Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 4 – Five Things That Prevent Prayer

Introduction: Things That Prevent Prayer

Speaker 1:

Gentlemen, Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 4.

Eleven, which things prevent prayer? What prevents our study? Says the Rambam, five things. Go ahead. Ah, five things, says the Rambam. That means, previously we learned that there is an order, there is a very beautiful order. Something that is among the obligatory and ethical matters prevents learning or praying. There is an obligatory matter, he says, to mention the distinguished donors. Ah. Rabbi Yoel, from him they shall learn and so they shall do. Today’s shiur is donated by our distinguished member, the Rabbi, Rabbi Yoel Weissberger, from him they shall learn and so they shall do.

Okay. So, let’s even just think about prayer. So, we learned, there is a mitzvah to pray. Upon this came the Sages and established a text and an order and a time. Now, besides the fact that you have prayer, there are still five things that prevent it. That means, even if you pray, if you don’t have these five things, it’s not a prayer.

Question: Are These Laws Rabbinic or Biblical?

Speaker 2:

Are these laws rabbinic or biblical? I don’t know.

Speaker 1:

Things that prevent prayer, even when there is a time for prayer, all five things must still be present. Are all these things biblical? Let’s see, let’s delve into this.

Okay. Purity of hands is not biblical, because hands is an enactment from later.

Speaker 2:

Ah, perhaps regarding prayer?

Speaker 1:

This is all regarding prayers.

Speaker 2:

I’m asking regarding which prayer?

Speaker 1:

This is apparently all regarding rabbinic prayer, from the formulated prayer.

Speaker 2:

Could be, but I think for example, this is relevant, one must cry out to the Almighty in a time of need. I don’t know if all these parameters apply to that. Could be one may even in a place that is not… should he say it like that? I don’t know. One must think. Does that crying out need to be something formulated? That’s the question. The crying out can be a quiet cry, a groan. Should we say that you fulfill your obligation because you gave a groan. But there should be some certain form of prayer. The Rambam did say that there must be praise, thanksgiving, and requests for needs.

Speaker 1:

That’s for the order of prayer, even not, but they went immediately to see, for example, I brought you here. That one should, that’s the essential mitzvah of prayer from the Torah. I brought you here. There is. Later going they are learned, when the blessings. Look back. I think, for example, still a later look back. For example, a morning blessing… recently we saw, perhaps I overlooked here, there is a Gemara that says, when one wakes up one says Elokai Neshama, yes? Come the Geonim, Rishonim say, no, one should only say again, wash the hands. Before that later they made Modeh Ani, which doesn’t have any Name, supposedly, one can say it without washing hands. But here they are a law in Brachot, according to the law of the Gemara, and as the Rambam also rules, one doesn’t need to wash hands before saying Elokai Neshama or the morning blessings. One can say a blessing without this, generally a blessing. On a blessing all these things are not preventing. A blessing says that it’s a prayer, it prevents. But on the topic of prayer, meaning I have a certain blessing, and that type of prayer, these things prevent it. If you want to make a blessing, thank the Almighty, request something, all these laws don’t exist.

Law 1: Five Things That Prevent Prayer

Speaker 1:

So these five things prevent prayer, even when the time has already arrived, but. Meaning already before the time arrives, but I generally don’t have the obligation.

Speaker 2:

Ah, no good, it prevents, what does it mean regarding benefit?

Speaker 1:

But you don’t fulfill. It prevents, what does prevent mean? It prevents the person. It’s already the time, not that one doesn’t fulfill, if one of these things has occurred, not what is the word. Ah. The would, it’s now the time, it’s learning here the time. Okay, what can one already pray? Okay, what still stands in the way? What still stands in the way, when the time no longer stands in the way?

The Rambam’s Words: Five things prevent prayer even though its time has arrived:

1. Purity of hands

2. Covering of nakedness

3. Purity of the place of prayer

4. Things that disturb him

5. Concentration of the heart

Discussion: Things That Disturb vs. Concentration of the Heart

Speaker 1:

Purity of hands, and I mean clean hands. Covering of nakedness. Purity of the place of prayer, the place of prayer should be, one should pray in a clean place. And things that disturb is preventing. The things that disturb goes up on the word prevent. Things that disturb the person, that take away the peace. And concentration of the heart. Things that disturb is not the same as concentration of the heart, right?

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

Interesting. It’s necessary, if there are things that disturb, even if he managed to have concentration of the heart, he didn’t do well. Or vice versa. Sometimes, sometimes, a person who simply already couldn’t have things disturbing on concentration of the heart, yes. He goes to go sleep, goes up. Interesting this to be, this is not a mixture, or something.

Law 2: Purity of Hands – Washing Hands for Prayer

Speaker 1:

And see, washing hands before eating, says the Rambam, he washes his hands in water up to the joint, up to the joints of his fingers, yes, up to after the fingers, and afterwards he prays.

