Increasing the Intensity of our Daily Tefilot

In the gemara in Brachos (26b) there's an argument concerning whether the obligation to pray three times a day - shacharit, mincha and ma'ariv - originates from the avot - Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov ("tefilot k'neged avot tiknum") - or corresponds to the korbanos brought in the Beis Hamikdash ("tefilot k'neged korbanot tiknum").

The opinion that the tefilot originated with the avot cites a pasuk in parshat Va'yera to prove that tefilat shacharit was originated with Avraham when he arose in the morning to view the destruction that Hashem had visited upon Sodom; see 19:27: "Va'yaskem Avraham ba'boker el hamakom asher amad sham et penei Hashem - And Avraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had "stood" before Hashem." The gemara explains that the word "amad" ("stood") refers to "tefilah" as per another pasuk in Tehillim juxtaposing the word "va'yamod" and "v'yipalel" (standing and praying).

The gemara then explains that mincha originated with Yitzchak when he went out to the field prior to his initial meeting with Rivka; see Chayei Sara (24:63) - "Va'yetzei Yitzchak la'suach ba'sadeh = And Yitzchak went to meditate in the field - as the gemara explains, "sicha" refers to "tefilah". And ma'ariv originated with Yakov when he was fleeing from Esav; see Va'yaitzei (28:11) - "Va'yifga ba'makom" - as the gemara explains, "pegiah" refers to tefila.

I heard a nice dvar torah from Rabbi Elly Krimsky explaining that these three references to prayer by the avot correspond to three different motivations for prayer.

First, we have Yakov originating ma'ariv while fleeing from Esav. This corresponds to the well-known aphorism, "there are no atheists in foxholes;" that is, people pray when they are in trouble (as Yakov was at the time). It is easy to understand the motivation to pray when we confront danger. We feel fear and seek salvation from Hashem.

Avraham originating shacharit corresponds to the motivation to pray that people feel when viewing a magnificent spectacle of nature, and thereby appreciating the awesome power of Hashem. One can imagine the awe which overcame Avraham when he viewed the destruction of Sodom, which is described by the Torah in superlative terms: "the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace." Confronted with awesome vistas, we are overcome with emotion and seek to express our appreciation of G-d's greatness.

Note: see Bava Basra (84a) and commentary of Ben Yehoyada for observation that prayer at sunrise yields reverence for Hashem (due to recall of Gan Eden), while prayer after nightfall generates thoughts of repentance (due to recall of Gehinnom).

Finally, Yitzchak originating Mincha corresponds to tefila during ordinary day-to-day life - while working in the field (or in the office). However, the question is what emotion motivates prayer in such mundane circumstances? From where can we summon the intensity to pray with concentration in the daily humdrum of life? (note: the word "sicha" is often translated to mean everyday conversation (tehilim: "ma ahavti toratecha, kol hayom hi sichati"), thus reinforcing the interpretation of Yitzchak's tefila as representing day-to-day tefila).

One answer is to recognize that we are always "be'et tzarah" - in dangerous, difficult circumstances. As we've previously discussed, "there are many common, [day-to-day] activities fraught with danger - driving, flying in an airplane, medical treatment, etc. - during which we take our safety for granted.  Do we ever consider how our prayers (and tears) may be protecting us from harm during such times?" That is, man's condition is always precarious, even though we may not realize it.

This idea is actually expressed nicely within the context of Yitzchak originating mincha. Immediately after Yitzchak composes mincha - indeed, in the same pasuk - he sees his future wife, Rivka, arriving in the distance. This sequence reminds us that the whole experience of finding a shidduch - a spouse - is so often taken for granted. In fact, it is always a miracle when two souls find each other and connect, and as such, anyone looking for a shidduch should feel motivated to pray with intensity to Hashem for assistance even though the process of dating may often feel rather mundane.

Personally, I'd also recommend that anyone wishing to boost their intensity during prayer should consider using a siddur with a translation. My preference is the Metsudah siddur which breaks up the tefilot into "bite-size" lines of several words in a righthand column with the corresponding English translation displayed directly across the row in the lefthand column. This forces someone using the siddur to pray at a slower pace since you are only reading a few words of tefila at a time. The layout of the Metsudah siddur also makes it easy for the reader's eye to move quickly across the page from right to left for the Hebrew, and then immediately read the corresponding translation from left to right in English.

Davening with a translation can help on discover that the tefilot we say every day, and frequently take for granted, truly reflect our deepest hopes and aspirations - things that we should not take for granted - things that should motivate us to pray with intensity each and every day.

As an example, take the oft-neglected prayer of Brich Shemei, which is written in Aramaic and appears in the siddur immediately after the sefer torah is removed from the aron and brought to the bima. Unfortunately, it's almost a running joke that congregants rush through this prayer. Given that it's in Aramaic, it seems impossible that people could read it so quickly, and yet that is exactly what happens.

But take a moment and reflect on the English translation of this prayer and see if it doesn't reflect some of your deepest beliefs and hopes:

Blessed is the Name of the Master of the universe, bless is your Crown and Your place. May Your Favor remain with Your people Israel forever; may You display the salvation of Your right hand to Your people in Your Holy Temple, to benefit us with the goodness of Your light and to accept our prayers with mercy. May it be Your will that You extend our lives with goodness and that I be numbered among the righteous; that You have mercy on me and protect me, all that is mine and all that is Your people Israel's. It is You Who nourishes all and sustains all; You control everything. It is You Who controls kings, and kingship is Yours. I am a servant of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and I prostrate myself before Him and before the glory of His Torah at all times. Not in any man do I put trust, nor on any angel do I rely - only on the G-d of heaven who is the G-d of truth. Whose Torah is truth and Whose prophets are true and Who acts liberally with kindness and truth. In Him do I trust, and to His glorious and Holy Name do I declare praises. May it be Your will that You open my heart to the Torah, and that You fulfill the wishes of my heart and the hearts of Your entire people of Israel for good, for life, and for peace.

I've been saying this tefila for so many years, but (shame on me) never truly focused on its meaning until I forced myself to read it line by line with an English translation. Now it's a tefila I try to focus on intently (we only have a chance to do so three times a week, in general), irrespective of the speed at which the rest of the kehila says it.

In general, focusing on the meaning of other prayers using a translated siddur will yield similar insights into what it is we actually pray for every day, and thereby hopefully elevate the intensity of our prayers so they no longer feel routine. May we be so fortunate to pray every day with the intensity that is often only reserved for when we are praying out of fear or awe.