Focus and Passion in Prayer When you pray, stand in one place, facing the wall or with your eyes closed. And pray aloud—not merely to raise your voice, but with intent and with the hope that this will rouse your spirit from its sleep, so that it will emerge from its hiding place to greet its King and Maker, Who stands before it.
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תִּזָּהֵר מְאֹד לְכַוֵּן פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת.
Be very careful to think of the meaning of the words.
This can be interpreted in various ways. For instance: “Sing to Hashem from the heavens” (Psalms 148:1). A person might just translate the words in his mind: “Sing to” means “praise”; “Hashem” refers to the Holy One, blessed be He; “from the heavens” means the angels in heaven; and so forth. But this kind of understanding will do nothing to inspire him.
The main focus of understanding the words is that when you say “Sing to Hashem,” you see yourself right then speaking to the entire world and commanding it to sing to God. Although you are merely a being scratched out of physicality, because you are a Jew you are a prince of the world, able to proclaim and to command the entire world, angels as well as this-worldly beings, from the highest spirits to the insects and the grass, “Sing to Hashem from the heavens . . . and sing to Him, all bright stars!”
בִּתְפִלָּתְךָ תַּעֲמֹד בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, אֵצֶל הַקִּיר אוֹ בִּסְגִירַת עֵינַיִם, וְתִתְפַּלֵּל בְּקוֹל, לֹא רַק לִצְעוֹק בְּלֹא שׁוּם כַּוָּנָה, רַק בְּכַוָּנָה וּבְתִקְוָה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה תִּתְעוֹרֵר נַפְשְׁךָ מִתַּרְדֵּמָתָהּ, וְתִתְגַּלֶּה מִמַּחֲבוֹאֶיהָ לָצֵאת לִקְרַאת מַלְכָּה וְקוֹנָהּ הָעוֹמֵד לְנֶגְדָּהּ.
Focus and Passion in Prayer
When you pray, stand in one place, facing the wall or with your eyes closed. And pray aloud—not merely to raise your voice, but with intent and with the hope that this will rouse your spirit from its sleep, so that it will emerge from its hiding place to greet its King and Maker, Who stands before it.
תִּזָּהֵר מְאֹד לְכַוֵּן פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת.
Be very careful to think of the meaning of the words.
אֲבָל יֵשׁ אוֹפַנִּים בְּכַוָּנַת פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁרַק מְתַרְגֵּם לוֹ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, לַמָּשָׁל, "הַלְלוּ" (שַׁבְּחוּ), "אֶת ד'" (להקב"ה), "מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם" (הַמַּלְאָכִים מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם) וכו', וְכַוָּנָה שֶׁל פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת זוֹ לֹא תְּעוֹרֵר אוֹתוֹ מְאוּמָה.
This can be interpreted in various ways. For instance: “Sing to Hashem from the heavens” (Psalms 148:1). A person might just translate the words in his mind: “Sing to” means “praise”; “Hashem” refers to the Holy One, blessed be He; “from the heavens” means the angels in heaven; and so forth. But this kind of understanding will do nothing to inspire him.
עִקַּר פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת צריך לִהְיוֹת שֶׁכְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר "הַלְלוּ אֶת ד' וכו'" יְכַוֵּן שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר עַתָּה אֶל הָעוֹלָם וּמְצַוֶּה אוֹתו לְהַלֵּל אֶת ד', הוּא הַקָּרוּץ מֵחֹמֶר כֵּיוָן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הוּא, שַׂר הָעוֹלָם הוּא, וּבְכוֹחוֹ לְהַכְרִיז וּלְצַוּוֹת לְכָל הָעוֹלָם, לָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים, מִן מַלְאֲכֵי מַעְלָה עַד רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד עֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר לָהֶם "הַלְלוּ אֶת ד' מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וכו' וְהַלְלוּהוּ כָּל כּוֹכְבֵי אוֹר".
The main focus of understanding the words is that when you say “Sing to Hashem,” you see yourself right then speaking to the entire world and commanding it to sing to God. Although you are merely a being scratched out of physicality, because you are a Jew you are a prince of the world, able to proclaim and to command the entire world, angels as well as this-worldly beings, from the highest spirits to the insects and the grass, “Sing to Hashem from the heavens . . . and sing to Him, all bright stars!”
וְכֵן כָּל כַּוָּנַת פֵּירוּשׁ הַמִּלּוֹת וכו', וְאָז מִזֶּה בְּעַצְמוֹ יִתְעוֹרֵר וְיִתְלַהֵב.
Have this idea in mind in all your words of prayer. And then you will be inspired to a fiery enthusiasm.