Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook: A New Perspective on Prayer by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

studying together and it really is a great pleasure to be uh to be together here with you we are studying the uh what I would call the world of Rook the teachings of R Yen cook and the topic that I'd like to look at this morning we're going to look at a an array of topics from RI cook his uh his unique perspective on so many areas of Jewish life the the area of Jewish life that I'd like to look at together with you this morning is the area OFA of of prayer and uh I thought that's appropriate especially at this time these days of el as we're adding to our prayers and uh in the coming coming weeks be we'll be celebrating rashash yum Kipper this is a time of a time that we intensify our our prayers and to think about what it means to pray what it means for us on a daily basis on a regular basis to turn to Hashem in prayer Ina and to see the unique some of the unique insights from rook in this area let me begin with a uh just a couple of anecdotes stories about rev cook uh one of the great students of rev cook rakov map when uh when he met ruk for the very first time he made his way to yafo ruk had first come to yafo to serve as the rabbi in Jaffa and soon after his arrival he came to that area to yafo to to meet Riv cook and he was there for the holiday of Shabu for shabot and he heard Riv cook the morning of Shabu that he recited the adamos before the reading of the the uh the laning of the Torah before the Asos and he said the way that he recited that the cavana that he had and the intensity of that prayer R said at that moment I knew that that was going to be my rebi that that rof cook the great rof cook would be my re Rabbi and interesting another story which is a similar story The Nazir of David Cohen who becomes one of the great students he was the Nazir here in Yim becomes one of the great students of ruk and he also describes in the very first meeting that he had with rev cook he was in Switzerland at the time and he went to meet rev cook he first meets him he spends an evening speaking to R cook and it seems that in the life of the Nazir that moment it was a bit of a challenge ing time where he was looking for direction looking for a rebi and uh he said that evening when we studied together when we spoke together I was impressed with rev cook but at that time I wasn't quite sure if that was going to be my Reby the next morning as he woke up as he was just waking up he heard from the other room the davening of Riv cook and he was he describes that he heard him reciting the AA a which is some have the the Min to recite that in daving the morning and when he heard that the way the r cook was reciting thata he said it was at that moment that I knew that Ru cook was going to be my rebi interesting that you have the two these two great personalities rakov map and the Nazir and both of them in their initial meetings with riff cook what they what they were most impressed by what they were taken by inspired by was the daving was Thea of Rook so we can just imagine the way that ruk daved the intensity of his ging and just one uh one other anecdote or or a line really from iser zman Meltzer who is considered to be one of the great Russa here inim who also had a close relationship with ruk he said if only we would DAV in ARA the way that R davin's am on a Wednesday afternoon that we should be we should be Z to that kind of daving so again we just have uh just to get a sense of of Riv cook and and the way that he D the intensity of his daving and uh what I'd like to look at right now is a few passages from R cook and and really one one central idea that ruk teaches and there's a lot there's a lot that ruk writes in terms ofah but really one idea that I'd like to to share and highlight with you and hopefully something that we that we can all take inspiration from in terms of Arta but I want to begin with a a passage from Rook from his uh his great work known as OTA kodesh this is the the the page one the top of page one and this actually was edited by Ravid haken the nazer that he wanted to to C to compile for Ru cook all of his philosophical teachings and here this is a piece abouta and he begins and I I found it somewhat surprising actually the way that Ru cook begins in this piece to talk about Fila by the way on the right side of the page is the translation of this paragraph but we'll see the paragraph in the Hebrew interesting he writes when people aband F and here he opens by speaking about or talking about the difficulty that we sometimes have with and I think it's I think it's true in our generation I think it's true for many of us that we do find it challenging we do find that to have the proper concentration to find it meaningful sometimes we do it because we're kind of forced to do it we know that we need to do it but we don't always have the the inspiration or we don't always feel the special quality of and he addresses that ruk says honestly when people abandon when they choose not to because they they Envision a perfect that they want a that is that's full of light full of Lucidity again we find it frustrating at times we dve in but we you know we we say the words in a uh in a way that's that's wrote that we just repeat what we what we're saying day in and day out so of cook says yes I'm familiar with that and people maybe may find some frustration even though this really is a great loss like not to appreciate F the sense but when that of Lucidity of of great meaning when it comes it'll it it brings back or restores all the beauty of what I want to highlight here and to begin with is ruk pointing out the challenge OFA that we don't always find it meaningful and it could be that we find it challenging to uh to engage in in a meaningful way you know it's