Lessons In Truth 18 Kislev, 5768 / November 28, 2007 Day 77 - Service Of The Heart?
Lessons in Truth
18 Kislev, 5768 / November 28, 2007
Day 77 - Service of the Heart?
SEFER SHEM OLAM — Chapter Eleven: Avoiding Contradictions in One’s Life (cont.)
It is unfortunate that we do not fully appreciate the great privilege of being a part of the Chosen Nation, of serving the awesome and all-powerful King, Whose glory and sanctity are beyond our comprehension. This lack of recognition is the underlying cause of our warped sense of priorities, for our tendency to engage in frivolous pursuits even after having devoted time to Torah study, tefillah and other spiritual accomplishments. If we would have proper recognition of who we are and Who we serve, we would not hurl ourselves “from a high roof to a deep pit,” as we fluctuate between spiritual striving and earthly materialism.
What is the cause of this lack of recognition? How is it that thrice daily we declare in our tefillos that our service of Hashem on earth parallels that of the angels Above, and yet we give little or no thought to what we ourselves say? Undoubtedly, this is because we are too preoccupied with our mundane affairs, to the point that our prayers are mere lip service and we forget completely about our true purpose in life. We pray out of habit, in the same way that we have done since our youth, with little or no thought as to what we are saying and to Whom we are saying it.
But this is wrong. The proper way is as stated in Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 93:1), to pause for at least a bit before beginning to pray, in order to rid our minds of mundane thoughts and focus on what we are about to do — to stand before our Creator and plead for ourselves and for our people.
Chovos HaLevavos (Shaar Cheshbon HaNefesh 3:9) gives detailed instructions on how to prepare for prayer:
One must disengage himself from this world and free his mind of any thought which will distract his attention from prayer. One should take to heart seriously that he stands before his Maker, and carefully choose both the words and the themes he intends to contemplate.
Understand full well that the words of prayer enunciated by the mouth are merely the shell. The heart’s meditation upon these words is the inner kernel. Words of prayer are like a body, while meditation of the heart, is its soul. One who prays only with his tongue while his mind wanders, resembles an empty body, a husk devoid of a kernel. Such a person is compared to the servant whose master had just returned home from a journey. The servant sent his children to greet the master, while he himself ignored the master’s presence. The master was infuriated by this wanton disrespect. Similarly, if the heart sends the body and the mouth to greet the Almighty in prayer, but the heart turns its attention elsewhere, G-d will surely be displeased.
18 Kislev, 5768 / November 28, 2007
Day 77 - Service of the Heart?
SEFER SHEM OLAM — Chapter Eleven: Avoiding Contradictions in One’s Life (cont.)
It is unfortunate that we do not fully appreciate the great privilege of being a part of the Chosen Nation, of serving the awesome and all-powerful King, Whose glory and sanctity are beyond our comprehension. This lack of recognition is the underlying cause of our warped sense of priorities, for our tendency to engage in frivolous pursuits even after having devoted time to Torah study, tefillah and other spiritual accomplishments. If we would have proper recognition of who we are and Who we serve, we would not hurl ourselves “from a high roof to a deep pit,” as we fluctuate between spiritual striving and earthly materialism.
What is the cause of this lack of recognition? How is it that thrice daily we declare in our tefillos that our service of Hashem on earth parallels that of the angels Above, and yet we give little or no thought to what we ourselves say? Undoubtedly, this is because we are too preoccupied with our mundane affairs, to the point that our prayers are mere lip service and we forget completely about our true purpose in life. We pray out of habit, in the same way that we have done since our youth, with little or no thought as to what we are saying and to Whom we are saying it.
But this is wrong. The proper way is as stated in Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 93:1), to pause for at least a bit before beginning to pray, in order to rid our minds of mundane thoughts and focus on what we are about to do — to stand before our Creator and plead for ourselves and for our people.
Chovos HaLevavos (Shaar Cheshbon HaNefesh 3:9) gives detailed instructions on how to prepare for prayer:
One must disengage himself from this world and free his mind of any thought which will distract his attention from prayer. One should take to heart seriously that he stands before his Maker, and carefully choose both the words and the themes he intends to contemplate.
Understand full well that the words of prayer enunciated by the mouth are merely the shell. The heart’s meditation upon these words is the inner kernel. Words of prayer are like a body, while meditation of the heart, is its soul. One who prays only with his tongue while his mind wanders, resembles an empty body, a husk devoid of a kernel. Such a person is compared to the servant whose master had just returned home from a journey. The servant sent his children to greet the master, while he himself ignored the master’s presence. The master was infuriated by this wanton disrespect. Similarly, if the heart sends the body and the mouth to greet the Almighty in prayer, but the heart turns its attention elsewhere, G-d will surely be displeased.
posted by Andrea @ 5:12 PM
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