א[מ: יז כסלו] [פ: יז כסלו] הִנֵּה, לֹא טוֹבָה הַשְּׁמוּעָה, שָׁמַעְתִּי וַתִּרְגַּז בִּטְנִי, אֲשֶׁר עַם ה׳ מַעֲבִירִים מִלִּפְנֵי הַתֵּיבָה הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים וַאֲרִיכוּת יָמִים שֶׁל כָּל אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ שֶׁבְּ״מִקְדָּשׁ מְעַט״ הַזֶּה שֶׁל אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים מַאֲרִיכִים יָמָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם – הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ.
1I have heard with foreboding and am deeply grieved that G–d’s people are preventing a person who yearns for the life and longevity of all our brethren,1 from leading the service in this small sanctuary2 of our confreres. Our Sages, of blessed memory, declare, “Three things prolong the days of man,”3 and one of these is prolonged prayer.
בוְאַף גַּם מִי שֶׁהַשָּׁעָה דְּחוּקָה לוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּשׁוּם אוֹפֶן לְהַמְתִּין עַד אַחַר עֲנִיַּית קְדוּשָּׁה שֶׁל חֲזָרַת הַשְּׁלִיחַ־צִבּוּר הַזֶּה, הֲלֹא טוֹב טוֹב לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמוֹעַ קְדוּשָּׁה וּבָרְכוּ, מִלֵּירֵד לְחַיֵּיהֶם שֶׁל הַחֲפֵצִים בַּחַיִּים, וְאוֹנֶס רַחֲמָנָא פַּטְרֵיהּ, וְהַשְּׁלִיחַ־צִבּוּר מוֹצִיאוֹ יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ אַף שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע – כְּאִילּוּ שָׁמַע, שֶׁהוּא כְּעוֹנֶה מַמָּשׁ, וְכִדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא גַּבֵּי עַם שֶׁבַּשָּׂדוֹת דַּאֲנִיסֵי, וְיוֹצְאִים יְדֵי חוֹבַת תְּפִלַּת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה עַצְמָהּ בַּחֲזָרַת הַשְּׁלִיחַ־צִבּוּר כְּאִלּוּ שָׁמְעוּ מַמָּשׁ, וְגַם קְדוּשָּׁה וּבָרְכוּ בִּכְלָל.
2Even one extremely pressed for time, who finds it impossible to tarry until the response of Kedushah in the Repetition of the Amidah—far better is it for him to forego hearing Kedushah and Barchu than to tamper with the lives of those who desire life. Torah does exonerate the compelled.4 The chazzan discharges his obligation for him5 though he did not hear6 the chazzan, just as though he had heard—and hearing is precisely like responding.7 The Gemara8 notes this in reference to those in the fields who are considered under duress. They fulfill their obligation of the Shemonah Esrai prayer itself with the reader’s repetition, just as if they had actually heard it. Kedushah and Barchu are also included.
גוְהִנֵּה, זֹאת חֲקַרְנוּהָ כֶּן הוּא אַף גַּם בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁל חַכְמֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה וְהַגְּמָרָא, שֶׁהָיְתָה תּוֹרָתָם קֶבַע וְעִיקַּר עֲבוֹדָתָם, וְלֹא תְּפִלָּתָם. וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַתָּה הַפַּעַם בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא, שֶׁאֵין תּוֹרָתֵינוּ קֶבַע, מִצּוֹק הָעִתִּים, וְעִיקַּר הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא הִיא הַתְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַב חַיִּים וִיטַאל זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה בְּ״עֵץ חַיִּים״ וּ״פְרִי עֵץ חַיִּים״.
3This we have searched out and verified—even in the early generations of the Sages of the Mishnah and Gemara, whose Torah study was constant9 and was their primary service, not their prayer.10 It is even more emphatically true at this time, in the period just preceding the advent of Moshiach,11 when our Torah study is not constant because of the difficulty of our times. The primary service in the period just prior to the coming of Moshiach is prayer, as Rabbi Chaim Vital, of blessed memory, writes in Etz Chaim and Pri Etz Chaim.
דמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן וְקַל וָחוֹמֶר שֶׁרָאוּי וְנָכוֹן לִיתֵּן נַפְשֵׁינוּ מַמָּשׁ עָלֶיהָ. וְהִיא חוֹבָה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה מַמָּשׁ, לִמְבִינֵי מַדָּע – תּוֹעֶלֶת הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת וְעוֹמֶק הַדַּעַת קְצָת, כָּל חַד לְפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ, בְּסִדּוּר שְׁבָחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בִּפְסוּקֵי דְזִמְרָה וּשְׁתֵּי בְרָכוֹת שֶׁלִּפְנֵי קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע – ״יוֹצֵר״ וְ״אַהֲבָה״ לְעוֹרֵר בָּהֶן הָאַהֲבָה הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָבֹא לִבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת הַלֵּב בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע עַצְמָהּ.
4Hence, it is fit and proper, beyond any vaguest doubt, to devote ourselves utterly to (prayer). It is literally a Torah imperative to those who have knowledge of the efficacy of contemplation, of some profound meditation—each according to his measure—in the presentation of the praises of G–d, blessed is He, in Pesukei d’Zimra12 and the two pre-Shema blessings, Yotzer and Ahavah. Through them he can arouse the love latent in the heart of every Jew,13 that it attain a state of revelation, in the openness of the heart during Keriat Shema itself.