interesting and here actually in this piece he talks about that this is true on a personal level and it's true for the Jewish people as a whole that maybe we've lost a little bit of that art of of the beauty of you know many pointed out that in our generation literally the last 20 30 40 years the Renaissance in terms of Torah learning in our community and in the Jewish Community the numbers of people that are learning Torah here we are this morning the numbers of people people that are here to study Torah people that are studying da yomi and mishna yomi and RAM yomi mishna yomi the list goes on and on and literally tens of thousands hundreds of thousands of people that are learning Torah there are those that have pointed out that there's more learning of Torah today than ever before in the history of the Jewish people the amount of Torah learning here in y in Israel it's something that is awesome but that's Torah learning how about in terms of right has there been a has there been a Renaissance right has no okay I I I I would agree with you no I don't think that there has been a a kind of a Renaissance a Resurgence a great love programs or ideas talking about yes it's out there and we have our shiur and I'm about to give a sh myself abouta but if we look at the Jewish community and we look at the Spirit of the Jewish Community is it drawn to is it drawn to and R cook points out this piece writing this 100 years ago that there are those that find Fila in our community that they're not drawn to it that they're not finding great meaning Ina yes please during the challenges during the war during the missiles the seems like it's more emphasized okay yes that's true right yeah yeah it's a good point maybe it's fah there has maybe there has been and I hope no that's right that's right okay good okay good so that is the that that I would say is the is is a challenge that we do face a challenge and all of us can can think about this on a personal level in terms of our owna our experience of if we're finding oura meaningful it's something that we're drawn to It's Something That We're inspired by and how we can um how we can grow in that area so this is what I'd like to present to you today is really one central idea from R cook in terms of how we grow in terms of Arts f how to find fah more meaningful and we'll see three or four pieces from R cook that will address this issue so I think one of the reasons and again we can we can sit down and have a discussion together well what is it that is you know frustrating about or what is it that we're not drawn to or we don't find it that meaningful or we're not we don't we don't experience the richness of I think one reason one possibility is because we come to with supplications to Hashem that we're asking God for things that's true on a personal level it's true for am Isel as a whole something that we have been going through over the last number of months the last 10 11 months that we're praying to Hashem and we feel at times that God is not hearing us that there isn't a response that there isn't the response that we're looking for maybe that's part of the frustration that we Daven here I am davening day in and day out I'm asking for certain things requesting certain things supplicating before God and it doesn't seem that the prayer Thea is really making any difference here we prayed for the hostages day in and day out and well it doesn't seem like it made much of a difference maybe that's part of the frustration of maybe what R cook speaks about is that we kind of step away from that we're not drawn TOA so maybe that's one of the reasons that we're asked in we're supplicating we're requesting before God and those those um requests are not being answered we're trying to change God's mind so to speak right change the change the the judgment on the Jewish people so there is that aspect OFA but Ru cook and this is what I what I want to highlight with you this morning Ru cook says we need to entera to engage Ina not so much with a mindset that we're changing God or changing God's mind but that we are changing ourselves how we are being uplifted by the engagement Ina by daving how it affects us how it builds us how we become better people when we DAV in and I don't know if we always think about Filan that way I think for many of us and for myself as well we engage inah we come toah asking God for things turning our our hearts and our souls towards Hashem and not so much thinking about is how do these words and how does this experience build me right how does this ad enrich my spiritual life so let's begin with the following so this is a gamar that's found in Bros it's Bros and it speaks about a Al that we're all familiar with and the is that one is not to eat before they DAV in the morning okay there may be exceptions where we're allowed to eat what we're allowed to eat but the says one should not eat in the morning and why is that the says should not eat literally on the blood so according to the gamar the way the gamar present it is that we're standing before God and we're standing before God in judgment and if we're standing in God before God in judgment so we're not going to eat before that it's inappropriate to eat if we were going to a court case this morning if we had to go to court stand before a judge so it wouldn't be easy for us to sit back with an omelette or cup of coffee right we would not that would not be the mood right as if we're about to enter before the judge before Hashem so there is no eating beforehand so that's the way the gamarra presents it standing before God God is the judge we're about to do that one should not eat before and one really cannot eat how do you eat before you stand before God in judgment Ru cook has a different way of approaching this gamarra and I want to share with you the language of ruk and here you can follow along with me the