Yet if upon occasion it happens that he cannot pray with devekut, he should not say, “I just won’t pray”; since he is unable to pray with appropriate concentration and devekut, and so the prayer is not accepted.
This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught about Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, that he would pray [for the sick and say, “This one will live and this one will die.”] They said to him, [“How do you know this?”] He answered them, “If my prayer is fluent in my mouth, I know that it has been accepted. But if it is not, I know [that it has been torn up]” (Berakhot 34b). This is in line with what we have said: With devekut, his prayer is then fluent in his mouth and accepted. But without it, God forbid, it is the reverse.
Even so, a person should not say, as above, [“I just won’t pray”]. Rather, he should always pray. And if he is unable to pray with appropriate devekut, let him pray with all his might. For at a later time, when he prays with appropriate devekut, all the prayers will ascend together with the prayer that he prayed properly.
at that time, saying—In other words, at the time I merit to pray with devekut, which is the aspect of “my prayer is fluent in my mouth.” This is the meaning of “at that time, saying”—the words utter forth and are fluent in his mouth because he prays with devekut. Consequently, all the prayers that he prayed until now ascend, as explained.
וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר (דברים ג׳:כ״ג):
“I pleaded with God at that time, saying.” (Deuteronomy 3:23)
דְּהִנֵּה הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת גָּדוֹל לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ,
A person should pray with great devekut to God.
אַךְ אִם לִפְעָמִים יֵשׁ עֵת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת, אַל יֹאמַר: אֵינִי מִתְפַּלֵּל כְּלָל, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְכַוֵּן כָּרָאוּי וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת, וְהַתְּפִלָּה אֵינָהּ מְקֻבֶּלֶת.
Yet if upon occasion it happens that he cannot pray with devekut, he should not say, “I just won’t pray”; since he is unable to pray with appropriate concentration and devekut, and so the prayer is not accepted.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות לד:) עַל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא, שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל וְכוּ', אָמְרוּ לוֹ וְכוּ', אָמַר לָהֶם אִם שְׁגוּרָה תְּפִלָּתִי בְּפִי יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְקֻבָּל, וְאִם לָאו יוֹדֵעַ וְכוּ'. וְזֶהוּ עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ: אִם בִּדְבֵקוּת, שֶׁאֲזַי הַתְּפִלָּה שְׁגוּרָה וּמְרֻצָּה בְּפִיו, מְקֻבֶּלֶת, וְאִם לָאו, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְהֵפֶךְ.
This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught about Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, that he would pray [for the sick and say, “This one will live and this one will die.”] They said to him, [“How do you know this?”] He answered them, “If my prayer is fluent in my mouth, I know that it has been accepted. But if it is not, I know [that it has been torn up]” (Berakhot 34b). This is in line with what we have said: With devekut, his prayer is then fluent in his mouth and accepted. But without it, God forbid, it is the reverse.
אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אַל יֹאמַר הָאָדָם כֵּן, אֶלָּא יִתְפַּלֵּל תָּמִיד. וְאִם לֹא יוּכַל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת כָּרָאוּי, יִתְפַּלֵּל בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ. כִּי בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת כָּרָאוּי, אֲזַי יַעֲלֶה כָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת עִם הַתְּפִלָּה הַהִיא שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי.
Even so, a person should not say, as above, [“I just won’t pray”]. Rather, he should always pray. And if he is unable to pray with appropriate devekut, let him pray with all his might. For at a later time, when he prays with appropriate devekut, all the prayers will ascend together with the prayer that he prayed properly.
וְזֶה: וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' – תָּמִיד, בֵּין בִּדְבֵקוּת בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִּדְבֵקוּת.
This is: I pleaded with God—Always, with or without devekut .
בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר – הַיְנוּ בְּעֵת שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת: שְׁגוּרָה תְּפִלָּתִי בְּפִי. וְהַיְנוּ: בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר – שֶׁהַדְּבָרִים נֶאֱמָרִים וּמְרֻצִּים בְּפִיו מֵחֲמַת שֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת, אָז יַעֲלֶה כָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל עַד עַתָּה כַּנַּ"ל:
at that time, saying—In other words, at the time I merit to pray with devekut, which is the aspect of “my prayer is fluent in my mouth.” This is the meaning of “at that time, saying”—the words utter forth and are fluent in his mouth because he prays with devekut. Consequently, all the prayers that he prayed until now ascend, as explained.