מֵסִ֣יר אָ֭זְנוֹ מִשְּׁמֹ֣עַ תּוֹרָ֑ה גַּֽם־תְּ֝פִלָּת֗וֹ תּוֹעֵבָֽה׃
Fermez l’oreille aux leçons de la loi votre prière même devient un acte abominable.
Olat Reiyah
Paths of Action in Prayer, for the Individual and the Community
And R’ Elazar said that prayer is greater than the offerings, as it says “To what purpose is the multitude of your offerings to Me…” (Isaiah 1:11) and it is written “And when you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you...” (Isaiah 1:15) [Berachot 32b]
One overcomes their evil inclinations, in order to walk the good and straight path which G–d seeks from us, in two manners. The first is an internal conquest of the powers of evil within, through an inner preparation along the way of good in the light of G–d. The second is through an outer vanquishing of the external causes which exist in the world and are apt to negate happiness and wholeness. Prayer, which is the inward service of the heart, magnifies the good of the inner powers themselves. The offerings increase the strength of the inner powers over the interfering forces which reside outside the body and soul, the animal forces of the external world. Therefore, prayer is greater than the offerings, as the inward vanquishing of the forces of evil within is superior to the defeat of external barriers, because the true value of a person is measured by the ascendance of the good which is intrinsic to them. The superiority of prayer over the offerings is also shown through this – that even when prayer is not done properly, nevertheless it has some sort of benefit. Therefore, it is said of offerings “To what purpose is the multitude of your offerings?” There is no benefit to overcoming stumbling blocks that lie outside oneself if one does not within themselves desire the good path. This is because external events remain as they were, only that one defeats them through their free will, and the service of G–d will be a help to them, amplifying the force of their soul for good. But if one chooses to turn toward evil, there is no benefit found in actions devoted to overcoming external reality. Regarding prayer it does not say “to what purpose?” because the moment of prayer, when the inner power of good overcomes the power of evil, is a good thing in and of itself - even if it does not impact the paths of life. It is only that, lacking the true benefit of righting the paths of life, such prayer cannot bring the boon of achieving that which is requested. But this does not mean that it is devoid of any benefit at all. Even though it is taught, “One who turns away his ear from hearing Torah, his prayer too is an abomination,”77See Mishle 28:9, Shabbat 10a and section 2:4 for R’ Kook’s discussion of this statement by the Sages this is because prayer softens the heart and draws one’s desire toward that which appears to be good and right in the eyes of G–d. And by holding back from hearing Torah, one could come to think that good is evil and evil good, and their prayer becomes an abomination because it itself could cause them damage. Nevertheless, the inner clarification gained through prayer is beneficial and important in and of itself, even when one has not yet permanently fixed their actions on the path of good, nonetheless a single moment78see Pirke Avot 4:17, and also the Rambam Perush Mishnayot on Makkot 3:16 is laudable.
And R’ Elazar said that prayer is greater than the offerings, as it says “To what purpose is the multitude of your offerings to Me…” (Isaiah 1:11) and it is written “And when you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you...” (Isaiah 1:15) [Berachot 32b]
One overcomes their evil inclinations, in order to walk the good and straight path which G–d seeks from us, in two manners. The first is an internal conquest of the powers of evil within, through an inner preparation along the way of good in the light of G–d. The second is through an outer vanquishing of the external causes which exist in the world and are apt to negate happiness and wholeness. Prayer, which is the inward service of the heart, magnifies the good of the inner powers themselves. The offerings increase the strength of the inner powers over the interfering forces which reside outside the body and soul, the animal forces of the external world. Therefore, prayer is greater than the offerings, as the inward vanquishing of the forces of evil within is superior to the defeat of external barriers, because the true value of a person is measured by the ascendance of the good which is intrinsic to them. The superiority of prayer over the offerings is also shown through this – that even when prayer is not done properly, nevertheless it has some sort of benefit. Therefore, it is said of offerings “To what purpose is the multitude of your offerings?” There is no benefit to overcoming stumbling blocks that lie outside oneself if one does not within themselves desire the good path. This is because external events remain as they were, only that one defeats them through their free will, and the service of G–d will be a help to them, amplifying the force of their soul for good. But if one chooses to turn toward evil, there is no benefit found in actions devoted to overcoming external reality. Regarding prayer it does not say “to what purpose?” because the moment of prayer, when the inner power of good overcomes the power of evil, is a good thing in and of itself - even if it does not impact the paths of life. It is only that, lacking the true benefit of righting the paths of life, such prayer cannot bring the boon of achieving that which is requested. But this does not mean that it is devoid of any benefit at all. Even though it is taught, “One who turns away his ear from hearing Torah, his prayer too is an abomination,”77See Mishle 28:9, Shabbat 10a and section 2:4 for R’ Kook’s discussion of this statement by the Sages this is because prayer softens the heart and draws one’s desire toward that which appears to be good and right in the eyes of G–d. And by holding back from hearing Torah, one could come to think that good is evil and evil good, and their prayer becomes an abomination because it itself could cause them damage. Nevertheless, the inner clarification gained through prayer is beneficial and important in and of itself, even when one has not yet permanently fixed their actions on the path of good, nonetheless a single moment78see Pirke Avot 4:17, and also the Rambam Perush Mishnayot on Makkot 3:16 is laudable.
