Rehov Bei t Vegan 99, Yer ushal ayi m 03.616.

6340
164 Vi l l age Pat h, Lak ew ood NJ 08701 732.370.3344 f ax 1.877.Pi r c hei (732.367.8168)
T H E PI RCH EI SH OSH AN I M ROADMAP T O PRAYER PROJECT
The Roadmap t o Prayer
Lesson 2
Pirchei Shoshanim 2005
This shiur may not be reproduced in any f orm without permission of the copyright hol der
14
The Four Spirit ual Spheres
At zi l us Br i yah Yet zi r ah Assi yah
There are f our spiritual worlds representing four levels in creation. They are:
A tzi lus T he world nex t to G-d (i .e. H is thought that wi lls ex istence)
Bri yah T he world of creati on
Y etzi rah T he world of formati on
A ssi yah T he world of i ntegrati on
These terms are generally used in esoteric writings of Kabalah. We use them here to
represent the lof ty ideals of Prayer (Tefi lla) as we ascend with them to spiritual heights.
Af ter all, we do in f act Pray (daven) to G-d directly.
The Men of the Great Assembly (A nshei Knesses H agedolah) which consisted of 120
PROPH E T S and Sages arranged our daily Prayers (Tefi llas) to correspond to these f our
spiritual spheres. These Sages f ixed the text of the daily Prayer (T efi lla) (Shemoneh E srei -
the Eighteen Benedictions ). Once they had done this, it became incumbent upon
every Jew to pray three times daily. From A ssi yah, whi ch corresponds to the world i n whi ch we
li ve, we systematically work our way up f rom one level to the next until we reach the
highest sphere A tzi lus.
Lesson
2
T
T
h
h
e
e
R
R
o
o
a
a
d
d
m
m
a
a
p
p
t
t
o
o
P
P
r
r
a
a
y
y
e
e
r
r
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
15
Alternatively, Prayer (T efi lla) corresponds to the f our levels of holiness in the Holy
Temple - the Bei s H ami k dash.
H ar H abayi s (The Temple Mount)
A zarah (The Courtyard)
H ei chal H ak odesh (The Holy Chamber)
Kodesh Kodoshi m (Holy of Holies - The I nner Chamber)
I n this case the highest level is the Kodesh Kodoshi m while the lowest is the H ar H abayi s.
According to both interpretations, Prayer (T efi lla) climbs the ladder of spirituality
caref ully f rom one level to the next until Shemone E srei . I t then descends f rom the
highest level to the lowest - f rom the portion f ollowing the Shemonhe E srei until the end
of the daveni ng (Prayer).
The Four Part s of Davening (Prayer)
Brochos and Korbanos / Assiyah
Pesuk ei D eZ i mra / Yetzirah
Kri as Shema and i ts blessi ngs / Briyah
T he A mi dah (Shemoneh E srei ) / Atzilus
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
16
Af ter f inishing Shemoneh E srei we begin our descent to the lowest level of spirituality,
which corresponds to Assiyah. The steps are:
T he A mi dah (Shemoneh E srei ) / Atzilus
A shrei and Kedusha desi dra / Briyah
T he Shi r shel Y om (L evi te song of the day) / Yetzirah
E in k eE lok ei nu and Pi tt um hak etores / Assiyah
Pl ease note: N ot al l versi ons of Prayer (T efi l l a) have the ex act same porti ons of prayer. T he differences
wi ll bedi scussed i n later lessons.
The Necessary St eps
1
When constructing a building, it is vital to lay a f irm f oundation. One can then work
ones way upward, building one level upon another. Likewise, Prayer (T efi lla) is a
CREATI ON. One is building a world in which to live and it is of utmost importance to
establish it f irmly so that it can support the tall edif ice built upon it.
The world consists of two distinct areas. The Holy and the Ordinary. The Holy is the
Temple (Bei s H ami k dash) which contains the Sanctuary (H ei chal ) and the Holy of Holies
(Kodesh Kodoshi m). The Ordinary is the Temple Mount (H ar H abayi s) and the Courtyard
(A zarah).
A person visiting the Temple (Bei s H ami k dash) f irst comes to the
Har Habayis(THE TEMPLE MOUNT) I t is not yet the holy area of the
Bei s H ami k dash but it is a place necessary to revere and to honor. According
to Jewish Law, one may not enter this area with ones money pouch,
walking stick, or shoes. Thus one is reminded that that there is a Creator
and that one is obligated to obey His laws.
