Tefillah Completing the Revelation

במדרש ואתחנן אל ה'

The Midrash on the words "And I implored Hashem" (Devarim 3:23) takes up the laws of tefillah.

The Sfas Emes opens by noting that the Midrash on the opening words of the parsha, where Moshe Rabbeinu pleads with Hashem, turns to discuss the laws of tefillah.

דיני תפלה

It addresses the laws of tefillah.

He flags that the Midrash's subject is the laws of tefillah.

מי שמכוון לבו לתפלה תפלתו נשמעת כו'

One who directs his heart to his tefillah has his tefillah heard, and so forth.

He cites the teaching that tefillah said with proper focus of the heart is answered.

כי ענין התפלה בעולם אינו רק על הבקשה שאדם מבקש צרכיו כי הרי אמרו חכמים עבודה שבלב זו תפלה

For the purpose of tefillah in the world is not merely the request a person makes for his needs, since Chazal already taught that "the avodah of the heart" refers to tefillah.

He raises a difficulty: if tefillah is merely asking Hashem for our needs, why is it called the avodah of the heart, which implies something far deeper than a list of requests.

אבל הענין הוא כי בעוה"ז חסר השלימות בכל דבר קטן וגדול וצריך לבוא הגמר בישועת ה' ע"י תפלה לעורר פתיחת השורש שלמעלה מעוה"ז אשר שם אין חסרון

Rather, the matter is this: in this world there is a lack of completeness in everything, small and great alike, and the finishing of every matter must come through the yeshuah of Hashem by means of tefillah, which arouses the opening of the root above this world, where there is no lack at all.

He answers that this world is inherently incomplete, and tefillah is the tool that draws down completion from the root above, where no lack exists, so that Hashem's yeshuah can finish what we cannot.

וזהו ענין אמרם ז"ל יסדר שבחו של מקום ואח"כ יתפלל כמ"ש אתה החילות להראות את עבדך כו'

And this is the meaning of what Chazal said, that a person should first arrange the praise of the Omnipresent and only afterward daven, as it is written, "You have begun to show Your servant" (Devarim 3:24).

This is why Chazal teach that we praise Hashem before davening, mirroring Moshe's words "You have begun to show Your servant."

פי' שבוודאי נמצא הארות גם בעוה"ז כמ"ש שאו מרום עיניכם כו' מי ברא אלה

The explanation is that there are surely illuminations even in this world, as it is written, "Lift up your eyes on high and see Who created these" (Yeshayah 40:26).

He explains that even in this incomplete world there are real glimpses of Hashem's glory, as the navi says when he bids us lift our eyes and recognize the Creator of all.

ואלה הדברים צריך אדם לסדר כמו שתיקנו חכמים פסוקי דזמרה וכל השבחים מחדש בנ"י מ"ב וכפי מה שאדם יכול להתבונן בעוה"ז בכבוד השי"ת

And these very matters a person must arrange, just as Chazal instituted the Pesukei DeZimra and all the praises that Bnei Yisrael renew, in accordance with how much a person is able to contemplate the glory of Hashem Yisbarach in this world.

We must arrange these praises of Hashem, which is exactly what Pesukei DeZimra accomplishes, each person according to how deeply he can contemplate Hashem's glory here below.

אח"כ יתפלל על חסרון הבירור שיתברר באמת כבודו ית' כראוי כמו שיהי' לעתיד

Afterward he should daven over the lack of clarity, that the glory of Hashem Yisbarach should truly become clarified as is fitting, as it will be in the future.

Only after that do we daven for the lack to be filled — that Hashem's glory be fully revealed as it ultimately will be in the future.

וזאת היתה תפלת מרע"ה אתה החילות שע"י מרע"ה נתגלה כבוד ה' בכל הנסים מיצ"מ וקבלת התורה

And this was the tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu, "You have begun," for through Moshe Rabbeinu the glory of Hashem was revealed in all the miracles of yetzias Mitzrayim and the receiving of the Torah.

Moshe Rabbeinu's plea embodied this, for it was through him that Hashem's glory was revealed in the miracles of leaving Mitzrayim and Kabbalas HaTorah.

וז"ש את עבדך כלומר באמצעיות פעולת מרע"ה

And this is the meaning of "Your servant" — that is to say, through the agency of the deeds of Moshe Rabbeinu.

The phrase "Your servant" points to the fact that this revelation came specifically through Moshe Rabbeinu's actions.

לכן ביקש אעברה נא כו' כדי לתקן הגמר ג"כ

Therefore he requested, "Let me cross over, please" (Devarim 3:25), in order to bring about the completion as well.

His request to cross into Eretz Yisrael was aimed at bringing the whole process to its completion.

ואם הי' מרע"ה נכנס עמהם הי' באמת תיקון הגמור

And had Moshe Rabbeinu entered the land together with them, the complete rectification would truly have come about.

Had Moshe Rabbeinu entered the land with Bnei Yisrael, the full and final rectification would have been achieved.

וזה נוהג באמת בכל איש ישראל

And this applies in truth to every individual Jew.

This same dynamic of beginning a revelation and seeking its completion operates within every single Jew.

וכן בכלל שע"י בנ"י נתקדש שמו ית' כמ"ש עם זו יצרתי לי כו' והכל לכבודו ברא

And so it is in general, that through Bnei Yisrael the Name of Hashem Yisbarach becomes sanctified, as it is written, "This people I have fashioned for Myself" (Yeshayah 43:21), and everything He created is for His glory.

Collectively too, Hashem's Name is sanctified through Bnei Yisrael, the people fashioned for His glory, since everything was created for His glory.

ויש קצת התחלה בכל איש ישראל שצריך לחלות ולחנן לגמור ולתקן הכל

And there is some small beginning in every individual Jew, who must beseech and supplicate to complete and rectify everything.

Each Jew carries some beginning of this revelation and must plead in tefillah to bring it to completion and full rectification.

וזה נק' כוון לבו לתפלה

And this is what is called "directing one's heart to tefillah."

This pleading to finish what one has begun is precisely the meaning of directing one's heart to tefillah.

ובמ"א הארכנו:

And in another place we have expounded upon this at length.

He closes by noting he has elaborated on this idea elsewhere.

Summary: The Sfas Emes asks why tefillah is called the avodah of the heart if it is merely asking Hashem for our needs. He answers that this world is inherently incomplete, and tefillah arouses the root above — where no lack exists — to draw down Hashem's yeshuah and finish what we cannot. This is why we first arrange Hashem's praises, recognizing the real glimpses of His glory already present in this world, and only then daven for the lack to be filled so that His glory be fully revealed as it will be in the future. Moshe Rabbeinu's plea modeled this: through him Hashem's glory shone in yetzias Mitzrayim and Kabbalas HaTorah, and his request to enter Eretz Yisrael sought to bring that revelation to its completion. The same avodah lives in every individual Jew, who carries the beginning of a revelation and must beseech in tefillah to complete and rectify it — and that is what it means to direct one's heart to tefillah.