Olat Reiyah
“Rebbe Yermiyah was sitting before Rebbe Zeira and they were involved in their learning. The time for prayer was passing, and Rebbe Yermiyah hurried to get up. Rebbe Zeira called upon him, ‘One who turns away his ear from hearing Torah, his prayer too is an abomination.’ (Mishle 28:9)” [Shabbat 10a]
One turns, from the very nature of their soul, toward the holy emotions for which, in order to complete them and bring their potential from the depths their soul, they require prayer. However, one could make a fundamental mistake in this matter. Because just as one has spiritual inclinations, which are from the side of the soul’s discerning70see Mishle 19:14. This is a one word description of the woman who guides the growth of the house described in the ‘woman of valor’ paean which closes out Mishle in 31:10-31 nature, so too one has a multitude of feelings for various appetites and physical desires. And this every person discerns – that in regard to the expansion of the tempestuous feelings in the heart toward physical matters and all that is related to them, there is nothing better than to guide them through the judgment of a Torah consciousness, which gives righteousness in all its paths and guides one on the good and straight way.71see Devarim 6:18, especially the Ramban’s definition of what this mitzvah is found on that verse If the soul is abandoned to its physical aspirations and all that is dependent on them, without the admonition of the Torah, it will surely fall - walking the way of annihilation and death. But in regard to the soul’s spiritual aspirations, whose entirety is love of G–d, delight in His goodness and the splendor of His glory, and in regard to the multitude of offshoots which branch from the depths of these feelings, one could think that there is no need at all to level for them a path of instruction; but rather that they can leave their soul to pursue her path and she will rise up in the love of the Eternal Rock (See Yehayahu 26:4) , yearn, long, sing (See Tehillim 51:16) out from the walls of the heart and pour out plaint, as much as her spirit, which rises ever upwards, lifts her. If so, one might think that there is no need of the Torah’s guidance for these spiritual feelings, which are the offshoots of prayer, and therefor when the time comes to pray one will hurry to abandon Torah learning in order to ready the offering of prayer. Not so, taught us the wisest of all men. Because in truth not only the physical aims of humanity, in which we are likened to an animal, require the Torah’s boundaries for restraint and order, but also our higher spiritual aspirations, which are among the foundation of prayer and its branches, require the bounding and ordering of Torah. Therefore, one who turns away their ear from Torah, not only will the multitude of their physical feelings turn to abomination, lacking a guide to conduct them on the path of life and light, but so too their prayer. Though it turns upward, nevertheless without the Godly discerning guidance to delimit it, it can become an obstacle and a distortion, and will not bear the good, desirable fruit. Their prayer is also an abomination.72The term abomination, is obviously very strong and it is a bit of a mystery why the gemara would choose such language to characterize prayer, even when it comes without the guidance (or even at the expense) of Torah. One answer may be found in the discussion of the term between R’ Yehudah HaNasi and Bar Kapparah found in the gem. Nedarim 51a “You are straying through it [to’e ata bah].” In this sense, R’ Kook’s point about the critical role the Torah’s guidance is meant to play in giving form to our spiritual yearnings can be illustrated as follows. Imagine that you discover an all-powerful genie, who offers you one wish. In that moment you stand before a world of infinite potential, and incredible danger. You had better hope that you have total clarity on the truth of your inner desire, because if you do not and you wish for something other than what you truly want, you will live in the consequences for the rest of your life. In the same way, before we stand before the Master of the world and ask for our heart’s desire, involvement in the depths of Torah offers us to chance to clarify exactly what that is. Therefore, it is not fitting that one rush to abandon involvement with Torah in the face of prayer, in order to engrave on one’s heart that also the higher side which is within them, the side of the holy, lofty feeling of which prayer is an outgrowth, must draw its measures and boundaries from the wellsprings of the Torah, to know all of its reality and to set it straight on the path of the good life which leads upwards for the wise (see Mishle 15:24) .
