Their minds in order to concentrate fully on the words. They mean well, but this is not the truthful way to daven. When we daven, we certainly need to exert our minds in order to concentrate, but there must also be a yearning from our heart as we daven, a yearning for more connection with Hashem, which can only come from a serene and pleasant place in our soul.
It is very possible that in the beginning of one’s way, he will not find that much pleasure or serenity when davening, because it feels far from him. At that point, one has to pause every here and there in his davening, in order to experience the pleasure. But after a person has merited finding an enjoyable taste in his davening, his davening changes entirely.
CYCLING BETWEEN SERENITY AND EXERTION
We have spoken here about finding serenity in the areas of Torah learning and tefillah, but it applies to all other areas of Avodas Hashem as well. The inner, truthful way that life is supposed to look like is to find serenity amidst exertion.
Sometimes we can see certain great leaders and Torah scholars who have reached a very deep menuchah, and we have a hard time understanding how they can be so serene, when it should seem the opposite. Shouldn’t their fiery Torah learning and unceasing exertion in Torah cause them to be restless, in their constant pursuit of more and more comprehension of the Torah and to keep growing spiritually? How does this allow them to find any serenity?
But the answer to this is because as we explained earlier, menuchah does not come from sleepiness or lack of aspirations. It comes from a place in the soul that wants to move ahead with precision; from a place of yearning that leads to serenity; from a place of aspiration that leads to inner contentment; from a place of serenity that leads to exertion – and to repeat the cycle.
IN CONCLUSION
The words here are subtle, perhaps very subtle. If the words here are not absorbed correctly, it might cause a person to weaken his aspirations, and to have less exertion in his Torah learning. But if the perspective described here has been absorbed correctly, a person on one hand will merit to recognize the constant “war” that we have which surrounds us on all sides, but at the same time, a person will also have a source of menuchah/serenity and a pleasurable source of connection in his life; as it said is in the verse, אז תתענג על ה' “Then, you will rejoice upon Hashem.”
