Rabbi Chaim Vital in the introduction to Shaar HaKavanot speaks about the issue of the manner of prayer. Here, Rabbi Chaim Vital introduces us to a vital area of our lives – the world of prayer. Those who daven with a Minyan regularly know well the challenges encountered. One most usually finds that everyone has something to say – and that doesn’t mean their prayer to God – it often means their approach to prayer which takes on outward signs of righteousness as opposed to inner calm and connection with the Divine. This – let alone the often unpleasant unnecessary noise of needless conversation, but that is for another time…
Rabbi Chaim Vital writes:
Also, a person should never pray his prayer out loud, even the part of prayer said when seated (i.e. before the Amidah) for example the Pesukei DeZimrah and similar to that. One should show humility, awe and fear in front of God. However, on Shabbat, the Arizal would raise his voice in a gentle manner during the parts of prayer said when seated – just a little more than what he would do during the week. Even this he would only do in honour of the Shabbat.
INSIGHTS
The real theme about pray is one’s devotion to God. It includes one’s relationship with God. It is a relationship between the soul and the Creator of the world. For this, there is no need to scream and shout – and certainly not to disturb any other worshippers at the Shul. Those accustomed to pray loudly (and as a result disturb others) should be aware that their prayers have the opposite effect.
This may be compared to the behaviour one might have in the presence of a king of flesh and blood. If there were to be someone talking to the king about something, and one would be standing next to that person blurting out one’s own things – whatever they may be – the king would have little respect for this person. The king has time for all, but each person must value the other who is spending his own time with the king.
When we pray out aloud, we cause others to lose their own concentration in prayer, often distracting them from what they have to come to shul for. This may cause them to avoid coming to shul on further occasions and thereby may even result in the ability to form a Minyan.
When we pray softly, we acknowledge that the King of Kings is able to hear our prayer no matter how soft we pray. In addition, when we pray softly this allows for the prayer to reach its target without the forces of the klipah interfering and snatching the prayers before they reach their goal.
The way we pray says a lot about us. When we pray softly, we show our desire to be close to the one we love – just as two lovers have no need to shout at each other – even when requesting things from each other. The more intimate the relationship, the quieter the speech will be between them. In fact, once they reach their highest level of closeness, all speech will cease, as lovers are able to unite in extreme ecstasy with each other.
The highest level we can achieve is to be able to be complete davuk (cleaving) to God. This is experienced as a completely quiet moment between one’s soul and God. Complete connection. Complete love. Complete bonding. Bonding is not achieved by shouting and all the more so when it disturbs others.
Those striving for higher levels in their service of God and who wish for and long for the most real of intimate relationships with God will do well to hear the teachings of the Arizal. Prayer is something we do quietly – and even if it seems like a moment we truly wish to sing or say a little louder – even that would be not to disturb others and would come from a true yearning and desire of the heart – to please God.