middle of the page page one a hard gash the very first this is number two where it says this is from ru Cook's commentary on the gamarra and again he first the gamar he has the in the Bold the gamar that I just shared with you and here is now the commentary of Rook the very first feelings that we experience in the day how we feel as we start the day what we engage in the very first things that we engage in as we start the day that has an impact on the rest of the day he says the way that we start the day is the way that we carry on in the day so how should a person start their day start your day with something that is spiritual start your day in an elevated way so don't start your day eating if the first thing that you're going to do in the day is eating that's why once you not eat before they Davin if you start your day first eating you're doing something that is connected to the world of physicality something that is material don't begin your day that way begin with and how do you begin your day in the most appropriate way begin with you're addressing you're already giving nutrients to your soul right you're already providing for your soul that's the very first thing that you're doing as you start the day the blood of a person represents the ne of a person but don't eat first don't begin in a physical way I know a lot of people like getting up in the morning begin with exercise going to the gym that's very very popular I'm not sure Ru cook says I'm not sure if that's the way that you should begin because you're already even though there's something healthy about that we could talk about that as well Ru cook believed in exercise and good health but he says let's start off the day with spirituality with in a way that we're connecting with Hashem and that is going to carry us the first thing that you do every day carries you throughout the day let me just read to just the last sentence here if you're going to begin with something which is more physical before feelings of okay if you're going to begin that way it's not going to be a healthy way to start the day and I was just thinking about this in terms of sort of contemporary life Modern Life for a lot of people the very first thing that they're doing what's I won't ask everyone here in the room what's the very first thing that people are doing as they start the day a lot of people are reaching for their phones I know I'm guilty of that as well right you begin your day you're already reaching for your phone you're looking at the news you're checking your WhatsApp before anything else now I'm not sure if that's the healthiest way to start the day Ru cook would say it's not the healthiest way start with something that is enriching something that is uplifting something that is spiritual and that optimism that spirituality that begins the day can carry you says R cook throughout the day so I think that's a uh it's an interesting way of again what does Ru cook do with this piece the gamara says you're standing before God in judgment again the emphasis is on God here R cook says take this take the of that you begin your day with and what does that do for you think about howah is impactful and spiritually uplifting for the person who is praying and Ru cook writes the following this is actually the bottom Source on on on the page is from a sidor very beautiful sidor it was uh edited by Balo naur is one of the great experts in ruk today and he it's one of the K sidur is a collection of the teachings of ruk and he writes the following mod so how do we begin our day we begin our day many people have the beautiful custom even before they get out of bed that they already recite mod that the first words is a recognition of Hashem and connecting with Hashem mod mod this is from ruk a teaching from ruk just translated modani is an expression of gratitude to the almighty for returning my soul to me after its nocturnal Journey we do not wait until we have washed our hands to recite modani right we know that the Ala is and it was formulated in such a way that modani doesn't have the Shem AEM it doesn't have the name of God so that you can recite it right away you don't have to wait to get up and wash your hands otherwise is issue if you can recite God's name without washing your hands first this allows you to say hashem's even without saying hashem's name but referring to Hashem that you can say that right away gratitude R cook says beautifully gratitude must be expressed immediately right why can't we just wait the the minute or two get out of bed do Nagle vaser wash your hands and say Mandi no R cook says you have to Express gratitude right away immediately it must not be delayed and there's a lesson to be derived concerning interpersonal relationships and here ruk again says look at take the experience ofah and use that as a way to to build your own spirituality to bring out the very best in you so you start the day learning about giving thanks and giving gratitude right away bring that into the day as well bring that into your relationships when another human being bestows kindness upon you our expression of gratitude should be forthcoming immediately so Sayes R cook learn froma grow from and in that wayah becomes enriching again you're not waiting for an answer maybe that answer comes how that works in heaven we will never know exactly how OT how they affect the Heavenly throne and God's God's decrees but one thing we do know about and here Rook is emphasizing this point is what we can gain from that experience the spiritual uplift of that experience yes uhhuh very nice right they're the very first word beautiful that the very first very nice very nice okay next piece from ru cook and here Ru cook speaks about and this is you can turn out to page two Ru cook speaks about the um the practice that we have and the AL that we have of Bowing in so we know this is the top of