Prayer

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1. Shemesh b'Givon Dom: Unraveling a Biblical Riddle

   Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |

   This famous declaration/Tefillah uttered by Yehoshua presents a literary challenge, due to internal contradictions and an unexpected choice of words. By observing several similar phenomena in the canon, we will offer a solution with surprising implications.

2. Natan's Vision: The Everlasting Kingdom of the House of David

   Chapter 7 (II)

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   God rejects David's request to build the Temple, but promises him an eternal monarchy over the nation of Israel. Is there a relationship between the two issues? Is eternal monarchy conditional? How did David respond to Nathan's vision?

3. Purim's Significance a Few Years Later: The Return to Zion

   Chazal's Preambles to Megillat Esther: Part 7

   Rabbi Moshe Taragin | 17 minutes

   This shiur explores linguistic and thematic parallels between Megillat Esther and the Book of Ezra. The two texts share similar events, motifs, and apparatus of recovery in situations of crisis - perhaps most significantly that of fasting. Ezra's confessional prayer seems to suggest that he derives inspiration and hope from God's Hand which, while hidden, is ever-present, as in the events of Megillat Esther.

4. Learning How to Daven From Nineveh

   Chazal's Preambles to Megillat Esther: Part 8

   Rabbi Moshe Taragin | 17 minutes

   This shiur highlights the significance of Tefilla in the Megilla. The strength of prayer, exemplified by the gathering and fasting of the Jews, is such that prayer can affect Divine will—and therefore choices are crucial. The megilla helps repair the lack of focus on Tefilla in pre-exilic times, and paves the way for a greater centrality of Tefilla in Jewish life.

5. Yehuda's Plea and Its Audiences (Audio)

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 23 minutes

   Yehuda’s plea to the second-in-command of Egypt is reminiscent of Abraham’s prayer for justice. The tripartite structure of Yehuda’s plea includes appeals to mercy and to justice. But there is a third part which does not seem to belong - a spontaneous outburst about his father. What does this surprising addition reveal?

6. In the Lions' Den - Part 2

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   Sefer Daniel and Megillat Esther reveal the importance of the "Constitution" in Media and Persia - a status that supersedes even the authority of the king. Positions vary on the justification of Daniel risking his life for the value of praying to God. Daniel establishes the practice to pray towards Jerusalem. Daniel being thrown into the pit of the lions can be compared to Yosef being thrown into the pit with snakes and scorpions and to Shimshon and David who defeat a lion in combat. 

7. Daniel's Prayer

   Part 1

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   In the first year of Daryavesh the Mede, Daniel seems to think that the seventy years of exile are complete. Only 52 years have transpired since the destruction of Jerusalem. According to an opinion stated in the Gemara, which is the opinion of most commentators, Daniel was mistaken. It is hard to imagine an eighteen year mistake over a seventy year period. Instead, Daniel’s calculation corresponds to seventy years from Nevukhadnetzar’s rise to power. Yirmiyahu predicted that only a heartfelt prayer with a true, profound seeking of God, coupled with the passing of seventy years, would bring the redemption. This was the significance of Daniel’s prayer.

8. Daniel's Prayer (continued)

   Part 2

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   An assumption is made that Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9, a prayer that was necessary in order to bring redemption, was uttered at the time when prayer was prohibited with punishment of death in chapter 6. In Daniel’s prayer, a confession and acceptance of Divine judgment is followed by his supplication. Gavriel the angel relates to Daniel a time of ‘seventy weeks’. The Sages and commentators interpret this to mean a time period of 490 years between the destruction of the two Batei Mikdash. There are several difficulties with this approach and alternative suggestions are raised, but the ultimate meaning remains a mystery.

9. The Drought (part 10)

   Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (part III)

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The preferential conditions that Eliyau has enjoyed for the last year have now expired - and therefore the widow and her son are no longer different from anyone else suffering the effects of the drought. Eliyahu’s decree is the cause - directly or indirectly - of famine and death. Against his will, Eliyahu is becoming party to the suffering of the drought. Eliyahu's call to God testifies that he is not ready to recognize the claim represented by the death of the widow's son as a continuation of God's argument with him. He maintains his regular position, requesting for himself and those around him the right to a preferential existence. His request is therefore not accepted. His initial call to God is not heard, and the widow's son is not revived.