Next one enters the
Azarah (THE COURTYARD) This is the place of Service where one
immediately realizes that one must devote ones entire lif e to the service of
G-d as the A zarah is the place of actual Service.
1
Based on the wri tings of Rav Shimshon Pinkus zt l i n N efesh Shi mshon
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
17
Next one enters the
Kodesh where a person realizes that H ashem i s watching him.
Finally, upon reaching the
Kodesh Kodoshim, (THE HOLY OF HOLI ES) one realizes that there is
no true Power other than G-d Himself ! E i n od milevado.
Likewise in Prayer (T efi lla), one needs to f ollow this route to Holiness (Kedusha) both in
the ascent to Holiness (Kedusha) and in the descent to the mundane reality of human
existence. Just as one cannot jump to the highest levels of Holiness (Kedusha) without
f irst experiencing the (Kedusha) of each lower level, so too, in ones descent from the
highest to the lowest level, one must be caref ul not to come crashing down. I n order to
capture the levels of Holiness (Kedusha) attained in the ascent and bring them back and
incorporate them into our daily existence, one must descend slowly but surely through
each level of disengagement.
The Names of G-d
Spiritual Ascent: The T etragrammaton - G-ds N ame of Four Letters is written with the
letters Y ud and H ey and V av and H ey. I t must never be pronounced as it is written.
Rather, the correct pronunciation is A donoy. Even this pronunciation of G-ds Name
may never be said in vain. I t may only be recited in the context of a blessing or Prayer
(T efi lla).
Whenever one pronounces G-ds Name (Tet ragrammaton) one must meditate on two
thoughts. 1) A don hak ol e Master of All existence. 2) G-d always existed, He exists, and
He will always exist. I n Hebrew this translates as H ayah (was) H oveh (is) and Y ihyeh (will
be), each word deduced from the letters of the Tet ragrammaton.
The Biur HaGra maintains that only in the f irst verse of Shema, i s i t necessary to
meditate on both meanings of H ashems N ame. Otherwise, it is suff icient just to meditate
on the meaning of the way we pronounce H ashems N ame. The M i shna Berura in Orach
Chaim 5: 3 agrees with the Gras interpretation.
When G-ds Name is written with the letters A lef, D aled, N un and Y ud, it is pronounced
as it is written: A donoy. Only the f irst meaning A don hak ole Master of All existence
must be meditated upon.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
18
Th e A n sh ei Kn esses
H aged o l ah h av e
d ev i sed a u n i f o r m
v er si o n o f p r ay er
w h i l e at t h e same
t i me gi v i n g each
p r ay er i t s o w n u n i q u e
an d d i st i n ct i v e
ex p r essi o n .
When uttering G-ds Name E lok i m, one must meditate upon the idea that G-d is all-
powerful and omni potent.
When uttering G-ds Name E lok ei nu (our G-d) one must meditate upon the idea that
G-d is all-powerful and omni potent and guides the Jewish nation with special Divine
Providence.
One who f inds it dif ficult to keep in mind these meditations consistently, should at least
declare at the beginning of each day that he means to have them in mind whenever he
utters the Name of G-d. (I ntroduction Sefer A fi k ei Y am)
Labor of t he Heart Avodah Shebelev
Prayer (T efi lla) is ref erred to as Avodah shebelev, literally the labor of the heart .
Prayer (T efi lla) should be viewed as a proactive enterprise where we labor to make our
way up to higher spiritual spheres and levels. This way, we grow through our Prayers
(T efi llas) and each days Prayers (T efi llas) will reach greater and greater heights. Each new
Prayer (Tefi lla) making the previous seem like a lower level of T efi lla. Rav Chaim
Volozhiner ztl writes that the great feat
accomplished by the Men of the Great
Assembly (A nshei Knesses H agedol ah) when they
standardized the language of T efi lla was to
incorporate into the very general words each
individuals specif ic level of concentration
and spirituality. Hence we have unif ied Prayer
(T efi lla) where everyone davens (prays) the exact
same words while at the same time each Prayer (Tefi lla) is dif ferent in nature in the way
each individual prays and concentrates on it.
