaddish and Hashkaba — lest one be carried out by an impulse to address a loved one or a deceased Rabbi in his prayers, instead of praying directly to God Almighty. This is why one should avoid praying next to a grave, like other religions do.
Even in me’arat hamakhpela, in Chebron, where the Synagogues are close to the graves of our ancestors, one is warned not to address our prayers, God forbid, to our ancestors but only the God of our ancestors.

Part of being Jewish is the strong belief that haShem is ‘directly’ responsible for our fate. He forbade us to use intermediaries of any sort and commanded us to address and worship Him alone (Va’abadtem Et Hashem Elokekhem… ). Addressing another entity-intermediary –regardless of how important this intermediary might be–would be a great offense to His name.

Maimonides formulated this rule as the 5th of the 13 principles of our faith: “… it is only proper to pray to God. One may not pray to anyone or anything else”



TEFILA and HUMBLENESS

16th of Av, 5770

I’ve got a few new books in Israel. One of them is BET ELOKIM written by Rabbi Moshe ben Yosef Miterany (Salonica 1505- Jerusalem 1585)

In section # 1 he talks about Tefila and the first thing he teaches us is about the attitude of humbleness that we have to show when praying to God Almighty. We cannot ‘demand’ from God to fulfill our needs or requests. We must realize that God Almighty does not owe us anything. Humbly, we approach Him, asking Him and begging Him to hear our prayers knowing that we don’t necessarily deserve His attention or response… We should see ourselves like a poor person asking for charity, requesting a ‘favor’ not a ‘payback’.

All the Mitzvot we do are not ‘favors’ for God for which we should expect God’s attention. On the contrary: a Jew ‘owes’ God the privilege of having being chosen by Him and every Mitzva we do, it’s ultimately for our own benefit: to refine our character and to feed our soul with the nutrients necessary for the world to come. God Almighty is like a father that loves his son and if he demands from his son, for instance, to study, is having his son’s interest in mind, not his own!

Similarly, every Mitzva we do by the command of God it was given by Him for our benefit.

This attitude of humbleness and acknowledgment to HaShem is a prerequisite for a sincere prayer.

Read more about rabbi Moshe Miterani, the MABIT: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=294&letter=T#1241