What is Tefila | Rabbi Yossi Goldin | December 2nd 2025

Okay, good morning. Good morning everybody. >> Um, just before before we begin, so um once again a special thank you to Ben and Hetty Lipshits for for sponsoring this shior and as we always open up every every single week um our learning should be a rafua for all those who have been injured and should be a me in memory of all those who have uh who have perished in in this war. [snorts] should be as a hood for all those who are continuously continuing to >> it's not working. >> It's not clear. >> It's not clear when I talk like this. Is it more clear? >> Okay, I'll try that. Um and it should also be uh for all those who are continuing to recover and Hashem should give guidance to all of our leaders to make the right decisions. Okay. So, we finally after four or five weeks finished uh the the the section on kavana. Um and I wanted to to do a topic that I guess on some level I've been avoiding to be very honest. Um because I think it's it's it's a it's a it's a a topic that I feel is tricky but at the same time I think it's a very important topic. a topic that many of us think about a lot and and it's important to to discuss and we'll do our best to come up with answers that I hope that I hope will be will be meaningful and that is a question of how does tila work um and and the best way to to really to really understand this question is to really quote some from some of the balshava um the first few sources how they how they um actually verbalize and express this question and then we'll and then we'll and then we'll go on. So if you look at source number one and again this is this is a fundamental question to toil that many of us I'm sure have thought of have been wondering um and I think it's important to uh to to to discuss. So if you look at source number one the maharal again asks one of the most fundamental questions about file shin some ask about fel If a person is deserves something, if he is meant to receive something from then again, how does help? Why wouldn't give it to him without? If he's supposed to get it, he should get it without. And if he's not meant to receive it, then how could how does help? Okay. So that's again again I think a fundamental question which is mla or as we say in gammor language if you're supposed to get it so you should get it without file. If we deserve it according to our actions or according to what wants to give us we should receive it without file. And if hashem and if we don't deserve it so then how does file help? or another way of as we're going to cease. Another way of saying this is to feel a change God's mind. What does it mean when we say that when we dive in somehow we're going to receive something that maybe we shouldn't have meant to receive otherwise the and the asks another question which again we've discussed a little bit more in detail before [snorts] why do I have to verbalize the the Hashem knows what I'm thinking. Why wouldn't it be enough for me to just think about it? Why do I have to verbalize? Now, this we've actually discussed in the past, we talked about the power of verbalization and how it concretizes things in our minds. But I brought it here because I think it is still an important an important question. If you look at source number two and Albo asks again a similar type of question, a little bit of a different language, but again the similar idea. One of the things that people have asked or have come to express doubt regarding he says it is such a challenging question that even a question that has caused some people to even question the existence of hem and they say the following these people these people who challenge the questions regarding They basically say if you're meant to receive something, how is going to help? If you're it was decreed that you're going to get it. So then shouldn't be shouldn't be necessary. And if you're it was decreed that you're not going to receive this, then how exactly does file help? Does it change God's will? Are you going to change? Well, Hashem didn't want to give it to you, but now that you asked for it, now he's going to give it to you. Sorry. Does he change it from he wasn't going to give it to you and now he wants to or he wanted to and now he's not going to, now he doesn't want to. Obviously, those are those are concepts that are hard for us to picture. Another way of saying this and he's not verbalizing it here is we know that there is also a a certain concept that on rashash shana things are decreed for what's going to happen over the course of the year. So if something is decreed that is going to happen is going to Hashem decreed what was going to happen to us over the course of the year on rashash. So then how do our filot help throughout the year? What was decreed was decreed. Hashem should give it to us without file and if we're not supposed to have it then fela shouldn't necessarily help. Okay. So again it's a similar question. Um, a similar question in again a different language. Source number three and then I'll then I'll take the question or comment. Source number three again it's a similar idea but he phrases it a little bit differently. He says it's really a wonder. How is it appropriate for us to turn to Hashem and to ask Hashem to remove some kind of challenge or some kind of pain that we're going through, some kind of of let's say punishment. Why is that fair? Why is that appropriate? He says when it comes to the concept in the world of medical of medical of medicine sometimes the doctor requires you to take something that tastes