Making our Tefilah Real

Rabbi Noach Weinberg says that if we really believe in Hashem our Tefilah will be totally real.  If we are just going through the motions but we are not really talking to Hashem it is worthless.  He quotes the Chofetz Chayim who tells a story about a man who asked to take over a factory, and the owner of the factory wrote out detailed instructions for what to do when he was running the factory.  He made the man promise to review the directions twice a day.  He came back a few months later and found the factory in ruins.  He said, "what about all of my instructions".  The man said, "I reviewed them every day".  The factory owner said, "I gave them to you to follow, not to review"  The Chofetz Chayim said, "This is the Shema, we are told to review it so that we will follow the instructions, not so that we can read it mindlessly" 

Tefillat HaShlah -

 The Shlah wrote that the eve of the first day of the Hebrew month of Sivan is the most auspicious time to pray for the physical and spiritual welfare of one's children and grandchildren, since Sivan was the month that the Torah was given to the Jewish people. He composed a special prayer to be said on this day, known as the Tefillat HaShlah - the Shlah's Prayer.

In 2011, the day for reciting the prayer falls on June 2, 2011, before sunset.

You can find it in Hebrew here:

http://www.shemayisrael.com/orgs/key/shlotfilaheb.htm

 

and in English here:

 

http://www.shemayisrael.com/orgs/key/shlotfilaeng.htm

Hashem Never Ignores our Tefila

Many times when we daven and we feel like Hashem did not answer our prayers we think that it means that the answer was no.  Rabbi Nissel discusses four different ways that Hashem answers our prayers. Sometimes Hashem answers them in the way we want, and sometimes it is in the way that Hashem knows is best for us.  For a very inspiring Shiur go to:

Shelanu: 4 Ways That Hashem Answers Your Prayers # NB 678

by Nissel, Rabbi Menachem

http://www.aishaudio.com/search/results.php

We've often heard people say - I asked, but God said no. While this can be an admirable response to the denial of something we desperately want, were our prayers simply cast to the wayside? Rabbi Nissel proves that tefillah really works, even when we think we've gained nothing out of it, showing how answers can be disguised in ways we can't recognize without truly looking carefully.

Fear and Joy

Every time we daven we should be filled with extreme Fear and Joy.  Fear is understandable, but what is the Joy?  We should be filled with Joy that we have an exclusive audience with the one source that can actually solve our problems.

Heard at a Meeting quoted from "Praying with Fire" 

Asher Yatzar: a source of healing, a treasure in our daily lives.

This Beracha is said as an expression of gratitude to Hashem, for the marvelous structure and functioning of the human body. In this Beracha, we acknowledge to Hashem that the properly functioning, healthy body is a marvelous gift from Hashem to man.

If one says this Beracha with proper intent, it can be a great source of Yiras Shamayim, Emunah and Bitachon.

The Chafetz Chaim and other Great Sages write that the saying of Asher Yatzar with the proper intent and from writing has the power to help one have a healthy body all of his life. There are many people who were saved from a severe illness by saying this Beracha from a written page with the proper intent.

Our lives are full of treasures that we do not appreciate.

We are all like peddlers; if everybody would believe in what they're selling, they'd sell all their merchandise at a premium price. A salesperson can't possibly sell his or her own wares if he or she doesn't believe in the quality of their own merchandise.

The same goes for our own prayer and Torah. If we'd believe that Hashem derives limitless gratification from every word of Torah that we learn, we'd be plowing away in Torah all day long. If we'd believe that Hashem stops everything He's doing to listen to the voice of a person that prays to Him, we'd be praying with super enthusiasm; people would flock to the synagogues, and nobody would have to tell the people to stop the idle chatter. If you had an audience before a great king, no one would have to tell you not to talk to the butler at the same time. A person would be crazy to do so.

As such, we put little effort into Torah and prayer because we don't believe in their power, and we don't believe in our own power...

With self esteem, when you realize that every minute of your life is important because of what you're capable of accomplishing every single second, is it logical to squander time. When all the money in the world can't pay for the smallest mitzvah, is it wise to chase money?