Discussion: What Does “Up to the Joint” Mean?

Speaker 1:

Tosafot in Sukkah understand to go up to the entire hands. I don’t know what “up to the joint” means. Joints of his fingers means up to the fingers. So it says in the Laws of Yom Kippur it also says up to the joints of his fingers. Up to the joint, in Laws of Brachot 4 it doesn’t say, the Rambam says up to the joint. I don’t know what the Rambam, he doesn’t explain more what the meaning of up to the joint is. Up to the joint, up to the joint. Not clear.

Speaker 2:

Yes, just as the fingers are connected to the palm of the hand, is up to here. Yes, but the fingers, not the palm of the hand itself. That’s the meaning. Simply one can understand that basically you touch the food not with your palm, but with the fingers. But he brings that no, that the Rambam holds that joint means yes the, you know, here. Joint of the arm. Joint is a singular term, not like joint of the arm. The other is joints of his fingers. I don’t know where is the connection to his fingers it says. And here it says up to the joint. Ah, it says joint joint, in short, he learns and argues that he means yes up to here.

Speaker 1:

Should it mean the entire hands? Or should it mean up to after the fingers? Okay. It doesn’t say clearly in the Rambam what he means. Perhaps in other places it’s precise, but here it doesn’t say clearly. Here it doesn’t say clearly what the meaning of up to the joint is. Let’s look at what it says here.

Question: The Matter of Purity of Hands

Speaker 2:

Yes. What is the matter that the hands must be clean? Is the simple meaning that the entire body generally we expect should always be clean, but the hands is “hands are busy,” the hands normally get dirty, must one wash them? Or no, there is an obligation that the other body doesn’t need to be clean, the hands specifically must be clean. What is the first… Let’s say the first. The first, that a person is normally clean, relatively clean, and very is I know, but even if he is clean, the hands out of fear of Heaven one should clean them. It’s basically a matter of cleanliness, and even the hands should be clean.

Speaker 1:

Okay. Now, what is… now one will say the obligation of going to wash. How strongly must one wait basically, right? One now has preventing. The question is how strongly does it prevent such a prayer? Does it mean that one must go search in the entire world, or a little?

The Measure of Walking to Water – Four Mil Ahead, One Mil Behind

Speaker 1:

Says the Rema thus: “If he was walking on the road and the time for prayer arrived and he has no water,” he has no water to wash his hands, “yes, how much is he obligated? It’s thus: “If between him and the water is four mil,” if the measure of how far the person is from water is four mil, “which is eight thousand cubits, he goes to the place of water and washes and prays”. Up to there he should go and he washes and he prays.

Speaker 2:

How much approximately is eight thousand cubits? How much did it come out in today’s miles? Eight thousand cubits, how far is that? How long to walk approximately? An hour? Seventy-two minutes, no?

Speaker 1:

Again, we understand to say that walking a mil is eighteen minutes. From there comes the stringency of eighteen minutes, or of seventy-two minutes four mil, same thing. But it doesn’t say here that it’s a measure in time, it says that it’s a measure in place. Yes, four mil. Do you want to say that one must travel an hour’s time?

Speaker 2:

No, I’m saying today look basically people, they measure distance according to time. How long it is to walk there, ah, very good. But here it doesn’t say, here it says four mil, which is eight thousand cubits.

Speaker 1:

“If between him and the water is more than this,” if he sees that it’s a matter of delay, he should pray differently before, because he’s going to arrive there anyway.

Speaker 2:

Yes yes, he’ll pray later.

Speaker 1:

So what should he do? He can’t then wash hands. So how ideally, the best is to wash hands, but he should wash the hands the best he can. Well wipe the hands with a pebble or dirt and read, and then pray.

Speaker 2:

It doesn’t remove the obligation of cleaning oneself. There is an obligation of cleaning oneself, and there is afterwards an enhancement that one should do it with water.

Speaker 1:

You can say so, yes. I guess.

Ahead vs. Behind

Speaker 1:

Says the Rambam, in what case are these words said? Ahead of him, when he is traveling and he’s going towards the water. But if the water was behind him, he is traveling and he already has no water in front of him, it’s already in the back of him, he doesn’t need to go back the way, he is not obligated to return behind him except up to a mil. To go back he must yes up to a mil, but not more than that.

Speaker 2:

As if the same thing as when he is at home.

Speaker 1:

That means, should we say simply go to a sink. Here we’re talking precisely about a person when he is traveling.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I hear.

Speaker 1:

But if the water was more than a mil, he is not obligated to return but rather wipes his hands and prays.