Mast er of t he Wor l d
Ad o n O l am
u:y +
H Hi i s st t o or r i i c ca al l B Ba ac ck k g gr r o ou un nd d n : pn n : pn
We do not know f or sure who composed this beautif ul Prayer (T efi lla). Some say it was
R Shlomo I bn Gabirol (1021 -1058) who lived in Spain. Others say it was R Sherirah
(900-1001) and R Hai Gaon (939-1038) who mention it in their writings. A don Olam
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
19
serves both as an introductory as well as a closing Prayer (T efi lla) in the morning Prayers
(T efi llas). A don Olam means the Master of the Universe.
Rebbe Y ehudah H achasi d and Rav Sherirah Gaon said that one who concentrates whi le reci ting these
words, i s guaranteed that hi s Prayer (T efi lla) wi ll be readily accepted and that no prosecuti ng angel wi ll
i nterfere wi th i t. , H e wi l l al so be protected from hi s enemies and some say, even from the Y etzer H ora -
the evi l i ncli nati on.
What is the reason f or this special Prayer (T efi lla) as an opening daily Prayer (T efi lla)?
. One of the requirements of Prayer (T efi lla) is to imagine ones self standing bef ore
ones Creator
2
. This may seem to be an obvious requisite, but based on each individuals
personal experience, we all are well aware how dif ficult it is to constantly sense this.
Many people have the custom of carrying a small not e stating the words of K ing David
in Psalms, Shi vi si H ashem lenegdi tami d ( I envision H ashem standing opposite me
constantly ). We tend to lose sight of this during the course of the day, but at least we
should make an ef f ort to concentrate upon it during davening. Therefore, at the very
outset we begin A don ol am asher mol ach beterem k ol yetzi r nivra, M aster of the U niverse, who
rei gned as Ki ng before all of creati on came i nto ex i stence. I f we verbalize this idea, we increase
the possibility of keeping this in mind throughout our Prayers (T efi llas).
The M aggi d of Polotzk in his commentary to the Si ddur M aggi d T zedek (Siddur
Righteous Talk ) asks, why it is that this stanza begins A don Olam and not with K ing
of the World (M elech Olam), because we are ref er to H ashem as M elech(Ki ng) in this stanza
itself . Similarly, we begin Shemoneh E srei with the same terminology of A don when
reciting the verse H ashem (spelled: A D N Y ' + ' : ' ' ) sefasaye ti ft ach ( open my lips ) . He
answers that the M i shna relates that when the Morning service began in the Bei s
H ami k dash, someone would be sent out to see if the sun had begun to rise and asked if
it had reached Chevron (A City south of Jerusalem) . The Gemora states that the reason
f or asking this question was to remind us of the merit of our f oref ather Abraham
(A vraham A vi nu) who is buried in the city of Chevron. The reason f or all these ref erences
to Master (A don) is because the Gemora teaches us that Abraham was the f irst person
to portray H ashem as A don Olam - the Master of the Universe. Hence, by mentioning the
title A don, at the outset of Prayer (Tefi lla) - which is in place of the of f erings (Korbanos),
we remind ourselves of Abraham the f irst person to portray H ashem as such, just as was
done bef ore the of f erings were brought each morning in the Bei s H ami k dash.
2
Rambam H i l chos T efil l a 4:16
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
20
A Song f or t he I naugur at i on
M i zm o r Sh i r Ch an u k as
++: nan n5:n :o :nn
H Hi i s st t o or r i i c ca al l B Ba ac ck k g gr r o ou un nd d n : pn n : pn
The opening Prayer (Tefi lla) before we start the actual Pesuk ei D eZ i mra, begins with the
Psalm A song f or the I nauguration of the Temple by David (M i zmor Shi r Chanuk as
H abayi s L eD ovid). I n truth, this Psalm is not f ound in the old A shk enazi c
3
Si dduri m. I t isnt
in the N usach H aGra Si ddur either. However, it is customary to recite it nowadays even
in N usach A shk enaz. The Siddur T zelosa D eA vraham states that it was introduced
according to the custom of the Kabbali sts (M ek ubali m)
The A budraham
4
writes that it is his custom and also that of many others to recite Baruch
Sheomar bef ore reciting any verses of praise, as it says in the blessing of Baruch Sheomar
itself , veshi rei D avi d avdecha nehalelcha( And with the praises of David, Your servant
we will laud You. .) implying that we have not yet begun praising H ashem with verses
f rom Tehi lli m (Psalms). This is the Law (H alacha) according to the Tur in Orach Chaim
Simon 51, which is the basis f or Nusach Ashkenaz. Why then today, do we recite the
Psalm of M i zmor Shi r bef ore Baruch Sheomar? He explains that the M ek ubali m introduced
this Psalm was because according to Kabali sti c literature M i zmor Shi r corresponds to the
Ol am haA ssi yah which corresponds to the f irst part of davening until Baruch Sheomar.
