What Should be the Focus of our Prayers?
A lesson from the Tiferes Shlomo Parshas Nitzavim
אתם נצבים היום כולכם לפני ד' אלהיכם
You are standing this day, all of you, before Hashem Your G-d
You are standing this day, all of you, before Hashem Your G-d
The commentators teach that “this day” alludes to the day of Rosh Hashana. The Pasuk is teaching us the appropriate way to approach our prayers at this time and that is to focus our prayers on the honour of Hashem, rather than our own personal, material needs. This means to concern ourselves with the fact that the Divine Presence is in Exile and we wish to see the Shechina restored to its state of Glory.
This is alluded to in the verse in Tehillim (102:1) תפלה לעני כי יעטוף ולפני ד' ישפוך שיחו –”a prayer of of the poor man when he is faint and before Hashem he pours forth his plea.” Even though the poor man has his own, many needs, he puts his own needs aside and focuses his prayers on that which is “before Hashem”.
The Tiferes Shlomo also reads this idea into a Gemara in Mesechta Rosh Hashana (8b) which teaches “When a king and the community are to be judged, the king is brought in for judgment first.” According to one opinion, the reason for this is that it is not appropriate (respectful) for the king to remain outside (while the people of the community are being judged).
When we stand before Hashem to Daven, we can either focus on “the King”, the honour of Hashem, or on “the community”, referring to our own personal material needs.
The Gemara teaches that the first and primary focus of our prayers should be the King. It is not appropriate to ignore that which relates to Hashem - leaving the King on the outside of our thoughts, while we first concern ourselves with our own needs.
This is alluded to in the verse in Tehillim (102:1) תפלה לעני כי יעטוף ולפני ד' ישפוך שיחו –”a prayer of of the poor man when he is faint and before Hashem he pours forth his plea.” Even though the poor man has his own, many needs, he puts his own needs aside and focuses his prayers on that which is “before Hashem”.
The Tiferes Shlomo also reads this idea into a Gemara in Mesechta Rosh Hashana (8b) which teaches “When a king and the community are to be judged, the king is brought in for judgment first.” According to one opinion, the reason for this is that it is not appropriate (respectful) for the king to remain outside (while the people of the community are being judged).
When we stand before Hashem to Daven, we can either focus on “the King”, the honour of Hashem, or on “the community”, referring to our own personal material needs.
The Gemara teaches that the first and primary focus of our prayers should be the King. It is not appropriate to ignore that which relates to Hashem - leaving the King on the outside of our thoughts, while we first concern ourselves with our own needs.