In this week’s parsha we learn that Yitzchak went out in the late afternoon to daven in the field: ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה לפנות ערב - “And Yitzchak went forth to pray in the field towards evening.” Chazal teach us that at this point in history Yitzchak instituted the tefillah of Mincha. Therefore, I feel that this week is a good week to discuss a topic related to tefillah, and I would like to discuss the topic of kavonah [concentration] during tefillah.
What does davening with kavonah mean? Does one need to have kavonah from the beginning all the way until the end? What happens if one doesn’t have kavonah? If one finds himself not concentrating, should he cut his shemonah esrei short and instead of being left with nineteen berachos levatolah [blessings in vain] he will be left with just one? If one catches himself after the first berachah, is there anything to do? Why are some people always able to daven mindfully while others get lost in daydreams, coming back to reality only upon reciting “Aleinu” at the end of davening? Of this and more below.
Why Doesn’t Davening Daven Itself
There is a Yiddish song by Rabbi Tuvia Balkin which I think serves as a good introduction for the topic we are about to discuss. Loosely translated into English the song goes as follows: “Eating is easy; it happens itself. Drinking is easy; it happens itself. Sleeping is easy, it happens itself. Why isn’t davening easy; it doesn't just daven itself?”
A baby’s instincts teach him how to go through the motions necessary for survival. We eat, drink, and sleep naturally. But how do we naturally attach ourselves to tefillah?
What is Tefillah with Kavonah?
Tefillah with kavonah brings to mind complete and total connection with Hashem, total disengagement of both body and soul from this world. The words of the tefillos, obviously flow smoothly in complete harmony of soul and sprit.
At times, our vision comes true. The rosy picture painted in our imagination becomes reality and we hope and dream that this will be our tefillah experience three times a day, for the rest of our lives.
The truth is, sadly, quite different. While total and complete disengagement from the physical and connection with the Ribbono Shel Olam is praiseworthy and having full and deep meaning and intention with every single word is admirable these descriptions are usually only an external symptom of mindful tefillah, not kavonah itself.
Tefillah with kavonah can come without these outward expressions. And at times, difficulties in tefillah are themselves a reason for their acceptance.
What is tefillah with kavonah and what can we do about it? And how do we ascend the kavonah ladder (and is it at all necessary)?
Tefillah with Kavonah
The Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah 4:1, 15, 16) explains the centrality of kavonah in tefillah:
“Five things prevent one from davening ... one is proper intention of one's heart... Any tefillah that is not [recited] with proper intention is not tefillah. If one davens without proper intention, he must repeat his tefillah with proper intention. One who is in a confused or troubled may not daven until he composes himself. Therefore, one who returns from a journey and is tired or irritated is forbidden to daven until he composes himself. Chazal taught that one should wait three days until he is rested and his mind is settled. Then, he may daven. ...One should clear his mind from all thoughts and envision himself as standing before the Shechinah. Therefore, one must sit a short while before davening in order to focus his attention and then daven in a supplicatory fashion.”
Understanding a Difficult Rambam in Hilchos Tefillah (Machlokes R’ Chaim and Chazon Ish)
The Rambam writes (Hilchos Tefillah 10:1):מי שהתפלל ולא כיון את לבו יחזור ויתפלל בכוונה ואם כיון לבו בברכה ראשונה שוב אינו צריך - “A person who davened without concentrating [on his tefillos] must daven a second time with concentration. However, if he had concentrated during the first blessing, nothing more is necessary.”
The two parts of this halachah seem to contradict each other. Does one repeat shemonah esrei if he didn’t daven the entire shemonah esrei with proper kavonah, or is having kavonah for the first berachah enough?
Defining Kavonah
Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim HaLevi, Tefillah 4:1) explains that there are two facets of kavonah. One is the knowledge that when davening one stands and speaks to Hashem. Without this knowledge, reading from the siddur is nothing at all. The second facet -- the meaning of every word -- while maintaining it for the entire tefillah is praiseworthy, it is only essential for the first berachah of shemonei esrei.
The Chazon Ish (Gilyonos HaGrach, Tefillah 4:1) though, disagrees. In his opinion maintaining this level of awareness is technically impossible. The Gemara (Bava Basra 164b) lists lack of mindfulness in tefillah as one of the three sins everyone transgresses every single day. The Yerushalmi (2:4) cites examples of Amoraim who admitted they struggled to retain their concentration during davening: Rabbi Chiya said he would often find himself wondering who would come to him whenever he started concentrating on standing before the King. Other Amoraim also described their difficulties in davening, and Rav Matanya said he is grateful to his head for habitually bowing at Modim, because as much as he tries to concentrate on the words, full control over one’s thoughts is impossible, and he sometimes finds himself saying phrases without contemplating their meaning.