Ki ng Davi ds J oy i n Par t ak i ng i n t he Fut ur e Hol y Templ e
This Psalm portrays K ing David's (D ovi d H amel echs) inner sense of joy for having a
share in the building of the Holy Temple, the Bei s H amik dash. Although Dovid was told
that he couldnt build the edifice f or the Divine Presence (H ashems Shechi na),
nevertheless, he was the one who laid the f oundation f or the holy edif ice and was
overjoyed with this privilege. Thus, Dovid rejoices that H ashem brought him salvation
3
The name Ashkenaz was appl i ed i n t he mi ddl e Ages t o Jews l i vi ng al ong t he Rhi ne Ri ver i n nort hern France and West ern
Germany. The cent er of Ashkenazi Jews l at er spread t o Pol and-Li t huani a and now t here are Ashkenazi set t l ement s al l over
t he worl d. The t erm " Ashkenaz" became i dent i f ied pri mari l y wi t h German cust oms and wi t h descendant s of German Jews.
The Jews of each t own consti t ut ed an i ndependent , sel f -governi ng ent i t y. Each communi t y, or k ahal , est abl i shed i t s own
regulat ions had an elect ed board and j udici al court s.
4
Abudraham R D avi d Ben Yosef Abudraham of Sevi l l e - Born: Spai n, earl y 1300s. D i ed: Spai n, l at e 1300s. N ot es:
Tal mudi c and hal achi c schol ar and l i t urgi st . St udent of t he Tur. Aut hor of Sef er Abudraham , a gui de t o and comment ary
on, t he Si ddur and regul at i ons regardi ng T efi l l a and bl essi ngs. I t was mot i vat ed by t he l ack of underst andi ng among Jews of
t he synagogue ser vi ces and was based on t he Tal mud and l at er comment at ors.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
21
f rom the hands of his enemies and detractors, ultimately showing them how G-d f avors
him and allows him to part icipate in the building of the Bei s H ami k dash.
The Lesson for Us: Hashem always welcomes us
Just as D ovi d H amel ech was overjoyed with his role in building the Bei s H ami k dash, so too
should we rejoice each and every day bef ore we begin Praying (daveni ng) and have the
privilege of singing praises to H ashem . Even when we f eel that we have f allen short in
our service of H ashem, each Prayer (T efi lla) comes with a renewed commitment and
opportunity to strengthen our bond with H ashem and His Torah. We always have that
opportunity despite our shortcomings
5
.
Bl essed i s He Who sai d
Bar u ch Sh eo m ar
:no |:a
|: a : _ n o n n u :y n ,
|: a n ,
|: a n oy n o : a ,
|: a : n n oy ,
|: a : x u _ p n ,
|: a u n_ : n : _ y y : n ,
|: a u n_ : n : _ y n : a _ n ,
|: a u : _ o n : 5 o au : : ,
|: a _ n + _ y : u _ p n_ x : : ,
|: a n +o : x _ n ,
|: a n o .
|: a n n _n o u : p:_ | : n u :y n , n p : a n n_ n_ : n , : : n n_ n o a ) n o a ( n_ y ,
n a o n :o n o : a + c_ n + a_ y_ , : o a + + | + a _ y . | : : _ n : _n o u : n:_
nn a o a n: n a , | : +_ x : |_ n a _ o : | : o : : 5 _ : | n o , | 5 : n_ : , : 5 : _ n :_ p : ,
+ n , n u n :y n , | : n n a o n :o n +_ y + _ y n o :+ x _ n . |: a n n _n o u , | : n
: : n n nn a o n_ a .
H Hi i s st t o or r i i c ca al l B Ba ac ck k g gr r o ou un nd d
Pesuk ei D eZ i mra begins with the opening blessing of Baruch Sheomar.
5
There are cert ain sins t hat obst ruct T efil l a see Rambam H ilchos T efi l l a Chapt er (Perek) 4 and especially Laws
15 & 16 on awareness t hat one st ands bef ore G-d i n T efil l a. N onethel ess, we remai n obl i gat ed i n t he mi tzvah
and with si ncere devotion we wil l grow cl oser to H ashem.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
22
The origin of this blessing is not clear, but it can be traced back to time of the Neo-
Persian Empire of Babylonia according to the Sefer H ayuchsi n (Rav Schwab on Prayer). The
Ohr Z aruah
6
dates this Prayer (T efi lla) to the time of the Men of the Great Assembly
(A nshei Knesses H agedolah) who f ound this blessing in a Heavenly note, which contained
the 87 words of Baruch Sheomar.