One turns, from the very nature of their soul, toward the holy emotions for which, in order to complete them and bring their potential from the depths their soul, they require prayer. However, one could make a fundamental mistake in this matter. Because just as one has spiritual inclinations, which are from the side of the soul’s discerning70see Mishle 19:14. This is a one word description of the woman who guides the growth of the house described in the ‘woman of valor’ paean which closes out Mishle in 31:10-31 nature, so too one has a multitude of feelings for various appetites and physical desires. And this every person discerns – that in regard to the expansion of the tempestuous feelings in the heart toward physical matters and all that is related to them, there is nothing better than to guide them through the judgment of a Torah consciousness, which gives righteousness in all its paths and guides one on the good and straight way.71see Devarim 6:18, especially the Ramban’s definition of what this mitzvah is found on that verse If the soul is abandoned to its physical aspirations and all that is dependent on them, without the admonition of the Torah, it will surely fall - walking the way of annihilation and death. But in regard to the soul’s spiritual aspirations, whose entirety is love of G–d, delight in His goodness and the splendor of His glory, and in regard to the multitude of offshoots which branch from the depths of these feelings, one could think that there is no need at all to level for them a path of instruction; but rather that they can leave their soul to pursue her path and she will rise up in the love of the Eternal Rock (See Yehayahu 26:4) , yearn, long, sing (See Tehillim 51:16) out from the walls of the heart and pour out plaint, as much as her spirit, which rises ever upwards, lifts her. If so, one might think that there is no need of the Torah’s guidance for these spiritual feelings, which are the offshoots of prayer, and therefor when the time comes to pray one will hurry to abandon Torah learning in order to ready the offering of prayer. Not so, taught us the wisest of all men. Because in truth not only the physical aims of humanity, in which we are likened to an animal, require the Torah’s boundaries for restraint and order, but also our higher spiritual aspirations, which are among the foundation of prayer and its branches, require the bounding and ordering of Torah. Therefore, one who turns away their ear from Torah, not only will the multitude of their physical feelings turn to abomination, lacking a guide to conduct them on the path of life and light, but so too their prayer. Though it turns upward, nevertheless without the Godly discerning guidance to delimit it, it can become an obstacle and a distortion, and will not bear the good, desirable fruit. Their prayer is also an abomination.72The term abomination, is obviously very strong and it is a bit of a mystery why the gemara would choose such language to characterize prayer, even when it comes without the guidance (or even at the expense) of Torah. One answer may be found in the discussion of the term between R’ Yehudah HaNasi and Bar Kapparah found in the gem. Nedarim 51a “You are straying through it [to’e ata bah].” In this sense, R’ Kook’s point about the critical role the Torah’s guidance is meant to play in giving form to our spiritual yearnings can be illustrated as follows. Imagine that you discover an all-powerful genie, who offers you one wish. In that moment you stand before a world of infinite potential, and incredible danger. You had better hope that you have total clarity on the truth of your inner desire, because if you do not and you wish for something other than what you truly want, you will live in the consequences for the rest of your life. In the same way, before we stand before the Master of the world and ask for our heart’s desire, involvement in the depths of Torah offers us to chance to clarify exactly what that is. Therefore, it is not fitting that one rush to abandon involvement with Torah in the face of prayer, in order to engrave on one’s heart that also the higher side which is within them, the side of the holy, lofty feeling of which prayer is an outgrowth, must draw its measures and boundaries from the wellsprings of the Torah, to know all of its reality and to set it straight on the path of the good life which leads upwards for the wise (see Mishle 15:24) .