This Will Transform How You Pray Forever - Rabbi Tovia Singer

I'd encourage you to look at another woman um who was one of the giants of Jewish history and whose prayer intercession to God brought about the last judge in Israel one of the greatest prophets that ever lived, his mother Chano the way she prayed. I'd encourage you to do that. When I used to take tour groups to Shiloh >> [snorts] >> we used to go to uh the where the tabernacle was um and it's right there. Next time visit Israel, it's very, very moving. And I I love to look at Chano's prayer as the structure. So when she entreated God, this is a woman and this is important. So Chano's a background was a woman who just no one understood her. You know her husband didn't understand her pain. Even though she so wanted a child he said to her why are you so bereft with pain? After all you have me. And sh- she was just just thinking to herself you don't get me. You don't understand me. Eli the high priest when she was praying to God didn't understand her either and thought she might be drunk. Because she was moving her lips but couldn't hear a sound. So here is a person who had a deep connection to God but was also misunderstood by others. Have you ever felt that other people don't understand you very well? So Chano Hannah was just such a woman. And she entreated the Almighty and she used the structure it's really very special. She moved from speaking about God in the third person somewhat somewhat like being outside the marital chamber. And then she turned directly to God and spoke to God directly in that intimate way. Where the Lord is our husband Isaiah 54. And then making a proclamation about God. And and this is summed up in nine words in First Samuel chapter two verse two. So she first in the third person speaks before she enters into this very intimate place. Look at her words. Ain Kadosh K'Hashem. There's no one holy like the Lord. So that's our first bracketed piece. Third person. There's no one holy like the Lord. This is very, very, very much the statement upon which prayers that are structured is based on is exactly this. Speaking about God of his greatness. Ain Kadosh K'Hashem. Then she moves into the marital chamber into an intimate conversation speaking to God now directly. Ki ain biltecha. Cuz there's no one like you. Notice that. Second person. Third person to second person. That's the structure of our prayer. First acknowledge before whom you are standing. There's no one holy like the Lord. Cuz there's no one besides you. This is a very critical theological statement. There's something very deep that she's engaging in right now. Cuz if there's a no one else besides the God then God could have only created Chano out of an act of complete love. There's nothing she had that God didn't possess. He therefore the act of creating the world could have only have been out of a complete act of love and altruism. His oneness tells us about his character. That's why we're so careful when speaking about Hashem, our Lord, our only Lord, our only savior. There's no God formed before him neither after him. There's no saving besides him. Isaiah 43:10 verse 11. You see how that just comes together so beautifully in our prayer. That's why incidentally in Deuteronomy 6:4 we proclaim that the Lord is one. That means he loves you. That means he's saying I love you. What is the appropriate response when God says I love you? Cuz if he's one that means he loves you. There's no other reason why he created you. Right? Now if someone says I love you the expectation is that you might say I love you too. That's exactly what happens in Deuteronomy 6:5. V'ahavta et Hashem Elohecha. Why does it begin with that conjunction? V'ahavta and I'll bracket therefore you shall love the Lord your God. What What is One is a doc- One masquerades as a doctrine but it's really saying that God is love. He's one so therefore he's love and therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and might. And then she ends that passage with the last three words. V'ein tzur k'Eloheinu. And there is no rock like our God. In first person plural as part of a a nation of believers. So I would encourage you to appeal to this great saintly woman whose agony has touched and penetrated the hearts of men and women around the world for thousands of years. And her pouring out of her soul in hope of only having a child that she would then uh give to the sanctuary and he would lead a nation and and be the last judge and one of the greatest prophets that ever lived, one of the greatest people that ever lived. Shmuel Hanavi. That was the gift that was given to her. So let Chano's prayer be the structure of our prayer that we may see the coming of the true Mashiach not so the war stop, not so you know, the missile stop. Not for that reason. The reason we we await the coming of Mashiach as I always say so that all the nations will speak b'safah berurah in a pure speech and Hashem's name will be glorified throughout the world. Thank you for your thoughtful question. If you enjoyed this program please like and subscribe. Adon Olam >> [music] >> asher malach beterem kol yetzir [music] nivra [singing] l'et na'asa v'cheftzo [music] kol [singing]