10. The Drought (part 11)

    Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (part IV)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    When his first cry is not answered, Eliyahu turns towards the boy, to stretch out over him; this signifies his change in perception. Two changes are noted in comparing Eliyahu’s two prayers. In the first he questions God, while in the second he pleas to God. In the first, his focus remains on himself and in the second he focuses on the boy. His prayer that the boy's life be restored reveals that Eliyahu is ready to agree to the return of the rain. However, still needs an external command to push him in this direction.

11. The Drought (part 12)

    Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (part V)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Up until this point, Eliyahu only represented God’s trait of strict justice. After Eliyahu resurrects the woman's dead son for the child's own sake the true man of God is revealed – one who represents God's trait of compassion in the world, and performs miracles through this trait. The widow’s praise for Eliyahu as messenger of God's word is a type of Divine assent to what seems to be Eliyahu's new path: he now represents God both in strict justice and in mercy and compassion. The symmetrical structure of the story highlights Eliyahu’s second prayer as the climax of the story.

12. The Drought (part 14)

    Eliyahu Revives the Widow of Tzarfat's Son (VII)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    While both exist within a similar general framework, clear differences exist between the resurrection performed by Eliyahu and the resurrection performed by Elisha. Each description is constructed around a challenge which the prophet must address by mobilizing all his energies. Eliyahu is in conflict with God and therefore his challenge focuses on his prayers to God. Elisha bares a personal responsibility for the dead child himself and therefore his challenge focuses on his actions to revive him.

13. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 5)

    Shiur #35: Carmel Part 5: Eliyahu's Prayer (Part 1)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The duality of the prayer by the prophets of Ba’al is mirrored in Eliyahu’s dual prayer, and by the nation’s dual response. These represents the acceptance of God and rejection of Ba’al. The repetition in Eliyahu’s prayer stresses both a national recognition of God and recognition of the God of Israel by the entire world. In the first section of the prayer Eliyahu as God’s servant is prominent while in the second section he is absent.

14. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 5)

    Eliyahu's Prayer (Part 2)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The challenge at Mount Carmel has both a universal significance in determining the true God, a national significance in redefining the national character in the face of foreign influences and Eliyahu’s role in this struggle. Both significances are manifested in Eliyahu’s dual prayer and both are interconnected. The fire falling from the heavens is reminiscent of the fire in the dedication of the Mishkan in the desert and the dedication of Shlomo’s Beit HaMikdash.

15. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 5)

    Eliyahu's Prayer (Part 3)

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    "And you have turned their heart backward" is interpreted to mean that God is responsible for the nation turning away from Him. This interpretation is difficult to accept within the context of the story. An alternative interpretation states the opposite – by the act of the fire from heaven their hearts will turn back to God and away from Ba’al. The latter interpretation of the final phrase in the second half of Eliyahu’s prayer compliments the final phrase in the first half of his prayer.

16. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 6)

    "To Whom Shall You Compare Me, That I Shall Equal Him? ֠Says the Holy One"

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The use of three Leading Words in the narrative leading up to the climax and their absence in the narrative after the climax makes subtle points of contrast between Eliyahu and the prophets of Ba’al and rejects any comparison or relationship between God and Ba’al. The unparalleled structure of the narrative denies any relevance of a comparison between God and Ba’al.

17. Eliyahu on Mount Carmel (Part 10)

    Why is Eliyahu's Prayer Not Answered Immediately?

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    The lack of immediate rain demands that Eliyahu pray intensely for rain on behalf of the nation thus reversing his original role as the one who decreed the drought. He no longer assumes the one-sided role as God's emissary to Israel; he changes his position and becomes Israel’s emissary before God. Eliyahu’s prayer for rain parallels his prayer for the son of the widow.