השֶׁזֹּאת הִיא מִצְוַת הָאַהֲבָה שֶׁבַּפָּסוּק: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ גוֹ׳ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ גוֹ׳״, הַנִּמְנֵית רִאשׁוֹנָה בְּתַרְיַ״ג מִצְוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָרַמְבַּ״ם זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁהִיא מִיסוֹדֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְשָׁרְשָׁהּ וּמָקוֹר לְכָל רַמַ״ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, כִּי עַל אַהֲבָה הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹלַדְתָּם וְטִבְעָם, לֹא שַׁיָּיךְ צִיוּוּי כְּלָל.
5For this is the commandment of love that is in the verse “And you shall love…with all your heart…”14 that is reckoned first among the 613 mitzvot.15 Maimonides, of blessed memory, writes that it is a fundament of Torah and its root, and source of all 248 positive commands.16 Regarding the love latent in the heart of all Israel by birth and nature, there can be no command at all.
ווְדַעַת לְנָבוֹן נָקָל, כִּי כְּשֶׁהָאַהֲבָה הִיא מְסוּתֶּרֶת – הִיא עוֹדֶינָּה בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית לְבַדָּהּ, וּכְשֶׁבָּאָה לִבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי לַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית אֲזַי הִיא בְּהִתְגַּלּוּת הַלֵּב בְּחָלָל שְׂמָאלִי, מְקוֹם מִשְׁכַּן נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית.
6This is apparent to the understanding. While the love is concealed, it is still lodged within the Divine soul alone. Only when it attains a state of revelation in the animating soul is it revealed in the heart in the left ventricle, the abode of the animating soul.17
זוְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן בֵּירוּר נִיצוֹצוֹת הַמּוּזְכָּר שָׁם בְּעֵץ חַיִּים וּפְרִי עֵץ חַיִּים גַּבֵּי תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁלָּכֵן הִיא עִיקַּר הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּעִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא, לְבָרֵר נִיצוֹצוֹת כוּ׳, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת אִתְהַפְּכָא אוֹ אִתְכַּפְיָא שֶׁל נֶפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית לְנֶפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹקִית כַּנּוֹדָע, ״כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנֶּפֶשׁ כוּ׳״, וְהַדָּם מִתְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹם מֵאוֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין, וְגַם מִתְפָּעֵל וְנִתְקָן מִמַּלְבּוּשִׁים וְדִירָה כוּ׳.
7This is the meaning of “refinement of the sparks” mentioned there in Etz Chaim and Pri Etz Chaim in reference to prayer, and for this reason prayer is the primary service in the period just preceding the coming of Moshiach—to refine the sparks…. This may be either the state of transformation18 or of subjugation of the animal soul to the Divine soul, as is known. For the blood is the soul…19 and the blood is renewed daily through food and drink and is affected and improved by garments and shelter….
חמַה־שֶּׁאֵין־כֵּן בַּדּוֹרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, שֶׁהָיוּ נִשְׁמוֹת הָאֱלֹקִית גְּדוֹלֵי הָעֵרֶךְ, הָיָה הַבֵּירוּר נַעֲשֶׂה כְּרֶגַע בִּקְרִיאַת־שְׁמַע לְבַד וּבְרָכוֹת שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ וּפְסוּקֵי דְזִמְרָה בִּקְצָרָה וְכוּ׳, וְדַי לַמֵּבִין:
8On the other hand, in earlier generations when the Divine souls were of a higher order,20 the refinement was instantaneous in Keriat Shema alone21 and in the blessings preceding it, and the abridged Pesukei d’Zimra….22 And this will suffice for the knowing.
91 I.e., adherents of Chasidut.
102 The synagogue, so called as distinct from the Sanctuary, the Beit Hamikdash, in Jerusalem.
113 Berachot 54b.
124 An act performed (or neglected) under compulsion is excused. See Deuteronomy 22:25-27; Nedarim 27a.
135 Rabbi Schneur Zalman, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 124:1.
146 Ibid., 591:2.
157 Ibid., 124:2.
168 Rosh Hashanah 35a.
179 Berachot 35b.
1810 Yet even with them, prayer was related to life and longevity.
1911 Lit. “the heels of the Moshiach,” a play on Psalm 89:52.
2012 See Iggeret Hateshuvah, ch. 9, note 10.
2113 See Addendum, Glossary to Likkutei Amarim, Part I, Ahavah (mesuteret).
2214 Deuteronomy 6:5.
2315 Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:1-2; 4:12; Hilchot Teshuvah 10:2; Commentary on the Mishnah, Avot 1:3.
2416 See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 4.
2517 Ibid., ch. 9.
2618 Berachot (54a) explains “with all your heart” (the Hebrew implies a plural) as referring to both the good and evil within man. The evil can be transformed to desire good. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 10, which discusses the tzaddik who has wholly or partially achieved this transformation. Subjugation of evil, or the animal soul, leaves it potent and intact, but ineffective.
2719 Deuteronomy 12:23. The synonymity of (animal or animating) soul and blood. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 9. The love of G–d is to permeate the heart, the left void filled with blood, the equivalent of the animal soul.
2820 Cf. Shabbat 112b. “If our predecessors were like angels we are men; if they were men we are donkeys.”
2921 Berachot 13b—Rabbi Judah the Prince “accepted the yoke of Heaven” at the moment he passed his hands over his face (at Shema).
3022 Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52.
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