Introduction to Tefillah and Its Goal

AI summary (may contain mistakes)

What is davening really for? Tefillah means attaching oneself to Hashem, so its goal is dveikus, and davening should be the most enjoyable part of the day. The sources run from the Chovos HaLevavos and the Gemara to the Tanya and the Arizal. Three challenges stand in the way: feeling that one stands before Hashem, not seeing results, and saying the same set words every day.

Key points

• A sefer on tefillah sees bochurim grow in Torah, yet rarely in their davening.
• Many sefarim read tefillah as attachment, being davuk to Hashem, the goal of a Yid's whole life.
• In a story from Karlin, a nobleman sledding on sugar had none of the pleasure of Nishmas on Shabbos.
• Remove the letters of Adam from their spelled-out form, and the rest spells mispallel.
• The Arizal teaches that no tefillah since Creation has ever been the same as another.

In this shiur

1. 0:00Why learn tefillah in depth
2. 4:19The goal of davening
3. 7:36Davening as the best part of the day
4. 12:06The story of Nishmas on Shabbos
5. 17:58Tefillah as the essence of Adam
6. 20:43Chayei sha'ah and the Tanya
7. 24:34Three challenges in davening
8. 28:16The Arizal on every tefillah

Topics

• Tefillah
• Dveikus
• Kavana