Daily Renewal Through Tefillah
במדרש והי' א"ש תשמע אשרי א' שומע לי כו' לשקוד ע"ד דלת לפנים מדלת כו'
In the Midrash: "And it will be, if you will surely listen" (Devarim 28:1) — "Praiseworthy is the one who listens to Me" (Mishlei 8:34), to be diligent at My doors, door within door.
The Midrash links the parsha's call to "listen" with the praise of one who diligently waits at Hashem's doors, hinting at deeper and deeper levels of closeness — a door within a door.
התורה אומרת זה אשרי שומע לי שע"י התורה זוכה לכנוס דלת לפנים מדלת שהיא פנימיות העולם
The Torah declares: "Praiseworthy is the one who listens to Me," for through the Torah a person merits to enter door within door, which is the inner dimension of the world.
The Sfas Emes explains that listening to the Torah is what grants a person entry into the world's hidden inner dimension, beyond its outer surface.
כמו דאיתא הקב"ה מחדש בכל יום מעשה בראשית מכ"ש שהתורה מתחדשת בכל יום וכמ"ש אנכי מצוך היום בכל יום מחדש
Just as it is taught that the Holy One, Blessed is He, renews each day the work of Creation, all the more so does the Torah renew itself each day, as it is written, "that I command you this day" (Devarim 8:11) — anew on every day.
Since Hashem constantly renews Creation, and the Torah likewise renews itself daily, a person must approach the Torah as something fresh on every single day.
והתפלות בכל יום הם לקבל ב' ההתחדשות דלתותי הנפתחים בכל יום
And the tefillos of each day are to receive these two forms of renewal — the doors that are opened anew on every day.
Daily tefillah is the means by which a person receives both renewals — Creation and Torah — which are like doors that swing open anew each day.
ולכן צריכין לעמוד בתפלה מתוך דברי תורה שמלמדת לאדם להתפלל בדלת שלפנים מדלת לכן תיקנו ק"ש קודם התפלה
Therefore one must stand in tefillah out of words of Torah, which teaches a person to daven at the door that is within the door; this is why the Chachamim instituted Krias Shema before the tefillah.
Because tefillah must reach the inner door, it has to flow out of Torah, which teaches a person how to daven; that is why Krias Shema, words of Torah, was placed before Shemoneh Esrei.
ואיתא במדרש שראה מרע"ה שבהמ"ק עתיד לחרב ובכורים יתבטלו תיקן ג' תפלות בכל יום הגם דאיתא תפלות אבות תקנום זה הי' קודם קבלת התורה ותיקנו פתיחות דלת החיצון
And it is taught in the Midrash that Moshe Rabbeinu foresaw that the Beis HaMikdash was destined to be destroyed and the bikkurim would cease, so he instituted three tefillos each day — and even though it is taught that the Avos instituted the tefillos, that was before the giving of the Torah, and they instituted the opening of the outer door.
The Midrash relates that Moshe foresaw the loss of the Beis HaMikdash and bikkurim and so fixed three daily tefillos; the Avos had earlier opened only the outer door, before the Torah was given.
ואח"כ ע"י התורה ניתקן פתיחות דלת הפנימי והי' מתקיים בבהמ"ק ע"י עבודת הקרבנות
And afterward, through the Torah, the opening of the inner door was established, and it was fulfilled in the Beis HaMikdash through the avodah of the korbanos.
Once the Torah was given, the inner door was opened, and this inner avodah found expression in the korbanos offered in the Beis HaMikdash.
ועתה תיקן מרע"ה ג' תפלות נגד התמידין
And now Moshe Rabbeinu instituted three tefillos corresponding to the daily korban tamid.
In the absence of the Mikdash, Moshe's three tefillos now stand in place of the daily tamid offerings, carrying that same inner avodah.
וכ"כ ולעבדו בכל לבבכם
And so it is written, "and to serve Him with all your heart" (Devarim 11:13).
The pasuk commanding service "with all your heart" is the source for tefillah as the avodah performed in the heart.
עבודה שבלב זו תפלה ובכל לבבכם ב' לבבות בחי' דלת לפנים מדלת שבאדם כ' וייצר ב' יצירות ושניהם מתחדשין בכל יום
"The service of the heart — this is tefillah" (Taanis 2a); and "with all your hearts" — two hearts, the aspect of door within door that is within a person, for it is written "vayyitzer" (Bereishis 2:7) with two yuds, indicating two formations, and both of them are renewed each day.
The doubled word for heart and the doubled yud in "vayyitzer" both hint at two formations within a person, an inner and outer dimension, each renewed daily — the door within a door.
ולכן כ' בפרשה זו א"ש תשמע כו' ונתנך ה"א עליון פי' שע"י התורה מתרוממין בנ"י להיות נמשך אחר הנהגה פנימיות דלת לפנים מדלת כמ"ש לעיל:
And therefore it is written in this parsha, "if you will surely listen... and Hashem your God will set you on high" (Devarim 28:1) — the meaning is that through the Torah Bnei Yisrael are elevated to be drawn after the inner conduct, door within door, as was explained above.
The parsha's promise that listening to the Torah elevates Bnei Yisrael means the Torah draws them after Hashem's inner conduct, into the deepest level, door within door.
Summary: The Sfas Emes builds on the Midrash's reading of "if you will surely listen" as the praise of one who waits diligently at Hashem's doors, door within door — listening to the Torah is what grants a person entry into the inner, hidden dimension of the world. Just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, renews Creation each day and the Torah renews itself each day, daily tefillah is the vehicle for receiving both renewals, the doors that open anew each morning. For tefillah to reach the inner door it must flow out of Torah, which is why Krias Shema precedes Shemoneh Esrei; the Avos opened the outer door before the Torah was given, while the Torah and the avodah of the korbanos opened the inner door. Now that the Beis HaMikdash is gone, Moshe Rabbeinu's three daily tefillos stand in place of the korban tamid, the "service of the heart," and the doubled "hearts" and the doubled yud of "vayyitzer" both point to the two formations within a person — door within door — each renewed daily. Thus by listening to the Torah, Bnei Yisrael are elevated to be drawn after Hashem's innermost conduct.