One of the things we look forward to in the full Redemption of our people is the restoration of our national self-esteem, when people will be proud to don the crown of Torah, speedily in our days, amen.

By: Rabbi Shalom Arush  from Breslev.co.il

A powerful segulah for change.

Rabbi Shimshon Pinchus in his book Shaarim B'Tefilah tells us a very powerful segulah for changing our lives.  We all know that davening has tremendous power, and davening a lot has a lot of extra power. If we take a pasuk and say it over and over as a Tefilah, it can bring real change in our lives.  ie: if we say the Pasuk., "Hashem created me with a pure heart" it will help us to purify our hearts, and the Pasuk, "Potaich et Yadecha" helps to bring Parnasah.

He explains that Hashem created the world according to the blueprint of the Torah, and the words of the Torah have tremendous power.  By saying them over and over we bring out that power.

Chanukah is special time for our Tefilos.

When we light the Chanukah candles and say the Bracha, "L Hodos u L'Hallel" our thanks and praises create an Eit Ratzon, a time when we are especially close to Hashem.  We should use this time to ask Hashem for special requests.

from the Shiur on Naaleh: Chanukah: Inner and Outer Connection

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles

Defining our needs

Every morning in the morning Brochas we thank Hashem for giving us what we need, and for giving us strength, among the other important things in our lives.  It is amazing how important it is for us to really define our needs.  Rebbetzin Heller says that if we don't have what we think we need for ourselves or our families,  either we didn't need it, or it is going to come from another source.

Now that have been on OA for overy a year, I am learning that I can live with much less then I used to think that I needed.  I am grateful to Hashem for giving me the strength to follow the food plan that has allowed me to redefine my needs.  Learning to eat in moderation has brought me to redefine my needs in life, and helped me to become more confident in my ability to control other aspects of my life. 

The power of praying to serve Hashem.

When we ask Hashem for something and we are asking for selfish reasons we may not have our prayers answered, but if we ask for something so that we can do Hashem's will more effectively, we are much more likely to have our prayers answered.

from a Shiur by Rabbi Lazer Brody    The Garden of Riches: No More Debt!

Rabbi Wachsman on the idea of renewel.

Simcha comes from newness.  But how do we get newness if we daven the same thing everyday, we learn the similar things, all of our avodas Hashem follows a similar path.

Rabbi Wachsman explains this by saying that there are two kinds of products of an animal, there is honey that comes from a bee, but really it is coming from the nectar, it is not really coming from inside of the bee.  Then there is milk that comes from inside of the animal. 

When we daven and learn, is it coming from inside of us, or is it coming from outside, from the page.  We have to take what we are doing and make it part of us.  Then when it comes out, it is really coming from inside of us.

The way to keep our avodas Hashem new is to make sure that we are truly internalizing it before it leaves our mouths and our minds.

The power of prayer

An eight year old  boy learned about staying up all night learning on the night of Shavuos.  He asked his father permission to come with him to shul to learn all night.  His father said no, you are too young.  As his father  was walking to shul he suddenly from out the blue starting having strong thoughts that if an eight year old child truly wants to stay up learning, why shouldn't he let him.  He turned around and went back home to get his son.  Much to his amazement, his son was standing by the door waiting dressed in his Shabbas clothes, ready to go.  He asked his son how he knew that he was coming back for him,  His son replied that he davened to Hashem, and he knew that Hashem would make him come back because of his heartfelt Tefilah. This boy grew up to be Rabbi Shimshon Pincus.

Understanding Va-etchanan

We owe Hashem such a debt of gratitude that we can never ask Hashem for something based on our good deeds.  Even a tzadik can not assume that they have so many mitzvot that Hashem will answer their Tefilos.  So how do was ask, "for a matnat chinam"  for a free gift, so that we will have what we need to do mitzvot in the future. 

Moshe Rabenu asked Hashem to let him go into the land of Eretz Yisrael based on his desire to do Mitzvot in the future.  He asked "V'Etchanan" as a free gift based on Hashem's mercy not based on deserving it.

When we ask Hashem for a gift, we have to have in mind that all I want to do is Ratzon Hashem with the gifts that he gives us.