horrible or that hurts or that is painful or sometimes you have a very you have a very uh extreme situation where they where they where they need to operate or they need they need to cut off a part of the body. Why? So that whatever is going on in your in that part of the body won't impact the rest of the body. Sometimes you need to take very dramatic action that hurts and that is painful in order to help. Would would you ever think that the that that the patient would turn to the doctor and beg him say don't do this. Don't do the surgery. Don't don't give me this painful medication. not only does he allow him to do this, but you're paying the doctor to do these things, right? So, so the same thing is when it comes to us turning to Hashem from on a spiritual level. How is it that we turn to Hashem and say, "Hashem, please don't do these things to us." Part of why Hashem brings these is that they're meant to help us atone for various sins or various or various punishments we're meant to receive. So how is it appropriate for us to turn to Hashem and say Hashem please don't give us X Y or Z please don't do this if we understand that Hashem ultimately is looking out for our best interest and he is like that doctor who sometimes has to give that person sometimes has to amputate or sometimes has to do something which is painful in order to ultimately benefit the patient. How is it appropriate for us to turn to Hashem and question it or challenge it? Okay, so again, it's a similar question, a little bit of a different way of phrasing it, but the basic question that that I wanted to deal with a little bit today, we're going to discuss a little bit today and then uh hopefully next week as well, is how is it appropriate? How is it fair? How is it okay for us to challenge Hashem? And also, how does Davening even help? How does Davening quote unquote does it change God's will? Is that such a thing as changing God's will? Now, again, I'm I'm not the biggest uh philosopher. So, we're not going to get too deep into the philosophy of this, but what I hope we'll be able to do is explore a couple of suggestions that are made in the ballay makava for us to to think about um as we go through the file experience. Yes. by the concern about this because it isn't to a certain extent chu in other words it's not [snorts] just a request that you're really saying you're gone but recognize that you're in charge of this [snorts] and that you're the one that does it and I really >> okay so so dove is making a very very good point and and and in fact that is actually going to be that's a great segue into the fir into the first way we're going to answer this question. Okay. Yes. Before we get before we get to it. Yes. >> So email was Rabbi Dova the younger one. And the whole she was that um Leia was supposed to marry Asa. So she prayed and prayed and prayed. That's why her eyes were >> right. That's what Rashi quotes the midrash that says that. Yes. Now what did she get for all that governing the kahuna and so it pays to d >> so it pays to David the question I don't think I don't think any of us I don't think any of us are questioning the the qu the issue that it pays to David but the question >> away with her future >> so the question the the question that I want to understand a little bit better is how does that work meaning from the perspective of I guess from a phil philosophical perspective how does that work again the qu just getting back to the basic question is if Leia was meant to receive that anyway. So then she shouldn't need the davin. And if she wasn't meant to receive it, then how did the davining help? Meaning what exactly happens? Does the davining change God's will? Does God change his mind? How does davining help? That that's that's the basic question that I'd like us to that we are going to see today is explore and based based on what do suggesting which is that this question is based on a certain assumption that is not necessarily 100% clear. And that is the assumption that I'm making when I ask this qu that they're all making when they ask this question is that the only purpose to dvening is to receive things from Hashem. And the first approach that we're going to suggest is that there is much more to davening than just receiving things from Hashem. Although receiving from Hashem is a major part of it. Much of what we do, much of the is what we call bakasha is requests. But it is very clear in the world of Bal Shabba that fel has many other goals and many other purposes as well. And so on the one hand the question that we're that we're asking we will we will deal with. But what I'd like to first take a step back is to realize that although it is a great question and an important question we have to first qu we can question the the assumption which is to us to to say well maybe there's a lot more to just asking for things. Some of this we have done in the past. those of you who have been with us throughout this entire journey that we about a couple of years we've been learning that we've been learning and we're going to go over some of those ideas which is to understand that fundamentally in the in the world of makaba there is a lot more to than just asking for hashem ask asking for a few asking hashem for things what else is all about so look at source number four source number four in source number four the the nephim highlights one major aspect or one major purpose to that is not about asking from hashem and then rather One of the goals of is simply to connect with Hashem, to create a connection between heaven and