page to this is from his commentary and he begins and by the way I I have it in the piece I have a little bracket right in the middle where it says does everyone see that so we know that when it comes to our to the amida that we have the Bowing that we do in the beginning the Bowing that we do towards the end of the amida so he writes the F when we D and with a full voice with full it's not possible for us to Express fully our thanks to only when we bow down the idea of bowing down is that with that expression we add to our thanks to Hashem so words alone we want to express our words of thanks to Hashem but we're Limited in words and therefore with our body right we also are able to express thanks to Hashem but here's the point that I want to share with you R cook points out that we actually don't bow very often it's very limited the Bowing that we do now if we're expressing thanks to Hashem and we want to express and we do that through bowing so why don't we find it more commonly throughout the but says the Bowing that we're doing and that we are showing our love of Hashem and that we are pro frating oursel to Hashem that should be limited to some degree that bowing should really be a way of strengthening a Jew and giving greater Faith to a Jew and when a person uplifts themselves from being in a world of physicality he says that one needs to have faith in themselves that the Bowing that we're doing is a limited bowing yes we have to have we have to Humble oursel before Hashem but but that bowing is actually a way of teaching us of bringing home the point that we are standing before God and that God believes in us and therefore we should limit the Bowing four lines from the end when a person is bowing every the gamar says if somebody continuously bows you have to you have to teach the person not to bow yes to be humble that's appropriate in a certain place at a certain time but the main purpose of the Bowing that is to uplift a person you're bowing because you recognize you're in the presence of God but to know that you're in the presence of God means that Hashem has faith in you believes in you and therefore that's the lesson says of the Bowing you should not be left with a feeling of Shute of loneliness therefore we limit says the Bowing that we do in our so here again ruk when it comes to and the point that I want to uh that I want to highlight from ruk is howah is something that is supposed to be uplifting that's supposed to strengthen us that brings out the best in a person so very interesting when he says when it comes to bowing we limit the Bowing it's not something that we do we do it in the beginning with the aot as we mentioned the avot cook says we recognize that our doesn't reach the level of the aot and therefore we bow before hem at the end when we say modim and we give thanks to Hashem we bow once again towards the end but that's it it's limited that becomes a lesson for us that that bowing is something that's supposed to encourage us to recognize that we are standing before Hashem and to take that idea and again that to take and to see howah inspires and enriches our own spiritual life and again let's look at the following the following piece which brings home this beautiful point we know says the gamar and this is number two in the middle of the page it says this is a a person should not stand in a high place a person should be in a lower place when they that I call to you in a lower from a low place so the question is what is the meaning of that we know by the way that there were shs that had the custom to build a Sho in such a way that the one who's leading the doing would stand in a lower it would be a little bit lower from the rest of the floor to follow this what's that that's right very nice the language that's used in the gar is that one is going a bit lower takes a step down as you're standing before the ark so there are shs that have that commonly you don't see that in shs but I do see shs that have had that that have that Min hog but again the idea what does it mean to D to DAV from a low place so I think for most of us we would say and I think that's the basic interpretation is the humility that a person should have when they doin that's meakim from that from a lower Place Ru cook says something a bit different and I think this is a very very important idea that Ru cook speaks about look at the Middle where I have the bracket this is uh the the language of ruk theim if you see that in the middle of paragraph two the the essence of coming close to God what does it mean to be close to says r that a person in their midot in their actions that they become closer to a the that we emulate hasem in our lives to be close to hasem means that we improve our conduct in our Behavior he says there are two ways in which we pray to God there's a place what we might call where we reach a very high Ascent a person feels the the sweet of that they feel they're in the presence of and a person feels the emotion of being in the presence of the awesome God according to their ability where a person no longer is concerned with you know the the difficulties or the trials of life you can D in such a way and maybe this is more like a meditative ding a ding where you kind of like leave kind of take a step out of the problems of of this world your own personal problems problems of CLA Isel and you're just you feel that you're in the presence of God that's one way of experience F however but in that state of mind you kind of leave the reality of life now there's something very beautiful about that but ruk says there needs to be a balance you can feel you know that that kind of transcendence that closeness with Hashem that's appropriate but there's a place also an important place of mimim which means that you haven't left this world you're not in this um you know meditative state you're very much you're