18. Mizmor 17

    A Tefilla of a(n Un)Repentant Psalmist

    Rabbi Avi Baumol

    Mizmor 17 invites two separate and almost contradictory approaches: a prayer of a 'ba'al teshuva' having realized his sins, has accepted his punishments and turns to God with hope; a prayer of one who has not sinned, and therefore does not deserve all the troubles that are coming his way.

19. Mizmor 145 (II)

    Tehila U-Berakha: "Ashrei" - Part II

    Rabbi Avi Baumol

    Different levels can exist in our relationship with God. One can always call out and reach God, but achieve a greater closeness if one cries out sincerely. One can begin their relationship with God through a distant praise and eventually achieve closeness when blessing God.

20. Mizmor 99

    Kabalat Shabbat (Part 4)

    Rabbi Avi Baumol

    Mizmor 99 focuses on God’s relationship with the Jewish Nation. The Mizmor is divided into three sections based on the word holiness. Through an analysis of the concept of holiness we can begin to appreciate the reason it acts as the crucial link in this Mizmor.

21. Eliyahu Prays for Rain

    Rabbi Alex Israel

    What does this episode of Eliyahu's prayer for rain add to the wider story? The storyline before and after Eliyahu's prayer appears to be stalled at the same point: Eliyahu encouraging Achav to proceed to Yizra'el hastily because the rain is on its way.  Classic commentators suggest that an immediate rain was necessary to impress Ahav or to make the clear connection between the sin of idolatry and the drought. However, there might be an additional lesson for Eliyahu himself. Though he decreed the drought, ultimately it is by God's word that the rain will come or go.

22. Can the People Keep the Covenant?

    Rabbi David Sabato

23. Yirmiyahu's Prayers and the People

    Rabbi David Sabato

24. Praying for Jerusalem: Yirmiyahu and Tzidkiyahu vs. Yeshayahu and Hizkiyahu

    Rabbi David Sabato

25. He Who Answered Avraham – He Who Answered Yitzhak

    HaTanakh.com Staff

26. He Who Answered Yaakov at Beit El

    HaTanakh.com Staff

27. He Who Answered Yosef in Prison

    HaTanakh.com Staff

28. Yeshayahu 56-57 - Matan Al HaPerek

    Rabbi David Sabato

    In Chapter 56, the sphere of redemption widens and comes to one of its highest peaks. The prophet prophesies about the idea that the redemption of Israel and the building of the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) will be spiritual processes with universal significance and import. 

    At the center of Chapter 57 is a strong rebuke against idol worshippers among the People. The prophet describes the moral degeneration connected with idolatrous rituals: ritual prostitution and killing of children.

29. Prayer is not a Plea

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

30. Know how to Pray

    Rabbi Moshe Cohen

31. He Who Answered Our Ancestors at the Sea of Reeds

    HaTanakh.com Staff

32. He Who Answered Moshe at Horev

    HaTanakh.com Staff

33. He Who Answered Shmuel

    HaTanakh.com Staff

34. He Who Answered Yona

    HaTanakh.com Staff

35. He Who Answered Hizkiyahu

    HaTanakh.com Staff

36. He Who Answered Yehoshua

    HaTanakh.com Staff

37. A DEMONSTRATION OF FAITH THROUGH SPEECH

    Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Brandes

38. The Path of Repentance throughout the Tanakh

    Elisheva Brauner

39. The Eternal Curse of Eli the Kohen Gadol of Shiloh

    Rabbi Daniel Wolf

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ה | | 51 minutes

    Eli, the Kohen Gadol who accuses Channah of drunkenness in the sanctuary and, after realizing his mistake, blesses her – is later told in two different, lengthy accounts that he and his line will be cursed. Why is Eli punished so severely by God – with a curse that seems unprecedented?

    We examine the difficulties that come up in the narrative about Eli and, with assistance from a salient reference in the Book of Yirmiyahu, discover that Eli’s erroneous philosophy is the belief in an immoral, capricious god whose sole desire is to be satiated with sacrificial meat. Unlike Shmuel and Channah, who see sacrifices as symbolic and to be accompanied by tefilla and teshuva, Eli and his sons believe that sacrifices are real acts and are given to appease God.

