Partners In Prayer - Siddur

  “For the conductor, on the   Ayelet ha-Shachar .” “ Lamnatze-ach ,” also means, “To the victory,” of Esther and Mordechai over Haman, that led to a new covenant with Torah, which is “ Emet ,” truth, 441 in Gematria, as is “ Ayelet. ”   The “ Ayelet ” also refers to the Oral Law, which is the most powerful expression of the Shechina, also called “ Ayelet .” Esther and Mordechai did not celebrate the victory as their own, but as an opportunity to conquer more of this world, with the light of the Oral Law.  Each time we apply the Oral Law and allow Her light to be expressed in the world, we win a great victory. We often feel that we constantly lose in our battle with our Yetzer Harah; when we sing this Psalm of Esther, we should celebrate our victories, and pray that we are as victorious as Esther and Mordechai. By: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y

Thoughts that disturb your prayers can be an atonement for your sins. When you are not suspicious of God and believe that He certainly wants to draw you close and accept your prayers, that the only thing that brings about confusing   thoughts during your prayers are your own sins, when you are pained by these thoughts and flee from them with all your strength, this is an atonement for your sins.   If you were able to do this truly and fully, all your sins would be forgiven, and all troubling thoughts removed. This is alluded to in the Talmudic teaching, “One who sins and is ashamed of it, is forgiven for everything.” (Shivchei Moharan, Avodat Hashem 138) We were granted the gift of the Tabernacle despite our imperfections, even after the sin of the Golden Calf.   It is the place of atonement, and by understanding that this holy place for the Divine Presence is ours even in our imperfections, we can learn how to use the thoughts that disturb our prayers, as an atonement; t...

Human prayer is the service of the spirit. Although people do not realize it, it involves the highest mysteries, even when they do not understand. We learn from the Tabernacle that prayers split through the atmosphere, through all firmaments,   open all doors, and ascend on high . (Zohar, II:201a)   It is essential when praying to be aware that even without our understanding of the mechanisms, we are able to pierce the heavens all the way to the highest places. It is appropriate to meditate before prayer on this power of prayer. By:  Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y 

The Baal Shem Tov taught: “No child can be born except through pleasure and joy. By the same token, if one wishes his prayers to bear fruit, he must offer them with pleasure and joy.” (Keter Shem Tov, 3a) By: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y

One must perform the Mitzvot with such great joy that one does not even want any heavenly reward for it. He wishes only that God should prepare another mitzvah for him, for he derives pleasure from the mitzvah itself. Through   this one may know what has been decreed for the world, whether the decree have been confirmed or not, and upon whom the evil has been decreed, Heaven forbid. One thus knows how to pray for the world, for after the judgment has been decreed, the righteous must clothe their prayers in the form of stories. One merits all this by performing the mitzvah in great joy derived from the mitzvah itself. This may be merited by praying fervently and with great awe and love. (Likkutei Eitzot, Simcha 2-3)   Question : How can we clothe prayers in the form of stories? Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y

  The Amidah is recited with the feet together, emulating the stance of the Angels. We find other physical positions described in classic sources, such as sitting and meditating (Rabbi Avraham Abulafia; Chayei Olam haBah,   page 18a). A position found in the Bible involves kneeling with the hands outstretched. “He kneeled on his knees, and spread his hands toward heaven (II Chronicles 6:13).” Ezra likewise said, “I fell on my knees and spread my hands toward God, my Lord (Ezra 9:5).” Rabbi Moshe Cordevero explains that’s spreading the hands alludes to the fact that one is receiving spiritual sustenance from on high (Pardes Rominim 15:3).   There is also the “prophetic position,” which involves placing the head between the knees. “ Elijah went up to the top of the Carmel, and he placed himself on the earth, and placed his face between his knees (I Kings 18:42).” It is important to note that the origin of this position may be found in the Pesach Offering, which had to be ro...

  “The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am God’ (Exodus 6:2).” Why does the Torah not tell us what the Lord said when He spoke? Why he does God referred to Himself as God after He had already told Moses Who   He was in 3:15? At that time, He added: “This is My name forever!” Why then, did He have to tell Moses at this juncture, “I am God?”     Inasmuch as Moses had spoken in an unseemly manner in the presence of the Almighty, something that he never would have dared to do if God had not previously shown Moses His smiling face as represented by the attribute, “God,” He had to show him a different attribute, “The Lord,” before answering Moses in detail. The Torah introduces this conversation by letting us know that God spoke in His capacity as the attribute of Justice, “The Lord.”   When God appears to make a turnabout at the end of our verse and refers to Himself as the attribute of Mercy, this is in line with the principle expressed in the Talmud that “Wh...