very much grounded in your challenges in the difficulties that you're facing and that's the way that you are davening and he says that is necessary as part of davening as well again reading the words of ruk five lines six lines from the from the bottom the things that are burdening you in life you don't feel them hey right those are things that you need to work on those are things that you need to correct it's not enough just to feel that Transcendent feeling of being in the presence of [Music] God you need to think about in daving how you're going to improve how you're how the difficulties that you're facing in life how davening can be in Inspiration in that area as well how that's going to inspire you in terms of your MOS in terms of who you are as a Jew for the sake of sorry he reinterprets this and says it doesn't mean physically a place of loneliness but you need to be you need to feel the reality with your feet on the ground literally on the ground and to come to with the difficulties with the challenges that you're facing in life that you feel yes that which is missing in life and to bring all of that prayer to pour out that prayer to and with that you can really Elevate you can be elevated so we see actually which I find interesting in ruk because we think of ruk is as his great Mystic is kind of you know this experience of of leaving the the dalad of this world and entering a Heavenly realm in here R emphasizes the opposite he says yes there is a place for that but we need to D in not literally in a low place but we need to be grounded bring to the bring to your davening all of your challenges the difficulties that you're facing and to bring that and let be a source of let it be a source of strength for you to feel hashem's presence to take the words of the of the the message of Thea and to uh to let that uplift you I want to quote now from Rabbi salvic Rabbi salvic says something very very similar in terms of the way that we the way that we engage in how is supposed to be a lesson for us how it's supposed to be an inspiration for us we know every morning that we start with what's known as the that we have that long list of items that we recite in which we thank Hashem for the ability to see the ability to walk that we have the clothing that we need etc etc in that long list why do we do that and again we can ask the basic question does God need us to bless him and to thank him for those things ruk I'm sorry Rabbi salvic says the following and this comes from the kin the commentary of RAB salv on the sitter beautiful compilation and he says he he starts with one interpretation and now why we say those blessings in particular and then he writes the following a second reason that these terms are employed meaning that list of blessings that we say in the morning those BR is that they have moral and ethical connotations and what does that mean that we say them because they are teaching us something about how we are to live our own lives God heals the blind again there's a reference to the those that we say God heals the blind he frees the prisoner he lifts up the oppressed each utterance of praised is filled with an ethical Motif other words there's something in that that is teaching us how we are to live our lives a moral principle that must also be realized by man himself if this is true of Hashem if we're praising Hashem every morning in this way that you provide clothing for those in need that you help those to stand to see to to provide for everyone's needs that's what we describe God is doing so if that's true of Hashem that now becomes a lesson for us as well this is a different way of thinking about right this is a different way of praying they were praying not so much about what God is doing in heaven but what does it say to me right what is the lesson of what is the inspiration that I am to take from from the mod that I say in the morning from thear that I'm reciting just reading the last sentence here when we pronounce these BR we not only thank God for the normal physiological functions of man but we acknowledge God's all-inclusive morality and announce publicly our commitment to imitate his ways so again here we have a different emphasis we see it in Riv cook we see it now in RB salich as well the importance of daving as as an inspiration as a as a lesson for those that are daving saying those words how they speak to us and they how they are to build us okay two other sources that I want to share with you from RV cook RV cook quotes or he he is commenting on the gamar Bros the top of Page Three this is the gar Bros and it says the following says two of the greatest sages of the talud it's an important statement you havean saying it in the name of Rim what does it mean in the it's a that says the P says that I am prayer or I'm offering a prayer this is King David who says which by the way means not just said I'm offering a prayer but I I am prayer I I'm my whole being is a prayer to Hashem I'm offering a prayer to Hashem at a time ofat and thear asks I could ask that question here when is an E ratson when in particular is a time of ratson that God is God is more willing more open to hear our prayers good you would say rashash cha the days that we're in right now El right I think all those answers are correct interesting the gamar doesn't give that answer the gamar says what is it's the time when a congregation comes together and prays together Hashem loves that Hashem loves to see people it's beautiful for people to dve it on their own but when people gather together when there's a minion where there's a Sho where people are coming together here we are this morning all together learning together D in together that Hashem or the gamar says based on that's an a Zone the heavens open up at that moment when Hashem sees the Gathering of Jews together very nice beautiful yes when you have more