     The Tanakh’s emphasis on the curse sends a message telling us how worship of God is meant to be carried out; that God does want us to carry out rituals, but ritual is meant to be imbibed with devotion, kedusha and morality.

40. Avraham and the King of Sedom: Lifting a Hand to God

    Rabbi David Silverberg

41. Avraham Established the Morning Prayer

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    After Sedom and Amora were destroyed, Avraham woke up and returned to the spot where he had argued and appealed to Hashem on behalf of the people of Sedom the previous day. He gazed at the valley that was once a populated metropolis and saw thick smoke rising from the land, like the smoke of a furnace.

    How did Avraham react? Was he angry? Did he scream at God and charge Him with injustice? Or did he accept the inscrutable will of God with humility, but felt nonetheless that all his unanswered prayers were pointless? According to our Rabbis, Avraham chose a third approach. He prayed. In his humility, he recognized that although Hashem is not bound to answer all our prayers, He nevertheless listens. With profound devotion, he understood that we pray not only out of need, expecting Hashem to respond, but also as a meaningful act of worship.

42. Afternoon Matchmaking

    Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz

43. Yitzhak in the Field: Prayer and Agriculture

    Rabbi David Silverberg

44. Praying Opposite Rivka

    Rabbi David Silverberg

45. Biblical Phrase Inspirations upon Liturgical Texts

    Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler |

    Much of our liturgy contains phrases from the Tanakh. In this shiur, we look at various allusions to Biblical texts in context, some of them surprising. We look at prayers such as the "Netaneh Tokef" (recited in many communities on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur), Lekha Dodi, Birkat HaMazon, and various prayers sprinkled throughout the daily Tefilla. 

46. Beshalach - Tefilla and Action

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 30 minutes

    Bnei Yisrael are standing at the Sea, and they see the Egyptian forces coming. They call out to God, praying. Moshe tells them that God will fight for them, and that they are to proceed. How are Bnei Yisrael supposed to go if Moshe has not yet been commanded to split the sea? And how are we to understand the predicament of “Moshe’s hands were heavy” during the war with Amalek?  And where does the story of the manna fit in? We find some interesting parallels to Korban Tamid. The connections between the successive stories in Beshallah, model different aspects of the idea that God demands tefilla combined with action.

47. Hizkiyahu, Prayer, and a Do-it-Yourself Approach

    Erev Shabbat Tazria-Metzora

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell

    תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

    Sanheriv, King of Assyria, is on the march and destroying large swaths of Yehuda.  He sends Ravshakeh to deliver a famous, demoralizing speech saying that Hizkiyahu and the people of Jerusalem have no reason to hope. We - and Hizkiyahu learn that to get something done right, one has to have personal responsibility and investment. We look at Hizkiyahu's response to this and to other events and learn messages about the significance of prayer - even prayer for onesself.

48. The Splitting of the Sea and Moshe's 'Superfluous' Prayers

    Rabbi David Silverberg

49. Ezra’s Journey

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    By many measures, Ezra’s journey is a resounding success. With God’s help, he earns the support of the king and hee convinces Jewish leaders to accompany him. His fast and prayer are apparently effective, and his group arrives safely in Jerusalem. After carefully appointing the priests as stewards of the gold, silver, and other materials, those items are delivered safely and precisely accounted for in the Temple.

    Despite his successes, though, Ezra confronts significant challenges along the way. The Levites at first are a no-show. Later on in our chapter, Ezra notes that he was required to pray for safety on his trip because he was embarrassed to ask the king for protection. Almost immediately after arriving, Ezra learns that intermarriage is rampant among the Jews

    Ultimately, the fact that Ezra was compelled to face a series of challenges extending him beyond his scholarly expertise serves to highlight the extent of his self-sacrifice. It is his willingness to abandon the comforts of his diaspora home to teach Torah to a far-flung, ignorant community – in short, his shelichut – that is the mark of his heroism.

50. Intermarriage During Shivat Tzion

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    The books of Ezra and Nehemya put a new emphasis on the sin of intermarriage, including seemingly harsh responses. The leaders of Shivat Tzion seem to present the sin somewhat differently than earlier Biblical works.

