The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash

 HARAV AHARON LICHTENSTEIN

 Summarized by Aviad Hacohen

Prayer in the Teachings of Rav Soloveitchik ZT"L

Part 3

 Until now we have dealt with the first level of examination: the attitude towards prayer itself, alone. The second level, as mentioned, looks at prayer as representative of an entire category of mitzvot. Let us turn our attention briefly to a concept which the Rav developed at length in several contexts. In Chazal's words, prayer is "avoda she-balev," "[Divine] service of the heart." This concept itself was developed extensively by the Rav, and is beyond the scope of this presentation. Inter alia, on the purely halakhic level, the Rav saw tefilla - and the Divine service which it represents - as an example, perhaps the best and most outstanding example, of a certain type of mitzva.

We rely here on the distinction pointed out by Rabbeinu Bechaye in his "Chovot HaLevavot" between "obligations of the limbs" and "obligations of the heart." The Rav emphasized that, in these two categories, there is overlap between the action (ma’aseh) required of the individual during the performance of the mitzva, and the actual fulfillment (kiyyum) and realization of the obligation itself. On Pesach, for example, the mitzva is simply to eat matza, and if the person fulfills the technical requirements, then he has fulfilled the mitzva. In mitzvot of the "obligations of the heart" variety, if the individual feels awe, love etc., then a certain type of act - even if not physical - is fulfilled.

In contrast, emphasized the Rav, there are some mitzvot which require of us a certain action - sometimes expressed externally - but whose fulfillment and realization are "in the heart" and are conditional not upon the execution of the act but rather on a certain spiritual state. The Rav found evidence of this category in various contexts. For example, the mitzva of joy on the pilgrim festivals ("Ve-samachta be-chagekha"): the eating of the festive sacrifices dictates a certain lifestyle or certain acts, but the fulfillment of the mitzva is not expressed in the eating of the sacrifices but rather in the feeling of joy which bursts forth from the heart in the wake of that act. A similar idea applies to the mitzva of mourning.

The Rav saw the central focus of this category in the area of prayer. In his introduction to "Chovot HaLevavot," Rabbeinu Bechaye included prayer in his list of "obligations of the limbs" (in contrast to the possibility raised by the "Magen Avraham" according to which the mitzva of prayer can be fulfilled through thought alone). The Rav regarded it as plainly obvious that "Divine service of the heart" takes place in the heart. But, then, how do we explain the obligation to actually articulate the prayers verbally?

And here he presents his answer: there is the "action of the mitzva," expressed in the recitation of the words (the reciting of a certain text with a certain structure, in a certain place and under certain conditions, according to all the details as they appear in the Shulchan Arukh), and there is the "fulfillment of the mitzva," which pertains to the essence of the individual, his experience of the importance of his stance before God and the significance of the message which he seeks to transmit to God.

Here, tefilla is perceived not as an individual mitzva, the halakhic substance of which is open to our investigation, but rather as representing, to the Rav's mind, the epitome of the category of mitzvot which are expressed externally but fulfilled internally, existentially, "in the heart."

The third level of investigation which we mentioned above forges the connection between prayer and other central philosophical and moral concerns in the Rav's thought. The Rav raised several questions in his perception of prayer. For example, in "Ra'ayonot al HaTefilla " there is a long passage which parallels another passage in "Halakhic Man" dealing with the connection between Halakha and the entire expanse of life's experience. The Rav elaborated on his opposition to the ritualistic view, according to which the nature of a person's life creates a division between the world of worship and the sphere of general activity. In contrast, the Rav emphasized the integrative, holistic and comprehensive nature of Halakha. Obviously, this is to be seen against the backdrop of what we have discussed above, i.e., the need to perceive in prayer - beyond the focused halakhic perspective - a broad and natural setting for attention to the problem which occupied the Rav extensively: the relationship between the internal and the external, between the world of emotion and the world of logic, between the world of action and the world of experience. The Rav addressed this issue throughout the range of his works.

In his treatment of prayer he also turned his attention to a subject which occupied a profound place in his consciousness: the relationship between the individual and the community. From a structural point of view, tefilla includes both individual and communal prayer. Hence, this subject presents a convenient arena for examination of both aspects: the individual - the "lonely man of faith" who stands alone before the Almighty - and at the same time the person as a member of a wider community, "communal man," "national man," an integral part of Knesset Yisrael.

Despite the fact that the simple meaning of the gemara in Rosh Hashana (34b) suggests that communal prayer is required only in order to provide an opportunity for those who are untrained in prayer to fulfill their obligation, the Rav tended to regard the balance between individual prayer and communal prayer as expressing two components of religious existence. (Incidentally, a similar line is adopted by the author of the "Tanya" in his "Likkutei Torah.")

Beyond this, I believe that tefilla should be seen as the focus of a subject which disturbed the Rav perhaps more than anything else: the status of the individual himself, and his stance before God.