Law 3: Washing Face, Hands, and Feet in the Morning

Speaker 1:

Ah, says the Rambam a new thing in this law. In what case are these words said, that the washing for prayer is only for his hands alone? Although you just said one must clean the hands, the simple meaning is that one doesn’t need specifically to wash the entire body. This is only a law of other prayers, in other prayers except for the morning prayer. But in the morning there is a greater obligation of washing, there is a mitzvah of washing, and he washes his face, his hands and his feet and afterwards he prays.

Says the Rambam, he brings here with the Gemara that says that one should wash his face, his hands and his feet, in honor of the Name, in honor of his Creator.

Speaker 2:

Very good.

Speaker 1:

And the Rambam interpreted in honor of his Creator means before morning prayer. When you go to stand before the Almighty, you must make yourself in honor of your Creator.

The Raavad’s Dispute

Speaker 1:

The Raavad doesn’t agree at all. The Raavad says he doesn’t know what this is, he doesn’t know from where it came. The Shulchan Aruch doesn’t bring at all the position that one must wash before morning prayer. So, I don’t know.

The Hasidic Jews go to the mikveh, when the other blessings one fulfills the position of the Rambam. It’s interesting actually that those who don’t go to the other blessings, why shouldn’t one try to follow the simple law of the Rambam and actually do face, hands and feet. But the Shulchan Aruch doesn’t bring it.

Feet in Modern Times

It could be that feet, that face, hands and feet, the simple meaning is that in modern times when we go the entire time with socks and shoes, there isn’t simply the need. Actually yes, a custom of many people wash off the face, that’s to freshen the face, a normal thing. But face and hands is accepted. Feet is actually only an obligation when it’s a place where dust comes.

Very good. I mean that most wash, today’s washing is because one doesn’t feel, those who become accustomed every day, the slightest sweat makes them feel like they need to clean themselves. But the main thing we’re talking about here is to say that since the Raavad’s custom was to go with socks, the Rambam apparently didn’t conduct himself to go with socks, therefore he didn’t have the feet if he doesn’t go without socks.

Speaker 2: No, for spite, why should one wash the feet also?

Speaker 1: So he brings in the simple meaning. Just as the Kohen, the Kohen renewed face, hands and feet, yes?

Speaker 2: But is the Raavad’s argument that it has no connection? The matter of honor of the Kohen has nothing to do with praying, or from where should it come?

Speaker 1: The Rambam also renewed a law, it’s very interesting.

Speaker 2: No, but there is, it says in the Gemara that…

Speaker 1: Yes, but the Rambam himself already says that it’s not simple. Very good, I know.

Discussion: The Raavad’s Argument

Speaker 2: Just as the Raavad argues, does he say that it’s not necessary for praying, or he doesn’t want to accept at all that mitzvah of washing the feet?

Speaker 1: I mean that it’s a mitzvah, it’s a nice thing that… I mean that the Shulchan Aruch also says, one can learn there that one may wash. It’s not a… I don’t know, one doesn’t need any prohibition. It’s a verse in the Midrash, I don’t know. Must there really be an obligation that before praying one must do this?

Speaker 2: No one except the Rambam thinks so.

Speaker 1: The Raavad isn’t the first who says that this is strange?

Speaker 2: I mean, perhaps he is the first, I don’t know. But one doesn’t see that it’s a simple meaning.

Speaker 1: The Rambam… he says that Rashi says so. That it doesn’t mean a mitzvah from the Torah, you know? Which prohibition would there need to be? I mean, he says that it’s a nice thing, let’s say, it’s good conduct. But it has nothing to do with praying at all. One doesn’t see at all what it has to do with praying in this topic.

Digression: Muslim Custom

The Muslims conduct themselves to wash their feet also before praying. Perhaps the Rambam took from there. So perhaps there is such a thought.

Comparison to the Kohen in the Temple

Says the Rambam further… I think for example, he also brings, he brings the Baal HaMaor, that perhaps this is like… he already said this, this is like in the Temple, the Kohen made himself sanctification of his hands and feet.

But perhaps also this, the Kohanim didn’t go with socks, and they are always… I mean, if there will be a Kohen, doesn’t he need to go without socks?

Speaker 2: Perhaps because that simply wasn’t the custom then.

Speaker 1: If today Kohanim will make to add still socks, it’s not from the priestly garments. I don’t know. Perhaps we’ll wait for Mashiach to show us the way in these difficult, complicated laws. And this is one of the laws that we need him to show us the way, it doesn’t occur to me. Okay, let’s pray to Hashem, you don’t need to worry now, and let’s go further.

Principle: Lifestyle vs. Law

I want to tell you the… what the commentators say is, a thing that has to do with a certain lifestyle of a person, that doesn’t have to do with a law, is not necessarily that one will go conduct oneself so, just as when Mashiach will come one will put on such an Arabic robe, because that’s how Abraham our father perhaps went. I’m speaking now of all these for the Kohen, if one makes such a thing.