    According to the Torah, exogamy is prohibited so as not to lead one’s children toward idolatry. In contrast, the leaders of Shivat Tzion seem to speak with a different point of emphasis, introducing new terminology implying that the sin is not so much about the concern for idolatry or otherwise sinful lifestyle, but runs counter to the holiness of the Jew, an act of betrayal.

    For arguably the first time in history, during the period of Ezra and Nehemya, the temptation of idolatry no longer looms large. Therefore, whereas Devarim and Melakhim tended to stress the lure of paganism, Ezra, Nehemya and Malakhi, no longer confronting this threat, emphasized the inherently objectionable nature of the proscription.

    What does emerge with clarity from Ezra-Nehemya is that there are times, especially when the Jewish community faces an existential challenge, when an unyielding approach is necessary. Although many might take offense to such a “heavy-handed” response, sometimes proper leadership demands an approach that closely follows the firm stand taken by Ezra and Nehemya.

51. Introduction to Nehemya

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    A cursory glance at the book of Nehemya makes it clear that many of the concerns encountered in Ezra remain relevant in Nehemya: the arrival of a new leader on the scene; opposition from the indigenous population; the importance and challenges of construction; censuses of the olim; and mass ignorance and repentance.

    While both Ezra and Nehemya arrive under grave circumstances – each travels to Jerusalem at great personal sacrifice to guide a struggling community – there are a number of obvious differences between the two.

    Upon hearing the news of the state of Jerusalem Nehemya launches into prayer. Nehemya, much more so than Ezra, laces his tefilla with rich allusions to prior Torah texts and personalities. The Jewish community was rudderless, lacking in leadership and direction, and unable to provide basic security for its residents. The only way he would feel secure in making his request from the king was by first invoking some of his outstanding predecessors throughout Jewish history: Moshe, Aaron, David, and Shlomo. 

52. Nehemya's Fateful Request

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

53. The Great Prayer and Confession

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    After reading the Torah and celebrating Sukkot in spectacular fashion, the people remain behind, mourning and fasting for their sins. Those who had intermarried separate from their foreign spouses, and the community recites confession. The Levites proceed to offer a whirlwind tour of Biblical history, Notwithstanding the Jews’ unfaithful behavior, God remains compassionate and continues to provide.

    Perhaps the most conspicuous aspect of the prayer of the Levites is the extent to which they draw upon earlier scriptural sources. The ideal is to anchor our prayers, as our actions, in those of the outstanding scholars of the current and previous generations. The prayer exemplifies the key role played by religious commitment born of deep understanding. As the curtain closes on the prophetic period, a new emphasis on the Torah tradition rises to the fore.

    It was the leadership of the Shivat Tzion community that helped to renew the community’s commitment to Mosaic law as the touchstone for Jewish life and Jewish learning. Above all, this is the legacy of Ezra-Nechemia.

    Our invocation of Nechemia during our daily prayers hints to the larger idea that the miracles of the exodus are not isolated events, but are but one piece of the compassion with which God graced His people throughout the course of history.

54. Nitzavim Vayelekh - Engaging with God

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 17 minutes

    This parasha proclaims that the Torah is "not in the heavens, nor beyond the sea" - it is not far removed from us, or out of our reach. The Torah challenges us to relate to the Torah. We have the capacity to reach out directly toward a relationship with God. Hannah, who prayed for a child in the Mikdash at Shiloh, serves as an example of such direct engagement.

55. Parashat Devarim and the Nature of Blessing

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen

56. A Thought for Parashat Ki Tavo

    Rabbi Yaakov Beasley

57. VaYerah: The Man of Prayer

    Rabbi Jay Kelman

58. The Structure of Pesukei D’zimra

    Rabbi Alex Israel

    תאריך פרסום: 2023 | | Hour and 12 minutes

    Tehillim 145-150 is a self-contained literary unit that has been fixed in our siddur to be recited daily, with a blessing before and after. What is the structure, and what are the central themes of this set of Tehillim?