This blessing speaks of H ashems praises in a prof use manner. The selection of verses
f rom Psalms that make up the bulk of Pesuk ei D eZ i mra f ollow immediately af terwards
and the closing of the Pesuk ei D eZ i mra is the blessing of Y i shtabach.
I I n nt t i i m ma at t i i o on n n: n:
There are 87 words in Baruch Sheomar. The verse Rosho k essem paz o un5 o:
7
( His
head
8
is as the f inest gold ), hints at this - the word paz o having a numerical value of
87. Rosho - the head of davening is Pesuk ei D eZ i mra and the lett ers o are the f irst letters
of the words Pesuk ei D eZ i mra o pc + ' :n .
The Blessing of Baruch Sheomar corresponds to H ashems inef f able Name of H avayah
9
,
the Name representing Creation. I t contains 10 such ref erences; each beginning with
the language Baruch (blessed).
The word V ehaya of Baruch Sheomar V ehaya has the same letters of H avayah, the letters
of the Tetragrammaton.
The 10 descriptions of H ashems greatness and grandeur also correspond to the 10
utterances of H ashem during Creation
10
.
The 16 threads and 10 knots on the 2 f ringes add up to 26- the same numerical value as
the inef f able Name of H ashem -the basis f or Baruch Sheomar.
6
Ohr Z arua - R Yi t zchak Ben Moshe of Vienna, Born: Bohemia, Germany, c. 1180. Died: Vienna, Austria, c. 1250.
Notes: Halachic codifier. Student of RYehuda HaChasid, Raavyah, and the Rokeach. Author of Ohr Zarua/Light is
Sown, an Halachic guide to religious but not civil and criminal law, with extensive quotation of sources as well as
information about Jewish life at the time. Among his students is the Maharam MRuttenberg.
7
Shi r H ashi ri m 5:11
8
Alternativel y, opening words
9
The Tetragrammaton which is spelt Y ud Kay V av Kay (K ay ref ers to the H ebrew letter H ay, except t hat we
ref r ain f rom pronouncing the N ame as it is spell ed as we also ref rain f rom pronouncing the spelling of the
let t ers)
10
Shi bal ei H al ek et
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
23
G-ds i nef f abl e Name
The source in t he ineffable Name: Va'yedabeir Elokim el Moshe va'yomar eilav Ani Hashem
11
Baruch Sheomar vehaya haolam, ( Blessed is H ashem who spoke and the
world came into being ). This expression is used by David Hamelech in Psalms
33:9 Ki H u omar va' yehi H u tzi va vayaamod ( f or He spoke and it came to be, He
commanded and it stood f irm ). This ref ers to Creation at the beginning of
time.
The sour c e i n t he i nef f abl e Name: Yud Kay
12
Vav Kay r epr esent s
c ont i nuous cr eat i on
Baruch osseh bereishis, ( Blessed is H ashem who constant ly creates ). The
Aruch HaShulchan explains that the Blessings of the Morning (Bi rchos
H aShachar) which we say in the present tense such as who spreads out the
Earth upon the Waters (Rok a haaretz al hamayi m, H amei chi n mi tzadei gover
..). is because creation is a continuous process. Not only did H ashem create
everything f rom ex -ni hi lo (yesh miayi n), but it is only because He continuously
wills the worlds existence that it continues to exist
13
. As we say later in the
blessing of Y otzei r ohr, H amechadei sh betuvo bechol yom tamid maasei berei shi s, He
renews daily, continuously the work of Creation .
For further elaborati on about how each stanza corresponds to the i neffable N ame of H ashem, see Rav Schwab on Prayer
14
page122 et seq.
The Lesso n f o r Us:
H a sh e m - T h e D e si g n e r o f a l l Ex i st e n c e f r o m I n si d e O u t
Very simply stated, with Baruch Sheomar we embark on the next level of Y etzi rah,
formation and design. When G-d created the world, the Ramban
15
maintains that He
11
Shemos 6:2
12
This is the letter H ey n
13
As Rav Schwab articul ates so well, the big bang was not a one-time event; it is ongoing.
