Description: Rinah 06
She’arim BiTefillah
Rinah 06
I’d like to congratulate us all! We have now reached 100 Divrei Mussar! For those of us who have been in this from the beginning, since we made this kabbalah on Shabbos Shuvah – Mazal Tov, and let’s hope all our kabbalos keep going like this!
It’s important to understand something about the category of tefillah – of ‘Rinah.’ We understand that through the various forms of bakashah, as we do in all the middle brachos of Shemonah Esray, is a method of beseeching Hashem to give us something, and we hope to be answered. But we think of the first brachos of Shemonah Esray as necessary parts of tefillah, because we have to praise and recognize the greatness of Hashem, but not that they themselves serve in this capacity. But in truth, shevach and hoda’ah, the tefillah of Rinah, has as much power as bakashah to have our tefillos answered.
We find in the Gemarah, that Rav Chiyah was put forward as the Shaliach Tzibbur when there was a drought. He started to daven Shemonah Esray, and as he said the words, ‘Mashiv Haruach,’ the wind began to blow. As he said, ‘U’morid Hageshem,’ it began to rain. The real brachah which asks Hashem for rain is much later, in Baraich Alainu. This was still in the second brachah, of Gevuros, which is one of the three first brachos of praise. Yet through saying this praise, their tefillos were already answered! Through praising Hashem alone, is sufficient to achieve the answer to our tefillos.
The Nefesh Hachaim explains that Chazal darshan the pasuk, ‘Hashem tzilechah al yad yeminechah,’ Hashem is your ‘shade’ on your right hand. What does this mean? The same way your shade, the shade that your body casts, will mimic you precisely, if you laugh, it will laugh at you, if you cry, it cries with you, if you make an angry or happy face, it will do so as well. Likewise, Hashem acts with you as you act with Him.
What this medrash means is that’s how Avodas Hashem works. As much as we are connected to Hashem, we are davuk in our Creator, that’s how connected Hashem is to us, and how He gives to us, is mashpiah on us. Therefore, if we are praising Hashem, if we are saying shirah to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, if we are concentrating on Hashem in simchah and and praise, Hashem connects to us as well and shines His countenance upon us. In the specific way that we recognize Hashem’s greatness, like if we focus on the fact that He is ‘rofaih cholim,’ He heals the sick, then Hashem is mashpiah on us in this fashion, and we experience the greatness of Hashem’s attribute of rofaih cholim!
In greater depth, the pasuk says, ‘tov lachasos baHashem mi’betoach ba’adam.’ It’s better to rely on Hashem than to count on a person. The Vilner Gaon explains that the word bitachon refers to when we rely on someone who promised to help us. The word ‘chisayon,’ which is the word ‘lachasos,’ means when we rely on someone who didn’t promise us anything. For example, sitting under the shade of a tree is referred to as ‘lachasos’ to take refuge under its shade. The tree didn’t promise us anything, yet it offers us protection! Truthfully, a tree doesn’t protect us because of any conscious decision, it’s simply the nature of a tree – if you go under it’s shade you are protected from the sun. Likewise, Hashem’s presence alone protects us and blesses us! Simply, ‘lachasos’ in Hashem’s presence, is better than any promise a person can make to us. As the pasuk say, ‘bi’ohr pnei melech Chayim,’ in the light of Hashem’s countenance is life. Simply coming close to Hashem, we benefit from the light, just as stepping out into the sunlight gives us warmth. Drawing close to Hashem through praising Him by definition brings protection and redemption, because that’s the nature of being in Hashem’s presence. Tov lachasos Ba’Hashem!
She’arim BiTefillah
Rinah 06
I’d like to congratulate us all! We have now reached 100 Divrei Mussar! For those of us who have been in this from the beginning, since we made this kabbalah on Shabbos Shuvah – Mazal Tov, and let’s hope all our kabbalos keep going like this!
It’s important to understand something about the category of tefillah – of ‘Rinah.’ We understand that through the various forms of bakashah, as we do in all the middle brachos of Shemonah Esray, is a method of beseeching Hashem to give us something, and we hope to be answered. But we think of the first brachos of Shemonah Esray as necessary parts of tefillah, because we have to praise and recognize the greatness of Hashem, but not that they themselves serve in this capacity. But in truth, shevach and hoda’ah, the tefillah of Rinah, has as much power as bakashah to have our tefillos answered.
We find in the Gemarah, that Rav Chiyah was put forward as the Shaliach Tzibbur when there was a drought. He started to daven Shemonah Esray, and as he said the words, ‘Mashiv Haruach,’ the wind began to blow. As he said, ‘U’morid Hageshem,’ it began to rain. The real brachah which asks Hashem for rain is much later, in Baraich Alainu. This was still in the second brachah, of Gevuros, which is one of the three first brachos of praise. Yet through saying this praise, their tefillos were already answered! Through praising Hashem alone, is sufficient to achieve the answer to our tefillos.
The Nefesh Hachaim explains that Chazal darshan the pasuk, ‘Hashem tzilechah al yad yeminechah,’ Hashem is your ‘shade’ on your right hand. What does this mean? The same way your shade, the shade that your body casts, will mimic you precisely, if you laugh, it will laugh at you, if you cry, it cries with you, if you make an angry or happy face, it will do so as well. Likewise, Hashem acts with you as you act with Him.
What this medrash means is that’s how Avodas Hashem works. As much as we are connected to Hashem, we are davuk in our Creator, that’s how connected Hashem is to us, and how He gives to us, is mashpiah on us. Therefore, if we are praising Hashem, if we are saying shirah to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, if we are concentrating on Hashem in simchah and and praise, Hashem connects to us as well and shines His countenance upon us. In the specific way that we recognize Hashem’s greatness, like if we focus on the fact that He is ‘rofaih cholim,’ He heals the sick, then Hashem is mashpiah on us in this fashion, and we experience the greatness of Hashem’s attribute of rofaih cholim!
In greater depth, the pasuk says, ‘tov lachasos baHashem mi’betoach ba’adam.’ It’s better to rely on Hashem than to count on a person. The Vilner Gaon explains that the word bitachon refers to when we rely on someone who promised to help us. The word ‘chisayon,’ which is the word ‘lachasos,’ means when we rely on someone who didn’t promise us anything. For example, sitting under the shade of a tree is referred to as ‘lachasos’ to take refuge under its shade. The tree didn’t promise us anything, yet it offers us protection! Truthfully, a tree doesn’t protect us because of any conscious decision, it’s simply the nature of a tree – if you go under it’s shade you are protected from the sun. Likewise, Hashem’s presence alone protects us and blesses us! Simply, ‘lachasos’ in Hashem’s presence, is better than any promise a person can make to us. As the pasuk say, ‘bi’ohr pnei melech Chayim,’ in the light of Hashem’s countenance is life. Simply coming close to Hashem, we benefit from the light, just as stepping out into the sunlight gives us warmth. Drawing close to Hashem through praising Him by definition brings protection and redemption, because that’s the nature of being in Hashem’s presence. Tov lachasos Ba’Hashem!