By Daniel Keren
Rabbi Yehoshua Heber
One of the featured speakers at the recent Flatbush Veterans Day Hakhel Event was Rabbi Yehoshua Heber, Rav of Khal Tomchi Torah (the Torah Voda’as Minyan) and Dayan of the Bais Din Mishpatei Yisroel (Bais Din of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l.). The topic of his lecture was “Our Daily Tefillos!”
How to Deserve an Overflowing of Blessings
Rabbi Heber began his lecture by declaring that Hakodesh Baruch Hu wants to give us an overflowing of blessings. But, first we must turn to Hashem and tell Him of our needs and requests.”
The toldos Noach are not just the children and offspring of Noach but his maisim tovim (good deeds). Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, explains that just as one appreciates his children, a Jew must appreciate the opportunity that he has to perform maisim tovim.
When it comes to davening (praying to Hashem), one should understand that it is not one big shacharis of prayers, but that every word of davening is important and we should focus on reciting each word with loving care and kavanah (deep concentration) just as one might count his money.
The Rambam says that it is a mitzvah deraisa (Torah commandment) to daven to Hashem every day. There are three aspects to davening and they are – (1) asking Hashem for our needs, (2) offering our praises to Hashem and (3) thanking Hashem for granting us what we need and for the good that He does for us.
Every time that a person turns to Hakodesh Baruch with a request or a praise or thanks even outside of a formal davening (i.e. shacharis, mincha or maariv) he is makayim (fulfilling) a mitzvah deraisah.
The Rambam says that if person doesn’t daven with kavanah, that it is not a davening. In another place, the Rambam says that if you have kavanah in the first beracha (blessing) the Shemonah Esrai (Amidah), then you are yotzei (have fulfilled your obligation in davening the Amidah prayer).
Insights from Rav Chaim, the Chazon Ish and the Steipler
Rav Chaim Kanievski (1928-2022) explains that in the first place where the Rambam says that a person must have kavanah, that refers to understanding that when one is praying, he is davening in the presence of Hakodesh Baruch Hu. The Chazon Ish, Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953 (the uncle of Rav Chaim) says that one must have in the beginning of his davening the intent that he is indeed davening to and in the presence of Hakodesh Baruch Hu, even if later on during this davening, his mind floats away from having perfect kavanah, he is still yotzei the mitzvah of tefillah.
The Chazan Ish writes that even if one is distracted with thoughts of his business or what he is going to do after praying, there is still a concept that he has a lower level of kavanah since he knows not to move away from the place that he is davening.
Rabbi Heber asks that if a person realizes that he didn’t daven the first beracha of the Shemona Esrai with the proper kavanah, should he still continue to pray the other berachas? The Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Kanievski, 1899-1985 (the father of Rav Chaim) says that the answer is that while one hasn’t fulfilled the particular mitzvah of davening with kavanah, he can still fulfill the lower-level mitzvah of davening even without proper concentration. A person is supposed to daven with a certain type of fear. If a person isn’t capable of such elevated prayers, he should at least daven with the concept that he is before the presence of Hakodesh Baruch Hu.
The Significance of the Three Steps Forward
The Remah says that when we take three steps forward before beginning the davening of the Shemonah Esrai it is like Moshe Rabbeinu who ascended Har Sinai to receive the Torah that he pierced the three mechitzahs that for us symbolize piercing all the distractions that separate us from recognizing that Hakodesh Baruch Hu has given a special privilege and kindness to approach Him with our davening.
Rabbi Heber explained that we have to recognize that Hashem is not obligated to answer our prayers and requests. Rather it is His kindness to pay attention to our davening and prayers. Davening is something that constantly requires one’s efforts to do properly.
If one has a friend who is not Jewish and who is need of a refuah (healing), can one daven for that non-Jew to have a refuah shelaima? If that non-Jew is a decent person, one would be permitted to pray for his non-Jewish friend to be healed.
Why Hakodesh Baruch Hu Didn’t Create a Perfect World
Hakodesh Baruch Hu created this world, but He did not do so in a completely perfect manner, in order to allow us an opportunity to join Him in the mission of perfecting it with our mitzvahs, particularly through the medium of davening before Hashem with the best kavana possible that we can achieve.
Reprinted from the November 27, 2025 edition of the Flatbush Jewish Journal.
