Weekly Tefilah Focus

The Power Of Preparing Before We Daven

We all want our tefilos to be more meaningful. We want to feel that we are truly speaking to Hashem, rather than simply reciting familiar words. Yet how often do we arrive in shul, open our siddur, and begin davening almost immediately, without giving ourselves even a moment to consider what we are about to do?

L’David, Hashem ori v’yish’i, mi’mi ira; Hashem ma’oz chayai, mi’mi efchad.

Our Father, our King, return us to You in perfect repentance.

Hashem is my light (in the darkness of trouble) and my salvation, (therefore) whom shall I fear? Hashem is the strength of my life, (so) from whom shall I be afraid?

We are approaching the final, precious days of Elul and the Yamim Noraim. Naturally, much of our focus is on our own teshuvah: What do I need to change? Where can I improve? How can I best accept Hashem’s Malchus?

In our first segment, we presented the Malbim, who explained that the overarching theme of Perek 27 of T’hilim is d’veikus (“attachment”) or, perhaps easier to relate to, “connection.” D’veikus, according to many, is the purpose of life and of all of our service to Hashem, including learning Torah, tefilah, and chesed. We will be saying L’David over 100 times in the coming few weeks, with the goal of strengthening our connection and bond to Hashem.