As we know, the Rav spoke extensively, and in different ways, of a dialectical view of man as existing on two levels, as oscillating between two poles. On one hand, he saw man as possessing power, ability, strength and creativity; on the other hand he is a helpless creature, suspended over the abyss. He spoke of this on a number of occasions (among others during his eulogy for Rav Chaim Heller, [printed as "Peleitat Sofreihem " in Divrei Hagut VeHa'arakha, and translated into English in Shiurei Harav ] and in his Hebrew essay "On the Love of Torah and the Redemption of the Soul of the Generation" [printed in full in BeSod HaYachid VehaYachad  and slightly abridged in Divrei Hashkafa ]). He described the dialectic between "gadlut ha-mochin" and "katnut ha-mochin" which existed in the great Torah luminaries of Israel: on the one hand, he described the great intellects with which they were blessed, depicting them as giants, conquerors, creators and builders, warriors in the battles of Torah; and at the same time he pointed to their innocence, their child-like and almost poetic aspects.

The Rav gave wide expression to this (and the scope of this essay precludes the opportunity of examining this in depth) in his description of the two types of man in his essay "The Lonely Man of Faith." This dual perception of man was reflected in his view of the act of prayer. On one hand, as emphasized above, the Rav stressed the "bakasha" theme in tefilla. We come and request certain things of God, like a servant who comes before his master. On the other hand, the Rav emphasized no less the connection between tefilla and the sacrifices in the Temple, a connection which Chazal had already pointed out. The connection expresses itself both in terms of the source ("The prayers were instituted to parallel the sacrifices") and in terms of the characteristics of prayer and its necessary conditions (cleanliness of the body, concentration, etc.). There are even those who have compared the washing of the hands prior to tefilla to the kohanim's sanctification of their hands and feet prior to serving in the Temple.

In his treatment of this topic the Rav did not stop at a comparison of the technical details: he sharpened the view of tefilla itself as a sacrifice. Not something similar to or representing a sacrifice, but an actual sacrifice in its own right. The Rav gave expression to this view in his emphasis on the fact that even though practically human sacrifice is forbidden, in principle the individual is actually required to sacrifice himself to God. He saw tefilla as a state of self-sacrifice by the individual:

Yet there is another aspect to prayer: prayer is an act of giving away. Prayer means sacrifice, unrestricted offering of the whole self, the returning to God of body and soul, everything one possesses and cherishes. There is an altar in heaven upon which the archangel Michael offers the souls of the righteous. Thrice daily we petition God to accept our prayers, as well as the fires - the self-sacrifices of Israel - on that altar ("ve-ishei Yisrael u-tefillatam be-ahava tekabbel be-ratzon"). Prayer is rooted in the idea that man belongs, not to himself, but that God claims man, and that His claim to man is not partial but total. God the Almighty, sometimes wills man to place himself, like Isaac of old, on the altar, to light the fire and to be consumed as a burnt offering. [Redemption, Prayer, Talmud Torah, Tradition, Spring 1978, pp. 70-71] 

This theme was repeated in several different contexts in the Rav's works. To some extent it is not only different from the theme of bakasha, but actually contradictory.

The Rav dwelt at length on man's dependence, a point which the Maharal saw as standing at the center of the concept of "Divine service." Man is utterly dependent, helpless. Should he become disconnected even for a moment from God, he would be unable to continue to exist. "A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before God" (Tehillim 102:1), "He heeds the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer" (ibid. 18). Man pleads before God out of a sense of his nothingness; it is a cry of broken-heartedness. He feels that were it not for prayer he would not be able to bear his situation.

In a shiur which he delivered before the Rabbinical Council in 1963, the Rav spoke of the famous dispute between Rambam and Ramban regarding prayer. According to the Rambam, the mitzva of daily tefilla is 'de'oraita' (i.e., its source is to be found in the Torah). The Ramban, on the other hand, holds that the biblical source for prayer is limited to the obligation to pray in times of trouble (while daily prayer is mandated only rabbinically). The Rav's daring comment on this debate ran as follows: the Rambam fundamentally agrees with the Ramban. Indeed, tefilla is obligatory only "in times of trouble," but the Rambam perceives man as existing in a perpetual state of crisis. Were it not for God, he could not exist for a single moment, and there can be no greater trouble imaginable than a person who is, heaven forfend, disconnected from God. Hence, we may deduce that the individual is in a constant state of crisis and needs God's contact and His mercy every day. Here man appears to us as needy, weak, or - to use the imagery of "The Lonely Man of Faith" - Adam II.

In the world of sacrifices and sacred items (kodshim) the situation is entirely different. The key concept in sacrifices, the basis of the whole structure, is that of "ba'alut" (ownership, mastery), either private or communal. With a few exceptions, e.g. the "kayitz ha-mizbe'ach" (Mishna Shekalim 4:4), a sacrifice always involves ownership. The individual who brings a sacrifice is the "owner," the master; the requirement to give is addressed only to someone who is able to give. Thus, in a certain sense, man is considered to be his own master, and only because of this can he be asked to offer himself as a sacrifice to God.