Obviously, the Torah is not intended for angels. Humans, with their faults and foibles are the ones charged with serving the Perfect G-d. If it is humanly impossible to maintain full awareness throughout the entire davening, it is impossible to see full concentration as a necessary component for a valid tefillah.
So, what is the kavonah that is integral to tefillah according to the Chazon Ish?
Retaining full awareness of standing before Hashem our King and concentrating on every single word from start to finish is admirable. However, the only point at which kavonah can make it or break it is the first berachah of shemonah esrei. There, awareness of standing before the King of Kings is crucial for whatever we are doing to be called “tefillah”.
Autopilot Tefillah
But how, asks Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, can an almost automated tefillah be considered one uttered before the King of the World? How can a mumbling of memorized lines be called tefillah? The Chazon Ish explains that every person approaching his siddur or walking into shul knows, somewhere in his mind, that he is going to speak with the King of the World. This slight awareness somewhere deep in our subconscious is enough to consider our tefillos sufficient. Obviously, the more cognizant one is of this, the better, but even this minimal awareness is enough to consider the action one is engaged in as “tefillah”.
For the first berachah of shemoneh esrei, though, we need a more mindful awareness. Here, one needs to be fully aware of speaking before Hashem.
Halachic Rulings
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 98:1) rules that one must be mindful of the meaning of the words he utters and think about the Shechinah standing before him. Tefillah requires one to thoroughly remove all foreign thoughts from his mind and focus on only one thing – the words he utters before Hashem.
The Shulchan Aruch adds a comparison to illustrate this point: One who is scheduled to have an audience with a king will prepare his words carefully, choose each phrase, gesture, and intonation. He rehearses and prepares because he knows that he cannot make a mistake. If this is how we would prepare for a private audience with a flesh and blood monarch, how much more so should we prepare before standing before the King of all Kings.
The Shulchan Aruch adds that in the past, pious men would spend time before davening contemplating in preparation for the tefillah, divesting themselves of all physical aspects until they became truly at one with their souls, close to the level of prophecy.
As for us, today, the Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 101:1) that bedieved [post-facto], one who cannot remain fully cognizant for the entire shemomah esrei only needs to have kavonah in the first berachah of shemonah esrei. The Mishnah Berurah adds (101:2) that kavonah here is the meaning of the words, not merely the awareness of standing before a King.
Repeating Shemonah Esrei
Do we have to daven again if we failed and caught ourselves wandering? The Rema (101:1) writes that today, since we often do not have proper kavonah, sadly there is no guarantee that the second tefillah will be any better than the first. Therefore, even one who lost himself in the first berachah of shemonah esrei should not repeat.
If One Recites the First Berachah of Shemonah Esrei Without Kavonah, Is He Allowed to Carry On? Or Is One Bad Berachah Better than Making Another Eighteen?
The Biur Halachah (101, d.h. v’hoidna) asks a very strong question: One who davens without kavonah in the first berachah of shemonah esrei doesn’t fulfil his obligation of tefillah and strictly speaking he should be davening again. However, since there is no guarantee that the second attempt will be any better, he doesn’t repeat. Asks the Biur Halachah: What is the heter [permissibility] to carry on? If he doesn’t fulfill his obligation of shemonah esrei, then surely the next eighteen berachos will be considered berachos levatolah [blessings in vain]?
The Steipler (Koheles Yaakov, Berachos, siman 27) and R’ Shlomah Zalman (Halichos Shlomah, Tefillah, Perek 8, Devar Halachah 11) answer: Although one doesn’t fulfill his obligation of tefillah with such a berachah, it’s not considered a berachah levatolah [blessing in vain], as in the end of the day the berachah was said in its entirety. A lack of kavonah, doesn’t turn the berachah into nothing, it just makes it that one doesn’t fulfill his obligation of tefillah. Just like it is obvious that one is not allowed to walk in front of one who is davening without kavonah, and that it counts towards me’ah berachos [the obligation to recite 100 blessings daily].
The Steipler adds: That although one doesn’t fulfill his obligation of tefillah he still gets a mitzvah, and he quotes the Mabit in Beis Elokim who says, there is a mitzvah to read the words of tefillah, even without any kavonah.
If One Recited the First Berachah of Shemonah Esrei Without Kavonah, Is There Anything One Can Do to Fix the Mistake?
Although, we don’t repeat shemonah esrei, if one catches himself after the first berachah and realizes that he wasn’t concentrating, is there anything that can be done to fix the shemonah esrei?
The Biur Halachah (101, d.h. v’hoidna) writes: That if one catches himself just after he finishes the first berachah of shemonah esrei, he should stop where he is, and wait for chazoras hashatz. When the chazon recites the first berachah of shemonah esrei, he should have kavonah to be yoitza with the berachah of the chazon, and then when the chazon gets to אתה גבור he should carry on shemonah esrei on his own.