14
2001 M eso r a h Publ i cat i ons Lt d.
15 R Moshe Ben N achman - Ramban - Born: Gerona, Spain, c. 1194. D ied: I srael, c. 1270. Not es: Also known as
N achmanides. Great Bibli cal and Talmudic comment at or, K abbalist , and Jewish l eader. H e part i cipat ed i n t he f amous
debat e i n Barcel ona (1263) i n t he presence of K i ng James I of Ar agon. Banned f rom Spai n i n t he af t ermat h of t hi s debat e,
he set t l ed i n t he Land of I srael i n 1267. H e spent t he l ast years of hi s l i f e t ryi ng t o rebui l d Jewi sh l i f e devast at ed by t he
Crusades.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
24
f irst created a matter called H i yuli
16
f rom which he formed all Creation. H ashem, the
skillf ul architect and designer of all existence f ormed everything in creation to exact
specif ications. He willed in accordance with His i nfini te wi sdom. As we now are f inally
aware through scientific methods, not only does each creature or object consist of a
unique and inimitable design, it even contains the encoding of this design in its DN A
imprint. Thus, G-d the designer of all Creation encoded everything with His design
within each creation. Likewise, we are imprinted with the DNA
17
of the Jewish soul and
spirit. That DNA calls out f rom within us with an ever increasing f ervor, WE and
everything that exists in the world ARE YOUR CREATI ONS
18
!
L L a aw w s sn 5:n n 5:n
One should ref rain f rom any idle talk even in the Hebrew language f rom
this point on
One should recite the blessing of Baruch sheomar while standing
One should grasp the two f ront f ringes of ones T zi tzis whilst reciting the
whole bracha and then kiss them bef ore releasing them
C Cu us st t o om m xn:n xn:n
There are various customs about where to say Baruch Sheomar in the Tefi lla.
According to A shk enaz, M i zmor shi r is f irst f ollowed by Baruch Sheomar, H odu,
M i zmor L esodah and Y ehi Chevode. According to Sephardi
19
custom and Nusach
Sefard, the order is H odu, M i zmor shi r, Baruch Sheomar, M i zmor lesodah and Y ehi
Chevode.
16
Corresponding to A ssi yah Maki ng; the f irst level.
17
I t is quit e int erest ing t o not e t hat t hese let t ers which represent t he hidden program of individuals are
very similar to the hidden pronunci ation of the Tetr agammaton, which we read as ADNY instead of the way
the word appears on the outside. See Rashi to n - n o u :y : , n : 5 :+ : :+ nno p:o x : u
18
See Ramban in Lesson 1
19
Sephardi Af ter t he dest ructi on of t he Templ e t he enti re Jewi sh Peopl e was f orced t o l eave t he Land of
I srael. Most went ei ther to the Spanish speaking Lands or to the European Peni nsul a such as Germany or
France. The latter are ref erred to as A shk enazi m. Due to the lack of communication these Jews developed
their own customs based on Torah principles and the inf luence of their environment. Some of these customs
remain in ef f ect until today.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
25
W Wo om me en n s s S Se ec ct t i i o on n u o: n: y u o: n: y
Some Sephardi m maint ain that women should not recite this blessing or the
closing blessing of Y i shtabach either
20
.
The custom of A shk enaz and other Sephardi m is f or women to recite both
blessings the same as men.
S Su um mm ma ar r y y u 5c u 5c
The purpose of creation is to proclaim to H ashem We are your creations .
H ashem breathed into Man a li vi ng soul, i.e. the ability to speak. This unique
ability we harness in Prayer (T efi lla) to H ashem.
The Shemoneh E srei is like a sword; Personal Prayer (T efi lla) is like a bow.
The edif ice of T efi lla consists of an ascent of 4 levels f ollowed by a
descent of 4 levels.
A tzi lus, Bri yah, Y etzi rah, and A ssi yah; Kodesh Kodoshi m, H ei chal, A zarah, and
H ar H abayis.
We always have the privilege of praying to H ashem no matter where we
stand in our personal service of H ashem.