earth, between man and God. And is very clear that and and he and he points he points to the to the concept that fel nowadays is meant to replace corbanote weren't just about were about asking necessarily from a baru. Very often they were to thank Baraku for something. They were to atone as Dove pointed out from sin. And fundamentally what they were about was creating a connection between man and God. If you look at source number four nowadays as we know the work of prayer is very is meant to be a replacement for the work that we do that we used to have the What was the purpose of a corb of a sacrifice? It was to elevate the soul of the animal to God. Again, meant as a way of also increasing connection between man and God. And that's why the main atonement that was achieved through sacrifices was done through the sprinkling of the blood. Because the soul again we believe that an animal has a much lower soul than man than man does. But the the achievement of the was done through the sprinkling of the blood which as we know the Torah says. Okay. Now we're on the third line in source number four. So too this is what fundamentally is about. to raise ourselves to connect and to connect our soul to au that is what fela is all about that is the purpose that is what we're trying to achieve we might also be trying to achieve other things but we have to remember that fundamentally what we're trying to achieve when we dive in we're we're trying to achieve a connection and a relationship with [snorts] continues because the power of speech is is referred to in the inal as the soul of a person. How do we know? Because when man is created, the says as it says here that man became a living soul. Says the what does it what is what does it mean a living soul? He says it means a speaking spirit says what we see from there is that our power of speech is an expression of something very very deep within us. It's an expression of our soul that anytime a person speaks, he is expressing something deep from within himself. And of course, obviously, speech is one of the main expressions of what we have above animals. How we're better than animals. any speech, any expression of speech that a person gives is an expression of their of their soul. And therefore says he continues to describe what the experience of should be for us again in the ideal sense. When a person stands in front of his creator, a person should again in a in a in a metaphorical sense should remove himself should remove any his physical body from his soul. What does that mean? You should try to remove all physical thoughts, all physical ideas. that connected to your soul. How do you do so? How do you try to remove how do you try to elevate the spiritual side of who you are? So says before you stand to you should try to spend time this we talked about last two weeks ago before you dabin prepare for davening spend time saying I am now entering the world of I am now trying to elevate myself on a spiritual level. You should try to remove thoughts about any physical pleasures. You should almost try to create and elevate yourself to be a purely spiritual person and then we'll just we'll just skip to the end for now. It should be such a spiritual experience says ideally to the point that even as domining ends it should be hard for you to return back into this world. Right? We also saw when we talked a couple of weeks ago how how how Khazal had said you had to have spend time preparing for tila before and after and we asked well what what's the afterl once is over and the answer is in an ideal sense if we're able to achieve a certain level of spirituality it should take time to enter it and it should also take time to come back down into this world and to and to and and to hopefully be able to use that spirituality uh with our daily lives. Yes, >> I understand this also because if the body is what is causing the trouble, okay, [snorts] shouldn't it also take part in its feeling? In other words, if we do because of the body and we then speak to God with uh just the thought then what we're saying is I'm not holding the B responsible and again I I it's a very good question and there are different approaches to this. I think I think the basic idea is again not everything about FILA is about asking for forgiveness. We have to remember that he's not talking about forgiveness. He's talking about connecting to Hashem and he's basically saying we're trying to tap in. Obviously, we're we're physical beings. But what we're trying to do is we're trying to tap into the spiritual side of who we are and then hopefully use that to control our physical our our physical beings. Does that necessarily require the act of dovening to involve our physical? I mean, obviously we're standing the speech is also a physical thing because you're using your body. What what meaning maybe we should be dancing? I'm just I mean I'm I'm being a little facicious but obvious again >> and some do and I'm not I mean I'm not saying bad and and they're shuckling and there's other ways there's different ways people involve the bodies. I I don't I don't want to get into it too much because I think it's a specific specific question again yes and no does just because you sinned with your body doesn't mean that you have to use your body. You can also basically say I sin because of certain the the the physicality in myself overcame my spiritual side and I'm trying not to tap into the spiritual side to help control the physical side of who I am. There's different approaches to how you do that. Uh, and I don't I don't think it's