Practically, however, the minhag is not to do this (see Ishei Yisroel, Perek 11, Halachah 8). A number of poskim (see Shu”t Yabia Omer 3:10, s.k. 5) point out that there is a halachic issue with the above, as the halachah is:שהה כדי לגמור את כולה חוזר לראש - if one waits in the middle of shemonah esrei the amount of time it take to say the entire shemonah esrei, he must start again.”
Are There Any Other Solutions?
R’ Shlomah Zalman is cited as saying (Halichos Shlomah, Tefillah, 8:9) that if one finds himself in the middle of shemomah esrei and he hasn’t been concentrating, he should start again quietly in his mind with kavonah, until he gets to where he is up to, and should then continue.
R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos V’Hanagos 1:76) adds: Even if one finished the entire shemonah esrei without kavonah, he could daven again in his mind and fulfill his obligation (according to the Rambam, Hilchos Berachos 1:7) and since he never said the words verbally there is no problem of berachah levatolah.
Make Sure to Concentrate During Modim (מודים)
The poskim mention another solution, which is that if one didn’t concentrate during the first berachah (Avos) he should at least make sure to concentrate during Modim.
The Rokeach writes: “One who davens should ideally have kavonah all the way through. If one isn’t able to, he should at least have kavonah in one of the following – in Avos or in Modim”. Although, halachah lemaseh we may not hold like this, since the halachah is that we don’t go back, one should make sure to concentrate during Modim, and at least bedieved he fulfills his obligation of davening according to the Rokeach. (see Halichos Shlomah, Devar Halachah 8:13)
Why Is It So Hard to Concentrate?
Why are we unable to concentrate? Is our failing awareness a result of our own deficits or is it a worldwide struggle?
The Gemara (Eruvin 65a) quotes Rav Sheshes who quotes Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria who says: “I can make an argument that exempts the entire world from judgment, from the day that the Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed until now. As it is stated: ‘Therefore, hear now this, you afflicted and drunken, but not from wine’ (Yeshaya 51:21) -- in the wake of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh all Jews are considered intoxicated and are not responsible for any sins they commit.”
While the connection remains to be understood, apparently the problem of deficient concentration is an age-old problem dating back to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh. And perhaps, with the growing distance from that point in history, our concentration problems become more and more pronounced, to the extent that we see today -- 7.2% of the world’s population are known to be suffering from ADHD.
Bearing that in mind, as we approach tefillah, we must focus on what we can do, rather than on what we can’t do. The Ribbono Shel Olam wants to see us trying and struggling to improve. It is our efforts that we are required to invest in, and with time, habit can also kick in and make mindfulness easier.
Defining Lack of Concentration
When the Rambam wishes to define who it is that cannot daven, he writes the following (Hilchos Tefillah 4:17): “A person who is drunk should not daven, because he cannot have proper intention. If he does daven, his tefillah is an abomination. Therefore, he must daven again when he is clear of his drunkenness. One who is slightly inebriated should not daven, [but] if he does, his tefillah is considered a tefillah.
When is a person considered as drunk? When he is unable to speak before a king. [In contrast,] a person who is slightly inebriated is able to speak before a king without becoming confused. Nevertheless, since he drank a revi'is of wine, he should not daven until his wine has passed from him.
A person who is inebriated to the extent that he cannot speak before a king, even if he is completely and totally immersed in his tefillah and the words eloquently spill from his lips, is davening without kavonah. Even a little shot of wine which does not confuse the mind – if his mood is slightly lifted due to the wine, he must wait until his mind is fully focused again.”
Surroundings
Our external surroundings can be conducive or detrimental for mindfulness during davening. The Rambam (4:16) provides guidance on the matter:
- One must sit a short while before davening in order to focus his attention and then daven in a supplicatory fashion.
- One should not daven as one who just wants to get over with it. Therefore, one must sit a short while after davening, and only then withdraw.
- The pious ones of the previous generations would wait an hour before davening and an hour after davening. They would [also] daven for an hour.
The Rambam adds that in order to reach full concentration and feeling of actually standing before The King, one must ensure certain physical aspects are in place (4:18):
One should not stand to daven immediately following laughter or irreverent behavior, nor in the midst of a conversation, argument or anger, but rather following words of Torah. One should not stand to daven in the midst of a judgment or a [difficult] halachic issue, even though these are words of Torah, lest one's mind be distracted by the halachah in question. Rather, [one should daven] in the midst of words of Torah that do not require deep concentration, e.g., laws that are clear cut.
Summary
The main kavonah we should have in tefillah is not born of raging emotions but rather the internal feeling of standing before The King, and understanding the words being said. This intention requires effort and practice. We are not required to reach perfection but rather strive for more. The minimal, is retaining awareness during the first berachah in the shemoneh esrei but we must continually strive for more.
(A large amount of this week’s write-up is based on a write-up I saw from Torah and Hora’ah)
