SPIRITUAL STEP AEROBICS ON JACOB'S LADDER
Vayeitzei - Prayer
So there is actually a piece of gym equipment called Jacob's ladder!
The imagery of Yaakov’s dream of the ladder ascending to the Heavens is a powerful motif.
The Zohar teaches that the ladder is Tefillah - davening. In Hayom Yom, the Rebbe elaborates on this idea and how it is reflected in the motif of Yaakov’s ladder.
The ladder in Yaakov’s dream had 4 steps. It was rooted on the ground, but its top reached the Heavens. Similarly our daily Shachris Tefillah has 4 specific phases. Each phase of davening raises us further off the ground and brings us closer to G-dliness.
The beginning of davening is Hodu, and before that, Modeh Ani. Both are phrases of Hodaah. Hodaah means to acknowledge and acquiesce to something, even if we do not understand it ourselves. Before we have even begun trying to meditate on the greatness of Hashem with our minds and heart, we surrender ourselves to Hashem with a simple acknowledgement of the truth of His existence.
The next phase of davening is Pesukei Dezimra, where we are starting to meditate on Hashem’s greatness. The purpose of meditation (Hisbonenus) with our mind, is to develop feelings of love of Hashem and an emotional desire to connect to Him Since Pesukei Dezimra are descriptions and praises of Hashem’s greatness within Creation, this is a more ‘external’ level of Hisbonenus.
The Shema is a deeper level of awareness and understanding of Hashem where we connect to His absolute oneness; how He infinitely transcends Creation and how everything is like nothing before Him. This Hisbonenus awakens the deep love and yearning of the Neshama for Hashem.
Finally we reach the pinnacle of Davening, the Shemoneh Esrei. This is the top of the ladder that takes us to the very Heavens. During Shemoneh Esrei we stand before Hashem like a servant in the presence of their master. This represents a state of absolute surrender - Bittul, where we completely lose awareness of anything other than Hashem, even an awareness of self.
The rest of davening is the climb back down the ladder, drawing down all of the spiritual powers and inspiration as we prepare to face the world during the day that lies ahead of us.
Our Neshama descends down into this world with a mission, to serve Hashem and reveal His presence within the physicality of the world.
But the Neshama is enclothed within the confines or a body and an animalistic soul. The body and animalistic soul live an ‘earthly’ life, lived in pursuit of material success and physical desires. In contrast, the Neshama seeks to live higher; a spiritual life connected to and focused on Hashem.
When we first wake up, our Neshama is not yet revealed within our consciousness. Our physical, more animalistic side is dominant. In this state, how is the Neshama able to accomplish its mission?
Davening serves as the ladder through which we lift ourselves up to reveal our Neshama and bring it into the front of our consciousness. Each phase of davening lifts us higher and higher, rising above the ‘earthliness’ of our pre-davening state to the pinnacle of an absolute union with Hashem.
Like a daily work-out for the body, davening strengthens the Neshama. We can then go out and engage with the world; in our workplaces etc. with our Neshama and our G-dly purpose in the forefront of our minds.
After completing our daily spiritual step-program we have the strength to overcome all of the obstacles and challenges and to bring the G-dliness that we tap in to, into everything that we do.
The imagery of Yaakov’s dream of the ladder ascending to the Heavens is a powerful motif.
The Zohar teaches that the ladder is Tefillah - davening. In Hayom Yom, the Rebbe elaborates on this idea and how it is reflected in the motif of Yaakov’s ladder.
The ladder in Yaakov’s dream had 4 steps. It was rooted on the ground, but its top reached the Heavens. Similarly our daily Shachris Tefillah has 4 specific phases. Each phase of davening raises us further off the ground and brings us closer to G-dliness.
The beginning of davening is Hodu, and before that, Modeh Ani. Both are phrases of Hodaah. Hodaah means to acknowledge and acquiesce to something, even if we do not understand it ourselves. Before we have even begun trying to meditate on the greatness of Hashem with our minds and heart, we surrender ourselves to Hashem with a simple acknowledgement of the truth of His existence.
The next phase of davening is Pesukei Dezimra, where we are starting to meditate on Hashem’s greatness. The purpose of meditation (Hisbonenus) with our mind, is to develop feelings of love of Hashem and an emotional desire to connect to Him Since Pesukei Dezimra are descriptions and praises of Hashem’s greatness within Creation, this is a more ‘external’ level of Hisbonenus.
The Shema is a deeper level of awareness and understanding of Hashem where we connect to His absolute oneness; how He infinitely transcends Creation and how everything is like nothing before Him. This Hisbonenus awakens the deep love and yearning of the Neshama for Hashem.
Finally we reach the pinnacle of Davening, the Shemoneh Esrei. This is the top of the ladder that takes us to the very Heavens. During Shemoneh Esrei we stand before Hashem like a servant in the presence of their master. This represents a state of absolute surrender - Bittul, where we completely lose awareness of anything other than Hashem, even an awareness of self.
The rest of davening is the climb back down the ladder, drawing down all of the spiritual powers and inspiration as we prepare to face the world during the day that lies ahead of us.
Our Neshama descends down into this world with a mission, to serve Hashem and reveal His presence within the physicality of the world.
But the Neshama is enclothed within the confines or a body and an animalistic soul. The body and animalistic soul live an ‘earthly’ life, lived in pursuit of material success and physical desires. In contrast, the Neshama seeks to live higher; a spiritual life connected to and focused on Hashem.
When we first wake up, our Neshama is not yet revealed within our consciousness. Our physical, more animalistic side is dominant. In this state, how is the Neshama able to accomplish its mission?
Davening serves as the ladder through which we lift ourselves up to reveal our Neshama and bring it into the front of our consciousness. Each phase of davening lifts us higher and higher, rising above the ‘earthliness’ of our pre-davening state to the pinnacle of an absolute union with Hashem.
Like a daily work-out for the body, davening strengthens the Neshama. We can then go out and engage with the world; in our workplaces etc. with our Neshama and our G-dly purpose in the forefront of our minds.
After completing our daily spiritual step-program we have the strength to overcome all of the obstacles and challenges and to bring the G-dliness that we tap in to, into everything that we do.