so it's it's it, you know, necessarily just because I I sinned with my physical body, I should use my physical body as part of the way that I achieve atonement. I think there's different ways. Um, okay. Look at source number. Yes. So when you step back and step forward when you step back and step forward that is what you're supposed to >> when you step as I understand when a person let's say is about to as we spoke about last time the stepping back before you step forward doesn't really have to happen. All you really need to do when you enter Daven is step forward. We just do that practically. But the idea should be we're entering God's abode. we're about to that's the whole point of the three steps forward is is is a is a physical expression of the concept that we are now entering a conversation with Hashem one-on-one um in in you know and and and the step back is meant to is is is 100% is meant to be an expression of the fact that we're now leaving that conversation with Hashem 100% that is the whole idea behind the three steps forward and the three steps back that's the whole significance of it if you look at source number fivearia Kaplan discusses this as well the concept of using as a way of connecting to In light of a number of concepts already discussed, it is easy to understand the relationship between prayer and sacrifice. The slaughtering and burning of the animal sacrifice symbolized the subjugation and destruction of the animal and man. When the animal was burned on the altar, it returned to its elements and descended on high. When a person brought a sacrifice, he was able to meditate on this, nullifying his animal self and liberating his spirit so that it could commune with God. The soul then returned to its own element which is the spiritual. Therefore, the bringing of the sacrifice was a highly mystical experience. The Hebrew word for sacrifice corban comes from the word karov meaning close since it brought man close to God. That was how corban was meant to achieve this closeness. The concept of prayer is very similar to this. When a person stands before God, he becomes a total spiritual being totally divorced from his animal self. The only difference is that that instead of experiencing the s through sacrifice, the individual does throw so through prayer. Okay. So again this just highlights what we saw with that the purpose of one of the main goals of is this concept of connection. Now the way the discuss describes it this is is this concept of divorcing ourselves from our physical selves in order to elevate ourselves to connect use the spiritual side of who we are to talk to. If you look at source number six or Salvich has a beautiful explanation for how he views file in a similar way that fela is about creating connection but he has a bit of a twist and he a bit of a different way of explaining it. It's not about divorcing ourselves and and becoming fully spiritual beings to connect to almost means to almost attach ourselves to Hashem. Rather, he describes file as a conversation with look at source number six and then I'll get to your question or comment. Sorry, I didn't see you before, but let me just finish source number six. In prayer, however, we have a dialogue which is bilateral and reciprocal. Man climbs the mountain towards God while he descends figuratively from the mountaintop. Two hands embrace as in a handshake. Prayer, we said, is a dialogue, not a monologue. A dialogue exists when one person addresses another, even if the other is temporarily silent. In prophecy, God speaks and man is silent. In prayer, there is the reverse situation. We have the assurance that he is a shayat fil that he answers our prayer. He hears our prayers even if he does not exceed to our wishes. In prayer, in praying, we do not seek a response to a particular request as much as we desire fellowship with God. Prayer is not a means for weedling some benefit. Despite our prayer, except our prayer in mercy and favor, it is our persistent sorry hope that typo that this may be fulfilled, but it is not our primary motivation. It could be that fela is about also receiving things from God. But that's not why we davidid. We dive in for that fellowship with our sages felt that the acceptance of our prayers is beyond our understanding and is governed by unknowable considerations. Although we will try to suggest some suggestions, but as Salvich points out, we'll never really understand how these things work. We do not really understand why some prayers are accepted and others rejected. Dialogue means communication, engagement, and interaction. When we pray, God emerges out of his transcendence and forms a companionship with us. The infinite and finite meet and the vast chasm is bridged. Okay. In very very beautiful language points out that what fela is is our opportunity to converse and to spend time with we know that that when it comes to even just using a our interpersonal relationships, the greatest gift that we can give to to anybody who we care about is the gift of time. It's to spend time with them. The greatest gift that a spouse can give to another spouse, that a parent can give to a child, that a child when he gets older can give to the parent is the willingness and the and the and the and the desire to spend time with that with with with with that loved one. When we spend time with somebody a a connection is created and [snorts] says by spending three times a day simply conversing with again this isn't this isn't meant to contrast what what what what what what what was saying in in it's just a different