Fundamentals
How do you know you're at the peak? The view from the top is wider and broader than the view down below...
Shmone Esrei is the peak of Tefilla; it is an opportunity to gather every facet of yourself and elevate it to nearness with God and His Benevolence. But how? What is the essence of Tefilla, of Bakasha? What does it feel like to stand at the peak of the world?
Painful days demand painful questions and real answers. Please listen to this class.
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When innocent children are stabbed to death in the streets of Jerusalem; when people are mowed down in a kosher supermarket in Paris; when every news outlet tries to be “fair” by denying the atrocities of history and of today… How does it help to sit down and say some Tehillim?
When you pray to God that He stop the carnage, and by the time you close your siddur, a charitable man has been cruelly butchered… How can you say that your connection to God is real?
When people are scared, abused, hurting, sick, lonely, depressed, and you want so desperately to heal them, to hold them, to fix things, but you don’t know how… How can you feel that God is listening to you and cares about you?
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How to turn your pain into a bridge to God, and how to feel the pain of others.
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Introduction to Shmone Esrei:
Getting a concept of how to relate to Hashem at the highest level of Neshama, by merging your will with His.
Find how great you can really be and become more yourself by recognizing and honoring the Divine soul within yourself and within others.
"Everything relatively רע only appears רע when looked at alone, by itself, in a fraction of time and space. But this disappears, yea itself becomes טוב — …even temptation, suffering, death — and then because we did not expect it, even טוב מאד — as soon as we broaden our minds and look at the whole.
Just in the real "goodness" of these apparently "bad" things in life not only the טוב, but the טוב מאד of all that God created shows itself. …Could we but see at one glance the whole picture of God's management of events interworking with and on each other in all time and in all spheres even as He sees it, we should indeed agree with His verdict: VeHinei Tov Me'od! והנה טוב מאד! (—Rabbi SR Hirsch, Commentary on Bereishis)
Bonus Track! A post-shiur discussion on practical Teshuva in daily life. Yes, you really can change your future… and your past.
Key Concepts in Pesukei DeZimra: We cover the fundamental definitions: Hallel, Hod, Zimra, Shira — what they are, how they differ, what their impact is. This shiur provides the fundamental ideas required for understanding all of Pesukei DeZimra from "Baruch SheAmar" through "Yishtabach", and will also provide year-round insight into all daily prayers, Tehillim, Hallel and Chanuka. פסוקי דזמרה
Session 8 offers an overview of the Shacharis (morning) prayer, and its place in the daily rhythm.
Handout: 10 Tips for Kavana
“A prayer without kavanah is like a body without a soul.” Here are 10 tips to help you maintain focus and increase your intention when davening.
What is Kavanah? Kavanah is the soul of the prayer: it is the thought, the attention, the intention. It is what makes your prayers live and take flight.
(This recording is cut off at the 30-minute mark.)
Handout: Temple Outline Map
In Session 5, we walk through the Bais HaMikdash (Holy Temple), understanding how the avodah (service) of each area of the Bais HaMikdash is embodied in a portion of the morning prayers, allowing us to achieve the objective of drawing spirituality into our lives even in the absence of the Temple.
Handout: Temple Outline Map
The fourth session is all about the inner essence of things, ultimately reaching the inner sanctum of the Bais HaMikdash (the Holy Temple) in Jerusalem — the heart of the world. Join us as we walk from space to space, understanding the objective and tasks of each.
The first session (on prayer as the defining feature of humanity, bridging Heaven and Earth) was not recorded. Join our group here, in Session 2, where we discuss the special role of prayer in the Jewish mission of bringing the spirituality of the infinite into this tangible world of deeds.