people that brings great honor to the king so Ru cook interprets the following he adds the following commentary just looking at two lines from R cook how do we interpret that what does that mean that that's considered to be an a son what's so special about the fact that uh that people are coming together say the very Foundation of that embedded within is a particular wisdom of God okay there's something that is Godly within this within the equation of how works that it's a way that a person presents his Bak his supplication before God and that God responds to that and here this line I would underline this line this idea of R what is so special about that it increases that it enriches the the ethical component of man other words that we become better that we are enriched spirit in our and the process of again here he says yes there may be there's a process of there's a uh there's an aspect of that we really can't fathom fully how that works but there is an aspect that we do understand and that is how we are enriched in that let's read on now that it strengthens a person spiritually to work on a person's midot to increase spiritually he says that's not something that is um that that is needed when a person is alone so here he says something really fascinating I would say this is a k very different than the way we might interpret this why is it so important to pray together with others says R cook because when we're together with others or being together with with others is where we learn how to be our best selves other words the way that we interact our midot our midot yes if we're alone if we're sitting alone it doesn't really require very much in terms of mid the real challenge is when we are together as a community when we're interacting with others so he said that what's so special about when we're together with others is that we are fulfilling actually the very purpose of and the purpose of is how we grow in terms of our mid that's what is about says ruk one of the most important aspects of is our growth through and again I think this is a different way this is a different path a different perspective on right it's deemphasizing the transcendental nature of and putting more emphasis on how do we learn from how do we grow from as R Sal says what are the ethical the moral teachings in that we are to learn from and interesting ruk says modani as we say it every morning so yes we're we're saying to Hashem thank you right away but the idea is to learn from that if that's true of Hashem how we interact with we have to bring that into our day as well to have gratitude to say thank you immediately to say thank you to others okay one last idea from ruk and here we go to a passage from ruk this is in a book it's a collection called yes it's a book that um that compiles teachings from ruk literally the title is that you have wings of spirit and it's a whole book about the um how a person um based on the teachings of Rook to be uplifted and optimistic and how a person is uh is to see the world with positivity and the potential that a person has and what a person can contribute to the world says ruk here's the writing of Rook when a person Compares themselves to a Mal to the angels when you compare yourself to a Mal or to the angels you should also think about you should compare yourself to the G to the to the heroism to the power of an Angel then that great K will be felt and that's a positive kind of of heroism okay what does r cook say here R cook says when a person Compares themselves to to malim when you think of yourself like a Mal does anyone here think of themselves or have compared themselves to a Mal to an angel is that something that you've ever thought about is that something that you and ruk kind of takes it for granted sham when a person thinks of himself Compares himself to a Mal so you should really think about Mal in the in these you know these beautiful terms of the gura the power and that you also have the power of Mal when do we do that so we actually do it every single day we that's right every single day at least in a minion and n chabas as well every day we are comparing ourselves to a Mal now where do we do that we do that into kadha now we don't always think about that but it is what we're doing now look at the following words of Kusha I took the Kusha of chabas it's on the sheet in front of you we will rever and we will will sanctify you SES what's the sod what does sod mean secr the secrets right the secret The Secret Language of the S KES of the Angels we're about to engage this is what we say every day this is chabas kadha and we say a similar thing during the week as well again we say it we don't always think about what we're saying okay that's part of daving with cavana is that we have to slow down and think about it for a moment but here we all stand by the way what do we do in kadus and the Ala talks about this our feet are together for Kusha why our feet together like the Mal like an angel like the malim that the prophet says what do we do in the kadus we're lifting up our feet right we go on we go on our toes as we say kadosh kadosh kadosh what do we doing there as well the Ala says that we're we're angelik that we're kind of leaving we spoke about earlier but here yes we're leaving a bit this world and we're going into that Angelic world we are comparing ourselves to Angels we're joining in with the angels we're saying that secret language of the Angels the way that the Angels praise God every day in heaven we're joining in and we're angelike for this moment and that maybe that's why we can't say this alone maybe that's why we need to be in a community it has a this very you know very high level of kadha so again what do we say we're going to rever youm sanctify youm like the Angels they they are they sanctify you in Holiness and as it says in the p in yes that that they call