way of of describing the experience or salvich is using I think a more modern American type of experience. We're communing with we're discussing we're conversing. We're creating that connection with through through conversation. And so here we see we have one main approach one so far one one approach for why else we besides what we're going to get to asking for things receiving things. One of the main purposes of file is connection with Yes. >> So if we believe that God created everything and that in charge of everything will be natural to pray to him. I don't understand the whole question. He's in charge of everything, right? >> Excellent. >> So why do I have to >> I mean I >> So I guess I'm talking to everybody else. >> I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. No, no. I think that >> I think it's words that other people wrote for me so that I say the proper things and the appropriate >> I think I I think I think we all I think that it's an excellent excellent point and and I think that I think that I I'll just speak from my own personal experience because I also can't talk for other people. I think there are moments where feel is easier for us and then there are moments where it feel is more challenging. I think there are moments where is meaningful and I'm able to achieve a certain level of meaning and then there's moments where it's much harder for me to achieve that level and I just kind of go we you know kind of go by rot. Now every person is different. There are some people who think more about these philosophical questions. Some people for for for whom the amuna this the simple amuna the simple belief that Hashem created the world he's a natural person for us to turn to. And if that works for for for you then amazing. My my the purpose here is for us to try to deepen our understanding and our connection to Davening. And through that I I we're trying to suggest different reasons for why we davin. But also the question of how does FA work I think is one that that that Khazal and that Jews have been struggling with for for for a long period of time. And I think it's worth exploring but obviously it should never be >> believe. >> We do believe it works. The question is the question that some the question that I wanted to ask was how do how do we believe it works? Now ultimately we may never fully understand that. These are only suggestions. Whenever it comes to any anything we're anytime we're discussing mitzvot and the reasons behind mitzvot or suggestions for how mitzvah work it's all speculation because we never never understand we d we do mitzvah because hashem told us to at the same time we also know that very often when we try to understand things we try to understand meaning behind certain things it often becomes more meaningful for us and easier for us to do the mitzvot and to connect to the dinging and that's what we're doing here ultimately you're 100% correct if we make a suggestion and it doesn't resonate with you you should still do it because we told us to That's that's that you know that's that's one reason but all but but the the reason we do this why do we go through the the text of the diving why do we go through all these different things because we hope we believe ultimately that the more that we understand and the more that we try to understand then the easier it is and more meaningful it is for us to do these things yes >> so >> sorry I'll get you after okay he said he told us many weeks ago that we have free choice so >> of course we have free choice to that. I mean, I hopefully I'd be praying to show you to make give us the ability to make the right choice. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. So, 100%. So, some some of what we're doing is we're asking Hashem not just for things. We're asking Hashem to give us guidance 100%. There's so many meaning we're we're we're going to we're exploring now a few other reasons for the value of but there's many that we that that we're not even touching upon. Yes. So most of the things that we hear today is an individual approaching a court but many of the threads are in the plural >> 100%. 100%. So number so number so number one and and we've talked a little bit about this in the past. We've discussed the text the text of David excuse me. Um I think it's a very very good question. Number one even when we're talking in the plural very often we're talking as individuals. We're part of a community. But if if you think about file and this also is I happen to think this is somewhat the difference between Ashkinazic and and Spartik Davin. Ding is very much communal in nature whereas Ashki Nazi is very much is and that might might be just and how and how we do it. But you're 100% correct that even when we're dvening in the plural, we're ding as individuals doing for for the plural on behalf of the plural. And then we have we have you know aspects that we call where the tro comes together to to to din. Now why it is that that is done that way is a very very good point. But there's no question that even when we're adopting Rafaem and Raf, we're also thinking about our own individual needs and we're als but we're we're we're doing both. The goal is to do both. The goal is to move beyond ourselves and not just think about our own personal needs. But that doesn't mean we should be ignoring our personal needs. I think I think I think there's a there's a combination. Okay, last one and then I want to go on. >> It's part of the idea that isn't just talking to God, you're also talking to yourself. >> Absolutely. We're about to get