S Su um mm ma ar r y y I I I I a u 5 c a u 5 c ' '
The Names of G-d: Tetragrammaton Pronounced A donoy. Concentrate on the
idea that G-d always existed, exists and will exist. He is Master of all existence
The Name Adonoy - Concentrate on the idea that G-d is Master of all existence
Elokim All Powerf ul G-d
Elokeinu - OUR All Powerf ul G-d Who Guides us with Divine Providence
The Dai l y Daveni ng:
Ascending the Spiritual Realms of Assiyah, Yetzirah, Briyah and Atzilus through
Prayer (T efi lla)
20
According to this, women who do not recite a blessing f or the recital of Pesuk ei D eZ i mra are not required to
avoid idle talk. N onetheless, it is not advisable even f or them to engage in idle talk. However , in case of need
they would be permi tted to talk even though other s who make a brocha are f orbidden to do so.
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - L E S S O N T W O
26
Alternatively, Kodesh Kodoshi m, H ei chal, A zarah, and H ar H abayi s
Har Habayis: The beginnings of Holiness - One begins to aspire to serve the
Creator
Azarah: A place of devotion - One begins to contemplate a lif etime of devotion to
Service of G-d
Kodesh: The Holy - A f ull awareness that H ashem constant ly is observing us.
Kodesh Kodoshim: The Holy of Holies - H ashem is the One and only. There are no
other Powers
Tefilla - I t is work that we labor at, so we can reach greater spiritual heights in our
Service of G-d
A requirement of Prayer (T efi lla) is to imagine ones self standing bef ore ones Creator
Reminding us of the merit of our f orefather Abraham (A vraham A vi nu) the f irst person
to portray H ashem as A don Olam, the Master of the Universe
Mizmor Shir Chanukas - I t is the closing of the portion of Prayer (T efi lla)
corresponding to the sphere of A ssi yah, bef ore we start the Pesuk ei D eZ i mra, the world
of Y etzi rah
Mizmor Shir Chanukas - Rejoicing in the privilege of part aking in the Service of G-d
Baruch Sheomar - Corresponds to H ashems inef f able Name of H avayah
21
, the Name
that represents Creation
Baruch Sheomar: Blessed is Hashem Who Said - All of Creation bears the
encoding I am G-ds Creation
21
The f our-letter N ame which is spelled Y ud Kay V av Kay (K ay ref ers to the Hebrew letter H ay, except that we
ref r ain from pronouncing the N ame as it is spelt as we also ref rain f rom pronouncing the spelli ng of these
let t ers)
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - Q U E S T I O N S
27
Quest ions:
1. What are the 4 spiritual spheres (f rom highest to lowest) to which our T efi lla
corresponds?
2. What are the 4 levels of Kedusha (holiness) of the Bei s H ami k dash (Holy
Temple)?
3. What are the 4 parts of Prayer (T efi lla)?
4. What intent should one have when uttering the Tetragrammaton?
5. What should we have in mind when uttering H ashems N ame spelt as A D N Y
' + ' : ' ' (A lef, D aled, N un and Y ud, it is pronounced as it is written A donoy)?
6. Explain the correct Kavanah f or E lok i m and E lok ei nu.
7. Why do we begin the morning Prayer (T efi lla) of A don Olam by ref erring to
H ashem by His Name A don?
8. What is the basic reason f or N usach A shk enazs arrangement in Pesuk ei D eZ i mra?
9. What does the number 10 represent in Baruch Sheomar?
T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
A N A T T A C H M E N T O F T H E S O U L - A N S W E R S
28
Answers:
1. A tzi lus, Bri yah, Y etzi rah and A ssi yah.
2. H ar H abayi s, A zarah, H ei chal H ak odesh, Kodesh Kodoshi m
3. Brochos and Korbanos, Pesuk ei D eZ i mra, Kri as Shema and i ts blessi ngs, T he A mi dah -
Shemoneh E srei .
4. He is Master of all existence and H ashem, exists, always existed and always will
to exist.
5. He is Master of all existence.
6. E lok i m He is all powerf ul. E lok ei nu - He is all powerf ul and He watches over
us with His Divine Providence.
7. A don is the recognition of H ashem as Master of the Universe which A vraham
A vi nu taught the people of the world. Just as in the Bei s H ami k dash they
specif ically wanted to mention the merit of A vraham A vi nu at the start of the
daily Korbanos (of f erings) so too at the beginning of the daily T efi lla we want to
mention this merit of A vraham A vi nu.
8. Since the bracha of Baruch Sheomar is f or reciting the praises of D ovi d, H ashems
servant, as it states in the bracha itself , we want all these praises to be included in
this opening bracha.
9. I t represents the 10 utterances of H ashem during Creation. I t also represents 10
ref erences to H ashems inef f able Name that are used in this Prayer (Tefi lla).