Gifts of Preparation and the Battle of Davening
A lesson from the Tiferes Shlomo Parshas Vayishlach
אלהי אבי אברהם ואלהי אבי יצחק ה' האומר אלי כו' קטנתי מכל החסדים
G-d of my father Avraham and G-d of my father Yitzchak...
G-d of my father Avraham and G-d of my father Yitzchak...
Rashi teaches us that as he travelled to meet his brother Esav, Yaakov prepared himself for three things; for a gift, for prayer and for war - לדורון לתפילה ולמלחמה.
In Yaakov’s preparations, the Tiferes Shlomo finds an allusion as to how we should prepare ourselves when we approach and stand before Hashem in prayer.
The gift represents an action that is physical and tangible. It alludes to the physical actions that we do to prepare ourselves before prayer.
The Gemara tells us how Rabbi Elazer would first give a coin to a pauper and only afterward begin to Daven.
The “gift” before Davening also includes other physical Mitzvos that we do in preparation for Davening, such as putting on a Tallis and Tefillin.
When we begin to Daven, we must then be prepared for war. This refers to the inner battle that we must wage to combat the foreign thoughts that distract us from the Kavana that we are supposed to have in prayer.
This is why prayer is called Avodah, literally “work”. Davening with proper focus and Kavana, without being distracted, is hard work and takes self-strength and restraint.
The opening word of Yaakov’s Tefillah is the word Katonti, literally I am small. This represents humility. When we stand before Hashem in prayer, we should see ourselves as undeserving and unworthy to stand in the presence of His greatness. With this attitude, we can then appeal to His Mercy, to grant our requests, as Yaakov continues “and You said ‘I will surely do goodness to you’...”.
In Yaakov’s preparations, the Tiferes Shlomo finds an allusion as to how we should prepare ourselves when we approach and stand before Hashem in prayer.
The gift represents an action that is physical and tangible. It alludes to the physical actions that we do to prepare ourselves before prayer.
The Gemara tells us how Rabbi Elazer would first give a coin to a pauper and only afterward begin to Daven.
The “gift” before Davening also includes other physical Mitzvos that we do in preparation for Davening, such as putting on a Tallis and Tefillin.
When we begin to Daven, we must then be prepared for war. This refers to the inner battle that we must wage to combat the foreign thoughts that distract us from the Kavana that we are supposed to have in prayer.
This is why prayer is called Avodah, literally “work”. Davening with proper focus and Kavana, without being distracted, is hard work and takes self-strength and restraint.
The opening word of Yaakov’s Tefillah is the word Katonti, literally I am small. This represents humility. When we stand before Hashem in prayer, we should see ourselves as undeserving and unworthy to stand in the presence of His greatness. With this attitude, we can then appeal to His Mercy, to grant our requests, as Yaakov continues “and You said ‘I will surely do goodness to you’...”.