to that. Do you should give the shear >> you're you're on the ball today. But yes, >> I'm just reading the book now [laughter] to the idea looking when you do the amiga that when you pray to God you really >> so excellent that you should have all these >> the other so the so the other so the other two approaches that I wanted to mention other two approaches for why we davin are very much connected to the concept that davining is not necessarily about getting things from God it is about a certain selfawareness that we are able to gain through through the if you look in source number seven the in describing what is all about he says the following um >> lienu thank you so much yes it's missing that you have got confusing aside from trying to achieve what we want we have another aspect to beeru When we and we say things like we're not just asking Hashem for those things. What we're also doing is internalizing the concept that who do we depend on for all of these things? Who is the source of all of these things? Because you only turn you only ask for something from somebody who you believe can give it to you or you believe is the source for all of that. So a major part of is not just to ask for things says the but excuse me but it is to remember and to remind ourselves everything comes from so that when we then leave the the amut of the shul and we start to go about our daily life and we start working in our business and we start working in this and and and it's very common and normal that we're in when we're involved in the world we tend to think that we're the ones who are responsible for everything and that we take credit for everything. No, ding is meant to imbue within us a sense and a recognition that was the source of everything. And this is another purpose to this is another goal of what we're trying to achieve in Davening is to remember that not just when we're in doning when we go through when when we go through our our day. We also have to remember that Hashem is open and listening to everything that we say. And at all moments, Hashem is listening to us. He never falls asleep. And it's also meant to strengthen our belief in God's kingship. That God is the kingp that God is almighty. God is all powerful. These are fundamental things which many of us know. And if you were to ask us, do we believe in God as the king? We would say, of course. But we have to remind ourselves. And part of what felah is about is to to highlight these pieces, is to highlight these aspects, to highlight these concepts, to remind ourselves of these concepts so that when we go about our day, we imbue them and we live them even in our daily life when we're no longer in life. You look at source number eight, the Maharal says something very similar as well. Source number eight. In the first par of we have a bright the says the following quotes. The says you should love Hashem and you should serve him says the what is what does it mean to serve Hashem? What is it? What is maybe it's maybe it's referring to something else. How do we know it's referring to the says you should serve him with all of your heart believe what kind of work is internal is done in the heart says it's meant it's a service it's part of our service to why does why if if it's referring to says the Does it call it a right? The Gar establishes when the Torah says to serve him, it means so why don't you just call it why does it call it? He says for one reason and the reason one reason only. When a person dins to Hashem by turning to Hashem for for dvening, we are showing that we recognize that we are dependent on Hashem. What is it called? Avoda, similar to an evid to a servant who is entirely dependent on his master. When we dive into Hashem, we're reminding ourselves and we're highlighting the fact that we are dependent on that everything we have depends on a person will not would not exist if not for and so this the second aspect to why we is this is to remind ourselves and to remember that the purpose that that our existence is all dependent on ones just because of time I hope hope it's okay just because of time I want to go on if we have time at the end then I'm happy to to take questions. Okay, a third explanation, a third. Again, there are so many different suggestions as to why we David, but I wanted to highlight three. And the third one is a um an important concept that is that is suggested in the writings of Rafalhimalh suggests that points out that the word pale to David those of us who know a little bit of dict and know a little bit of Hebrew pel is reflexive meaning usually the concept of reflection when a person does something reflexive he's doing it to himself. So he says what does it mean? Why are we doing? What does pal mean? It is about judging ourselves. It is meant to be self judgment. That is the purpose of davining. Davvening is the time for us to take a step back from our busy day and to assess ourselves, our spiritual selves. Obviously, it's also going to be connecting to a bar. But he says a major part of it, excuse me, is are we living up to our standards? Are we living up to our own standards? How can we improve ourselves from a spiritual perspective? That says Rahers is a major aspect of David. Look at source number nine. I brought for you both in and in 19 letters because he he discusses it in different in both contexts. Hit pal says reersh from which is derived originally meant to deliver an opinion about oneself to judge oneself or an inner attempt at sooing such as the hit pal form of the Hebrew verb frequently denotes. In other words, an