Based on a Shiur on Naaleh: The First Rashi

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles Class: Chumash in Depth: Va-etchanan: Moshe's Prayer

When we daven to Hashem to keep us abstinent we have to have the right intention.  That we should be healthy and able to do Ratzon Hashem, not so that we can be skinny.

How much should I daven?

Better to daven a little with Kavanah-

then a lot without Kavanah.

from the Chofetz Chayim

What we learn from the Korban Tamid .

On the 17th of Tamuz we mourn many things, but among them is the last time we did the Daily offering.  The daily offering was a vital link between us and Hashem.  We learn from the Korban Tamid (the daily offering) that we have to be consistant in our avodas Hashem.  We have to serve Hashem with passion and fire every day.  We know that Tefilah is instead of the Korbonos, so we have to make our prayers consistent, and with passion.  Another way that we do something that is like a Korbon is to refrain from saying Loshon Hara. By doing this every day we can bring a consistent Korbon to Hashem.

from the Shiur on Naaleh: Parshat Pinchas: Elevating the Elevated Offering

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles

Class: Parsha for Our Lives 5770

http://www.naaleh.com/viewclass/2598/single/

Compassion for all of Klal Yisrael.

Establish peace, goodness, blessing, graciousness, kindness and compassion upon us and upon all of Your people Israel. (Amidah)


Through program work in OA, I have been privileged to share, in an unprecedented way, with lofty Jewish Neshomos. They have shared from their innermost souls and I have been the beneficiary. The diversity of my friends in program enriches my life. It gives me the fulfilling experience of learning and sharing with others.

Overeaters Anonymous has reinforced the importance of sisterhood and love of one another. It is no longer necessary for me to be "right", but to avoid conflict. Focusing on unity brings serenity.

Working on meaningful relationships and trying to emulate Hashem, who showers compassion on all of Israel, is what satiates the void in me today. There is no need to turn to food for comfort.

Rebbetzin Heller says that this is one of the most important things we will ever learn.

There are 2 things that a person should always daven for:
1) Hashem should strengthen our heart to be devoted to Hashem singularly and not forgot the reason we are in the world. and that the burdens of life not distract us from the reason that we are in the world.
2) Hashem should strengthen our bodies and limbs to be able to do the mitzvot. That our bodies should be able to be strong enough to do what we need to do, because this world is a world of deed, and you can't do the deeds without energy.
Everyone has the same Mitzvot but we do not all have the same path to the mitzvot.

From the Shiur on Naaleh :
Depend Solely on G-d

Teacher: Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Class: Bitachon: Meaning of Trust

Trust in Hashem

When someone trusts you, it enables you to want to please them. We can apply this principle to our relationship with Hashem.  The more that we trust Hashem, the more that Hashem want to give us.

Heard from an anonymus teacher in a class based on "Shaarim B'Tefilah" by Rav Shimshon Pinchas

Do not allow yourself to become discouraged.

Sometimes you may make a great effort but find that you still cannot pray. No matter what, do not allow yourself to become discouraged. This is the most important rule of all. Force yourself to say each word of the service with complete simplicity, like a child who is just learning to read. Keep saying the words. In most cases God will then touch your heart with a flame and you will pray with great feeling.

From "The Essential Rabbi Nachman" by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum p131

The time after Yom Tov is a let down. We looked forward to Yom Tov and seeing our families and the spiritual lift that comes with Yom Tov. All of a sudden, it is over. My sponsor tells me that many people lose their abstinence after Yom Tov. They let there guard down and they think that there is nothing to worry about now that they made it this far, and suddenly they slip. Keep connecting to Hashem. Keep davening.

כל המתפלל בעד חברו והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה

Recently I had a startling realization, my sponsor is human too! I always think of her as a rock solid person who has no problem following the OA program. I told her that, and she laughed and said that she is just like me, just a bite away from losing abstinence. I have been davening that I should stay abstinent, now I daven that we both should stay abstinent. My sponsor told me that she davens for me too. Wow! What a powerful feeling

.כל המתפלל בעד חברו
והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה

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