FEBRUARY 5, ‘25 // 70 Questions & Answers from Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l’s Thursday Night Lecture Difficulty Concentrating during Davening Q. What can a person do if his mind tends to think about his personal business during davening and he has difficulty concentrating? Purpose of Prayer Q. Why should we ask Hashem in our tefillos every day for the same thing? Doesn’t Hashem know what we should have? Doesn’t He know what we need? A. Before he begins his davening, he should choose a certain part on which he wants to concentrate. It’s best, let’s say, to concentrate right now on Shemoneh Esrei. Before he starts Shemoneh Esrei, he stands up and thinks, “I’m now going to speak to the Melech, I’m speaking to a King.” He should picture in his mind a “melech ram v’nisah,” a King sitting on a throne with a crown on His head with great robes. And the King is looking at him with a kindly expression, and He’s listening to what you’re saying. The king is listening to you. By the way, you have to thank Him. You say “Baruch Atah Hashem shomei’a tefillah,” you thank Him for listening to you, it’s a big zechus! So before you start, think: If He’s listening to you then you have to talk to Him. When you are talking to me and thinking about something else, it’s an insult to me. So think, you’re going to speak to Hashem and He’s going to listen to you. Think about that beforehand. He’s listening to you. A. Our tefillos are not to tell Hashem what we need, but l’ hispallel, which comes from the word pelillim, which means to think, to make us think. We should know that Hashem is the Giver of all that we get. That’s the importance of tefillah. And therefore, we go to Him in order to demonstrate that we know He is the Giver. Now why every day? The answer is: “Afrius hachamrius gas,” the Mesillas Yesharim says (chapter 6). Materialism is a very heavy thing in this world, and little by little it enters the minds even of tzaddikim; gashmiyus. And they must constantly reiterate and remind themselves, “V’yadata hayom v’hasheivoso el l’vaavecha, again and again, ki Hashem Hu ha’Elokim” (Devarim 4:39). We have to remind ourselves constantly, and davening is not enough! Not that we daven too much, we don’t daven enough. All day long we have to say, “Baruch Atah Hashem,” only You, in order to remind ourselves constantly. Otherwise in between there’s darkness; the choshech of Olam Hazeh comes into our mind. Therefore, it’s never enough to remind ourselves, “Baruch Atah Hashem gomel chasadim tovim l’amo Yisrael.” As much as possible a person is mechuyav. Reprinted with permission from “Ask Rabbi Miller”, compiled by Avrohom Tikotzky. Copyright 2019, Simchas Hachaim Publishing 718-258-7400 x103 To receive Mr. Tikotsky’s weekly email: tikotzky@gmail.com or www.rmillerqa.com Ask Rabbi Miller
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