Parshat Vayechi 5778
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha that Yaakov Avinu tells Yosef (Chapter 48, Pasuk 22), V'Ani Nasati Lecha Shchem Achad al Achecha Asher Lakachti Miyad Ha'Emori B'Charbi U'Bekashti. Behold I have given you Shechem over your brothers which I took from the Emorites with my sword and my arrow. Seemingly the pasuk is referring to the city of Shchem which was especially given to Yosef. And a simple reading of the pasuk indicates that it was militarily won from the Emorites. However, Chazal don't understand it this way. Rashi comments that B'Charbi U'Bekashti refers to his wisdom and prayer, Chachmaso U'Tefilaso. It wasn't Yaakov's physical strength that enabled him to survive from the nations around him, rather it was his wisdom in dealing with them and his reliance on Hashem through prayer.
The Targum Onkelos gives a similar but different explanation to the words in the pasuk B'Charbi U'Bekashti. The Targum says B'Tzlosi U'BeBa'usi, which means with my prayer and my supplications. Similar to Rashi, Onkelos teaches that Yaakov survived through his prayer and not by waging war. This is consistent with our understanding of Yaakov as (Chapter 27, Pasuk 22) HaKol Kol Yaakov, Yaakov relied on his voice i.e. his spiritual connection to Gd through Torah and Tefillah. But what are these two groupings of prayer and supplication?
The Meshech Chachmah gives a very beautiful explanation to this distinction. Prayer was established by Chazal (though there is a disagreement in the Gemara 26B as to whether our forefathers established Tefillah first or whether it was established by the Anshei Kenesses HaGedolah corresponding to the daily sacrifices) daily and today when we are without the Beis Hamikdash, prayer is in place of the Avodah. As a result, the requirement of Kavanah is minimal. Though clearly one should have proper intention and focus throughout the Shemoneh Esrei, B'Dieved having Kavanah for the first bracha is sufficient. All one needs to do is minimally establish himself as part of the communal service and his participation is guaranteed. This is what Yaakov meant when he said B'Tzlosi.
However, the word B'Ba'usi means something different. It refers to one's personal supplications in his voluntary prayer. When one wants to add a voluntary prayer, he must be Mechadesh; he needs to make new, additional requests in his Tefillah. And his entire Tefillah must be with focus and proper intention. Even if part of his prayer was lacking intention it doesn't work. The Shulchan Aruch at the end of Siman 107 states that one who isn't certain that he could be focused and alert throughout the voluntary prayer, should not offer up such a prayer.
We learn from here that when one is part of the Tzibbur and doing what is defined for us as Avodah, he needs the minimum requirement to fulfill his obligation and have his Tefillah validated as prayer. For he is not the one defining his words as prayer; it was part of a much earlier Takanah established for Am Yisrael which each Jew needs to make himself part of. But when he wants to stand alone and make his own voluntary prayer, Tefillas Nedavah, then he must maintain his level of concentration throughout the Tefillah. And only then is it validated as an act of Tefillah; it all depends on his level of seriousness.
Tefillah is compared to B'Charbi; the sharp metal of the sword is very powerful and with minimum contact can have a powerful, even devastating effect. Similarly only minimum Kavanah is required after the fact for Tefillah. But U'Bekashti literally refers to the bow. The effect of the bow is directly proportionate to the power of the one using the bow. The entire effect of the arrow is directly dependent on the strength put in by the one shooting the arrow. When one wants to stand alone and establish his own personal Tefillah or supplication, the effectiveness is totally dependent on his ability to maintain his concentration throughout the process of prayer.
Good Shabbos
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