Description: Kriah 01
She’arim BiTefillah
Kriah 01
We will now begin the next form of Tefillah, called Kriah. It comes from the pasuk ‘batzar li ekrah Hashem,’ when I am in pain I call out to Hashem.
The concept of kriah, means that we have a clear knowledge of the one we are speaking to. The other forms of tefillah, whether pegiah or na’akah, we would try and call out to Hashem even without that clarity, that He hears us – because in an emergency we call out to whoever can help us. Kriah, however, is addressing Hashem directly, with the knowledge that He is listening and we can converse with Him, just as we can converse with each other.
This recognition, that Hashem exists in full reality, just as any item we can see, smell, hear, or touch, is at the heart of true tefillah. We have spoken about this in length when we were learning Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, and we learnt through different methods how to work on acquiring this kind of clarity. This clarity is the root of Avodas Hashem, obviously, and the greater clarity we have, the greater Jews we are, Ovdei Hashem and Yarei Shamayim.
Chazal say, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai blessed his talmidim on his deathbed, ‘halevay sheyahai moreh Shamayim alaichem ki’moreh basar vi’dam,’ it would be fortunate if the fear of G-d would at least equal the fear we have of people. That’s the goal – to bring our level of recognition of Hashem to the level of clarity we have about all things around us – Hashem is here and hears us, just as one of our friends do.
Here are some of the points we talked about when learning Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh: If we pay a little attention to the way Chazal organized our day – we can see that they made every effort that the knowledge of Hashem’s existence should be on our mind in everything we do.
We wake up in the morning, hit the snooze button. Ok. We wake up, rub our eyes groggily. What do we think? What are we meant to think at that moment? Oh no! It’s so late! I have to rush to daven, school, work, wake up my kids, etc.! We are taught from the youngest age what has to occupy our mind at the very first moment of the day. Modeh ani lifanechah Melech chay v’kayum, she’hechzartah bi nishmasi. I acknowledge and am aware of the fact that I exist only ‘before you’ lifanechah! I live before you, I breathe before you, and I am getting up, before you. I recognize that You, the King of the world, who is alive – ‘chay,’ and exists – v’kayum!
When else do we say these words, ‘chay v’kayum?’ On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! We say ‘Chay v’kayum norah marom v’kadosh!’ That’s the power of this awareness of Hashem – it carries with it the greatest recognition of Hashem’s holiness and awesomeness. He exists!
Chazal wanted our very first waking moments of the day, when our mind hasn’t been clouded by anything else, to be full of this thought – Hashem is alive. Hashem exists. He is the King of the world, and I live before Him. The rest of the day now has a foundation to build upon. We can go from thing to thing, from mitzvah to mitzvah, tefillah to tefillah, our work and lives – incorporating this realization and thought into everything we do – we are doing it ‘lifanecheh,’ in front of Hashem.
What Chazal wanted to happen next, is that a logical train of thought should develop – each and every day. Who woke me up from my sleep? You Ribono Shel Olam! Who gave me the strength, health, working back and spine, strong muscles, to be able to get up and stand? You Ribono Shel Olam! These all are addressed in the brachos Chazal have us say every day. We say them all together, but if you look at the source in the Gemarah, they were originally said as we did each thing. We get up – we say ‘hamaichin mitzadei gaver.’
We woke up? We say, ‘Hanosain lasechvi binah!’ Think how meaningful these brachos are when they are made as we are appreciating the fact we can stand!
She’arim BiTefillah
Kriah 01
We will now begin the next form of Tefillah, called Kriah. It comes from the pasuk ‘batzar li ekrah Hashem,’ when I am in pain I call out to Hashem.
The concept of kriah, means that we have a clear knowledge of the one we are speaking to. The other forms of tefillah, whether pegiah or na’akah, we would try and call out to Hashem even without that clarity, that He hears us – because in an emergency we call out to whoever can help us. Kriah, however, is addressing Hashem directly, with the knowledge that He is listening and we can converse with Him, just as we can converse with each other.
This recognition, that Hashem exists in full reality, just as any item we can see, smell, hear, or touch, is at the heart of true tefillah. We have spoken about this in length when we were learning Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh, and we learnt through different methods how to work on acquiring this kind of clarity. This clarity is the root of Avodas Hashem, obviously, and the greater clarity we have, the greater Jews we are, Ovdei Hashem and Yarei Shamayim.
Chazal say, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai blessed his talmidim on his deathbed, ‘halevay sheyahai moreh Shamayim alaichem ki’moreh basar vi’dam,’ it would be fortunate if the fear of G-d would at least equal the fear we have of people. That’s the goal – to bring our level of recognition of Hashem to the level of clarity we have about all things around us – Hashem is here and hears us, just as one of our friends do.
Here are some of the points we talked about when learning Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh: If we pay a little attention to the way Chazal organized our day – we can see that they made every effort that the knowledge of Hashem’s existence should be on our mind in everything we do.
We wake up in the morning, hit the snooze button. Ok. We wake up, rub our eyes groggily. What do we think? What are we meant to think at that moment? Oh no! It’s so late! I have to rush to daven, school, work, wake up my kids, etc.! We are taught from the youngest age what has to occupy our mind at the very first moment of the day. Modeh ani lifanechah Melech chay v’kayum, she’hechzartah bi nishmasi. I acknowledge and am aware of the fact that I exist only ‘before you’ lifanechah! I live before you, I breathe before you, and I am getting up, before you. I recognize that You, the King of the world, who is alive – ‘chay,’ and exists – v’kayum!
When else do we say these words, ‘chay v’kayum?’ On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! We say ‘Chay v’kayum norah marom v’kadosh!’ That’s the power of this awareness of Hashem – it carries with it the greatest recognition of Hashem’s holiness and awesomeness. He exists!
Chazal wanted our very first waking moments of the day, when our mind hasn’t been clouded by anything else, to be full of this thought – Hashem is alive. Hashem exists. He is the King of the world, and I live before Him. The rest of the day now has a foundation to build upon. We can go from thing to thing, from mitzvah to mitzvah, tefillah to tefillah, our work and lives – incorporating this realization and thought into everything we do – we are doing it ‘lifanecheh,’ in front of Hashem.
What Chazal wanted to happen next, is that a logical train of thought should develop – each and every day. Who woke me up from my sleep? You Ribono Shel Olam! Who gave me the strength, health, working back and spine, strong muscles, to be able to get up and stand? You Ribono Shel Olam! These all are addressed in the brachos Chazal have us say every day. We say them all together, but if you look at the source in the Gemarah, they were originally said as we did each thing. We get up – we say ‘hamaichin mitzadei gaver.’
We woke up? We say, ‘Hanosain lasechvi binah!’ Think how meaningful these brachos are when they are made as we are appreciating the fact we can stand!