upon one another and they say the following kadosh kadosh kados so ruk says when you think of yourself Angel like so think of yourself angelike in the fullest sense the kadou of an Angel the gor of the Angel the power of the Angel so ruuk is saying when we say this yes we're saying it to Hashem it's a prayer to Hashem but as ruk has been emphasizing as we've seen throughout this year to think about it not in that direction to Hashem but to think about it in this direction think about the fact that you are comparing yourself that you can think of yourself as an angel the Holiness that you contain the gura that's what ruk says think about the gura think about your power think about your potential and that's and ruk writes just going back to that line of ruk the uh right after the first paragraph and if you think of yourself as an angel and by the way what does daving offer us and it what is it what what does it require of us to do to say kadua to think of your self Angel like every single morning every shakas every every chabas every Yan as you're saying kadha think of yourself angel-like now what does that mean think of yourself angel-like Sur of cook says think of yourself angel-like that that moment in daving should be an inspirational moment for you the power that you have the kadua that you have the potential that you have and when you think of yourself that way says you can now reach a high place that you now recognize you recognize your spiritual value and you're actually he says you're higher than the angel in what sense are you higher than the angel what's that you can do Mitzvah you could do okay you could do Mitzvah that's right the angel doesn't have a choice right the angel is just like a robotic being so to speak you have a choice and when you do that in that sense you're even higher than the angel so here just fascinating to me and I think a beautiful way maybe a little bit of a different path a different d as we enter our davening is yes it's supplication request of God changing the Edict of God so to speak that's part of daving maybe that's part of the frustration of davening that we we're saying all these words and we don't quite see it but there's there's another part of daving another aspect of daving that R cook is emphasizing and that is as we Davin as we say these words let these words enter our heart let them be spiritually uplifting let it add to our our character to our midot let it bring out the best in us as we're daving to think about daving in that way I don't know if you ever thought about daving that way when you say the beak not just thanking God but to say if I'm if I'm thanking God I'm giving gratitude for God for these items it means that that's my obligation as well to be like Hashem okay and just to conclude with a uh with one line from Rook this is there's a collection by the way ruk has a commentary on the sedor and that's what we've looked at a number of those pieces actually this morning calleda and this is from the introduction there are a few paragraphs that he had as of introduction just some ideas about F and we'll close with this and I have it here in the Hebrew and in Translation as well the bottom of page three we're not looking the uh the the final page by the way is just a translation that I translated the piece that we looked at earlier you can uh if if that's helpful to you um by the way just to right before I read this uh just this last last line from R cook that we'll read together so there's a there's a story of a rebi and his talim and the talud says you know I say the amid every single day and as I come to the end of the amid I always question if I really had cavana if I had the right cavana in my amida so how do I know at the end of the amida if I had the right cavana so the rebbi said to his to his student he said you know when you take your steps back at the end of the amida you at that moment you should look around the room and he said if you now feel a greater love for everybody in the room then you know that you've davened well you know that was that was the right cavana in your in your davening so in that sense I think that's you know R cook and RAB salvic I think that's an aspect of filad that they're emphasizing how does it uplift a person how does it enrich a person and to enter engage IND daing in that way let's end with the words of cook bottom of page three for us dting for us prayer for us and for the entire world it is an absolute necessity it's an absolute necessity that we have in our lives it's the most wonderful tanuk it's the most wonderful joy that we feel when we're daving again I think maybe we have to we have to work on that I don't know if we always feel that but he says it's a great T it's a great joy it's a great joy to pray the waves of the Soul rush back and forth and we have a great desire for ourselves and for the world that there be that there be Hess Kaz a perfection in the world a type of perfection that the limited World simply cannot provide that we're finding something inah that we see in a kind of perfection a kind of wholeness that we that we experience when we when we DAV and that F that wholeness and that Perfection that beauty to bring that back into our lives to bring that into our spiritual lives and to grow and to see tah as an opportunity of growth of personal growth every day that we Davin so we should all be Z to uh to a daving that's rich and meaningful we should be Z that hasem here our daving especially especially at this time as Cloud Israel is going through difficult days unfortunately woke up this morning to hear of soldiers more soldiers that were killed yesterday in Gaza we ask aem's rim and uh Hashem should hear our prayers Hashem should hear our prayers we should find great meaning in prayer to be uplifted in prayer and to grow through ART I wish everyone well thank you for being here [Music]