The view of tefilla in the Rav's philosophy is therefore complex. He speaks of tefilla in terms of its dialectical character. As explained, this reflects the Rav's perception of man's status in general. To a certain degree, the Rav tended to think in terms of variety: sometimes one aspect expresses itself more strongly while at other times another aspect is dominant. The same can be said of bakashot of different types. But, ultimately, the perception of man as a complex and dialectical being remains a central characteristic in the Rav's philosophy, such that tefilla is also seen as complex and dialectical. On one hand, man has the power to give, to sacrifice. On the other hand, man's entire existence hangs by a thread; he is weak and powerless.

The Rav went further than this, though. He saw tefilla as an expression of giving, requiring total sacrifice on the part of the individual - in a certain sense to the extent of losing his very existence as an individual. But at the same time he saw tefilla as an incomparable source of gain and opportunity for receiving. This motif ran throughout his thought and his experience. On more than one occasion he mentioned that Judaism never promises instant happiness. There is no peace of mind; rather, there are requirements and demands. But this "long" road is really "short." It begins with maximalist, ultimate demands and requirements, but culminates in the genuine joy of giving.

The Rav saw man as able to find two things in prayer. In his article "Redemption, Prayer, Talmud Torah," the Rav mentioned that through prayer the individual discovers himself; he reveals his true "I." Tefilla here is depicted as standing before God with one's heart of hearts exposed before Him. At this point, man reveals his innermost secrets, clarifying in his own mind what his real requests of God are: not only those mundane concerns with which he is constantly occupied, but also those goals to which he aspires; that which is needed and that which should be needed; that which is central, that which imbues his life with happiness and meaning, and that which is peripheral. In the midst of these considerations, man finds his true self.

Man reveals his own self not only through the process of self-evaluation and self-revelation, but also by virtue of the fact that he has found God. God takes hold of him, as it were; He communicates with him. True life and inner happiness are derived from this connection. Tefilla opens with sacrifice; it demands much of the individual. But this very sacrifice, the individual himself, this dialectical creature required to give himself completely over to God - he himself reaps the full reward of his tefilla. To the extent that he rises to the demands of tefilla and is capable of combining his bakashot and his "giving" within it, he will ultimately merit not only the realization of those requests which he presented before God but also his own self-realization. He receives what he invested and more, on a different plane, with a different significance, with the elevation and intimacy implied in the verse, "... And you who cleave to the Lord your God, you are all alive today" (Devarim 4:4).

Indeed, there is something dialectical and paradoxical here. At first, there is an experience of duality, of a torn soul, because this is man's starting point in general. It is specifically through his tefilla and his stance before God, and through his simultaneous (self-)sacrifice and petition that he rises and is elevated, meriting by means of his tefilla both personal growth and connection with the Master of the Universe.

In this connection, the Rav spoke of the structure of tefilla, and specifically of the final three berakhot of the Shemoneh Esrei (see "Ra'ayonot al HaTefilla", p. 256). The following quote (p. 271) is just a brief excerpt of his exposition there, and a fitting summation to this presentation:

 At the end of the tefilla we return to [the theme of the opening blessing of theShemona Esrei,] Birkat Avot - the first approach of the worshipper to God. His faith in the Lord of the world is great. His mercies have no bounds. His goodness flows from one end of existence to the other. If so, then God dwells within me. He is my whole being; His glory fills the world, and we know that all of existence melts away in His infinity. What is existence if not the illumination of the countenance of the Infinite? What is happiness if not the gift of God? What do we want, for what do we long, what do we request - if not to cleave to Him and embrace Him, as it were?

The God of Avraham, the God of the world, who relates to all of existence, whether from inside it or from the outside, is the Master of peace, blessing and goodness. And then the individual proceeds to request [the final blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei], 'Grant peace, good and blessing, life, grace, kindness and mercy, unto us and unto all of Israel, Your nation.'

In other words, after all the wanderings and circlings [during the tefilla] from love and mercy to moments of fear and helplessness, after the descent from the heights of longing and elevation to the depths of confusion and terror, after self-nullification and self-discovery, after self-sacrifice and then the return to mundane reality - we return once again to calm and gentle existence, full of joy and security. God appears as a serene dwelling place, a secure habitation. The worshipper lounges in green pastures, secure in Him as a son in his father.

His torn and troubled soul finds happiness and calm. His fear and anxiety are forgotten; the terrible Mystery is gone. In their place reigns happiness, and the rush towards the Source of all existence. Man does not flee from God; rather, he runs towards Him, embraces Him, nestles close to the Divine Presence.

All is surrounded by calm and peace. The blessing and bounty of the Infinite One rain down on everything; the mercies of the Holy One, Blessed be He, fall like dew on Mt. Chermon and the entire world is illuminated with the precious light emanating from the Infinite."

(Translated by Kaeren Fish and Ronnie Ziegler.Adapted from a lecture delivered at a Memorial Assembly for Rav Soloveitchik, Iyar 5756 [May 1996]. This adaptation was not reviewed by Rav Lichtenstein.)

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