attempt to gain a true judgment of oneself. Thus it denotes the step out of active life in order to attempt to gain a true judgment of oneself that is about one's ego about one's relationship to God and the world and of God and the world to oneself. It strives to infuse mind and heart with the power of such judgment as will direct both a new to active life purified sublimated strengthened sorry to active life purified sublimated and strengthened. procedure of arousing such judgment is called and in 1900s reverse also again similar but highlights other aspects involves stepping away from our daily life with all its activities in order to regain those truths which we ought to have taken to heart in our lives but which we let slip away because of the deceptions confusions conflicts and temptations of living is what our sages call it the realization of the divine will by our inner self that is self-elevation and self- purification prayer represents the endeavor to arrive at an accurate assessment of ourselves in relation to God, the world and man. The purpose of words of prayer is leit pal purification, illumination, uplifting of our inner self toward recognition of the truth. Not an emotional fleeting devotion, a momentary ecstasy, a flood of tears, but a cleansing of thoughts and of the heart. Life robs us of accurate discernment of God, the world, mankind and Israel and of our own relationship to them. By transcending life, ascending towards God, we can retrieve this discernment in sovere is highlighting is the main purpose of David says reverse is our own ability to step back and and judge ourselves and to step back and refine our goals, our thoughts, what we're trying to achieve and whether or not we're achieving it. So we've seen so far are three separate suggestions within the world of Makshva for what accomplishes. We started with a question which we haven't answered yet. The question we started with was how does file work? How does file work? How is it if Hashem wants to give me something he'll give it to me anyway and if he doesn't want to give it to me then file won't necessarily help me. Do I change God's will? Do I change God's whatso? was the question we started with and we began to answer this question by almost kind of rejecting or challenging the premise of the question. The assumption of the premise of the question was that Davening is all about achieving things that we want from and while that might be one aspect to Davening what I wanted to highlight first was to recognize that there are many other aspects to dvening and that's what we saw here. We saw three other approaches to dabing. The dvening is about connecting to whether it means some kind of almost attachment to Hashem as as as suggested or it means a conversation and building a relationship with Hashem as Ra Salvich points out or it means a reminder to us that is the source of everything that we have and and that we must live our lives with that understanding and that knowledge or as Raf said and again these are nuanced some of these are there's there's overlap between these ideas said it's about self- judgment it's about taking a step back and assessing ourselves. Are we living up to our val? What are our values? Are we living based on our values? How can we improve our relationship with God and with each other and with and with Ami is and that and and and so in all of these we basically have kind of not avoided the question but challenged the question and said well maybe David is about much more and there are other suggestions. Ding is about achieving about achieving atonement. Dav is about praising God. There's so much more we can do, but I'd like to now get back back to the initial question. Um, and and and then and then we'll move on. I just just because you haven't asked the question yet. I apologize those who have asked a few questions already. I want I want to just move on. But yes, someone new. I >> seems from writing what you said there's a subtext to. But it's interesting that the subtext isn't explicit to talk about this uh communication communion with with our sharing and even the self-reflection part seems to be a subtext but not actually explicit in text. >> Okay. Excellent. I think I if I understand what you're what you're asking you're you're you're suggesting that these are meaningful ideas but you don't necessarily see them suggested or expressed in the in the in the in the field itself. I think that's um it's a good question. I well number one I think I think if you look through the tilo I think sometimes it does come up and and and I mean meaning meaning when we talk about all the I just want to ask for all the things we ask for there's two ways to understand how are we asking for them simply because we want them or we also asking for them because we're meaning the concept that they are again I would say it this way these three explanations are kind of meta explanations because they're basically basically taking a look at the text as a whole and and analyzing it. you are correct that we don't sit there and say, "Okay, now I'm about to connect to Hashem or now I'm about to assess myself." But if but I but but I think most of what this is coming from is an analysis of how of how Kazalik want how Kazal talked about preparing for for and and I and I and I think you're right. I think it's basically we're stepping out of the text and we're just describing it as opposed to it being a part of the text itself because the text is meant to be used to achieve these things. So I I understand the question. Um I think that I I it doesn't bother me as much because again you know very sometimes when you analyze a text so you kind of have to you try to understand it by taking by taking I think I think these approaches are coming from number one but I would I would even say this I didn't highlight this piece but many of these approaches if you look at the at the language that that the Torah uses this is probably even another way of saying it that the Torah uses to describe prayer these are highlighted. I'll give you an example. we talked about before that we we've done this before again years ago but if you talk if you look at the connection for example that the con the concept of of being about a a relationship okay so if you look at the text that we just had in last week's parha the Torah says right the Torah says that when he reached the place say what was he doing he was domining the fact that the Torah uses a language of which means to meet and and that say that means that that means a connection that or that means already highlights for us that's what is all about when the Torah describes went to converse in the field. Oh wow say what does that mean? He was dvening what does it tell us about ding ding is a conversation meaning a lot of these ideas are hinted to in when the Torah describes the description of you are correct that they're not necessarily found in the text itself but that's because I think we're we're we're kind of stepping out from the text and describing the experience. Now I think the better question could be does the text itself help us achieve these things and how can we ensure that and sometimes the answer is it can but also it also requires preparation for example achieving the connection with Hashem is not necessarily from the through the words it's the preparation you put in before it it's the and there and and so so I hope I'm answering your question but I think I think the best way to answer it is that yes in the text itself they might not refer to these and they are subtexts of what of what we're trying to accomplish but if you look at like the if you look at the way that they're described historically, I think there's a lot there's a lot of support for it. The same thing with with with um with refreshers. Refers again using the word hit pale and and and he doesn't just make he doesn't call it judgment from nowhere. In other times in the Torah, the word pleim is a reference to judges. So says so ah we learn from there that that is about judgment. Now whose judgment? God's judgment of us, our judgment of God, our judgment. So, so a lot of this is coming from the the the the language that is used to describe it feel in general. And I think you're right that we have to then ask ourselves where do we how does the text help achieve this as opposed to do we have hints of it in the text itself. That's how I would I would I I would look at it. Okay. >> Right. So is for example is okay if you don't say any words I need just f so that's that was the moral's question moral asked that question you saying if it's all about judgment why do I need to why do I need again those are those are all great questions and and we've seen that the that that that there's we'll have we'll get to it we'll get we'll get to some of the answer we've talked about how how when a person uses language when a person expresses thing in language it it's different it impacts you differently But you could also argue that that again we have to get to this. What what's the point of domining? Does Hashem need our we do. But again we're going to see that there might also be a suggestion that somehow felt also helps and improve helps in our relationship with Hashem. And that is that is the major question that I want to get. Getting back to our question look just because of time it looks like we're going to we're not we're not going to get to it today but anyway we're going to spend most of it next week as well. The question I'm going to leave you with is a question I want you to ponder. And for those of you for this for whom this isn't a question, even better. I'm not here to to put questions in your in in your head. But the question that I want us to think about, and we're going to we're going to we're going to explore next week is as follows. How exactly does work? Meaning, if Hashem is meant to give us something, why doesn't he give it to us anyway? If he wasn't going to give it to us, then how does my help? Does change God? Again, it's it sounds like a kira to say something like that. Does does does maybe change us? Does change our relationship with these are the some of the different approaches that we're going to see next week. Trying to understand how it is that if again we saw today was that is not all about receiving things from Hashem is not all about just trying to get things. It's about connection. It's about self- judgment. It's about recog. about highlighting for ourselves the most important things within our own relationship with our and remembering what Hashem can and does do for us. But next week we're going to get back to the meat of the question which is a few different approaches to this question of how does work. When I dive in for somebody like just just to highlight it I dive in for someone who is sick or I d for myself if I'm sick if wants to heal me so he he should heal me anyway. How does my help? That is the question that I'd like us to to think about. And I'm sorry that we didn't get we didn't get we didn't get a chance to start discussing it uh today but next week we we will we will discuss this uh in in more detail.