Continuation of Laws of Prayer – Ritual Purity and Immersion

Yes, because today everyone goes with shoes, it’s not an issue. There was once a place where people went without shoes. Today they say, the floor is cold and the floor is hot, and so on and so forth, not necessarily.

Speaker 2: I’m not talking about shoes, I’m talking about socks.

Speaker 1: Shoes you can say, means… today also not everywhere does one go with shoes perhaps. They’ll say, in an important place sometimes there is perhaps a custom. Anyway, now we’re going to learn further from… we spoke about water. Okay.

Law 4 – The Ritually Impure and Prayer

The Rambam says, now he’s going to go a bit further to talk about what is permitted, we’re now going to say what one doesn’t need to be strict about, right? Until now we said what one does need to be strict about, washing the face, hands and feet. The Rambam says, one must be strict. But what not? The Rambam is going to talk about the ritually impure (temei’im).

The Rambam says, “All the ritually impure wash only their hands like the pure ones and pray”. The ordinary ritually impure don’t need to immerse in order to be able to pray. They need to immerse in order to go into the Temple, but not in order to pray. And they wash their hands just like everyone who prays. “Even though it’s possible for them to immerse and become pure”, even if the ritually impure have already finished their period of impurity, they’ve already counted their clean days, or the time has come when they can already go immerse, “prayer is not prevented”. Prayer is not prevented, one can pray this way.

Innovation: Hand Washing Has Nothing to Do with Ritual Impurity

You also see that hand washing has nothing to do with ritual impurity, it has to do simply with clean hands. So ritual impurity is not relevant for you, it’s not a problem, just take care of the regular purification of hands. The netilat yadayim doesn’t help for ritual impurity, that’s not the subject.

Law 4 (Continued) – Ezra’s Enactment for a Ba’al Keri

But, the Rambam says, “and we have already explained” that there is indeed an enactment to immerse for a certain impurity, for a ba’al keri (one who had a seminal emission), “that Ezra enacted that a ba’al keri alone should not read words of Torah until he immerses”. And this applies regarding Torah study.

He says, “and the court after him added strength” – they added to Ezra’s enactment, a court came after Ezra, who does he mean? Another court? Or another enactment?

“And so they enacted that a ba’al keri alone should not pray, rather a ba’al keri should not pray until he immerses”. That also regarding prayer one shouldn’t do it before immersing.

The Kesef Mishneh’s Question – Who is the “Court After Him”?

The Kesef Mishneh asks, he doesn’t know who did this. He says, in the Gemara it says that we learned that Ezra enacted regarding divrei Torah, divrei Torah means Kriat Shema, that also divrei Torah. But simple prayer is also divrei Torah, everything is composed of verses and…

Speaker 2: Yes, but the Rambam understood something that there were two…

Speaker 1: We don’t know, the Kesef Mishneh doesn’t know how this was.

Speaker 2: Yes, yes, we don’t know when the enactment happened.

Speaker 1: It was first for prayer, for Kriat Shema, afterwards also for prayer. Remember? This was all before they caught on that they didn’t accept the enactment. But I’m saying, it’s very interesting, but the Rambam doesn’t know who the court was. Not the Rambam, the Kesef Mishneh. The Kesef Mishneh, and what he could have said is that once they enacted that one shouldn’t say divrei Torah, a large part of prayer is divrei Torah.

Discussion: Is Prayer “Divrei Torah”?

Speaker 2: That’s what he says, but the Rambam makes it two steps. Ezra made one enactment, how did he even hit upon the steps?

Speaker 1: I’m saying, why is the second step missing? It’s automatic that one already can’t pray. If divrei Torah one can’t say when one is a ba’al keri, then prayer is all composed of divrei Torah. This is what the… this is what the Kesef Mishneh asks.

Speaker 2: The Kesef Mishneh thinks that prayer is included in divrei Torah?

Speaker 1: I’m not so sure, but… let’s say, there are verses, but that doesn’t mean learning. Kriat Shema I can understand, it could be that a person says his conversation in his own language, when it doesn’t have divrei Torah. Let’s say that prayer here means the text of the prayer that one says. The text of the prayer isn’t built… there are many verses, but I don’t know what verses means. It’s not reading in the Torah. Kriat Shema is also reading in the Torah, it’s more like reading in the Torah. It’s also Kriat Shema, but Kriat Shema I can understand a bit.

Speaker 2: What do you mean not reading in the Torah? Regarding what wouldn’t one fulfill?

Speaker 1: Yes, I’ll tell you, it’s different, it’s more like reading in the Torah, but it’s not less than reading in the Torah. But is prayer reading in the Torah? I don’t know, it’s not clear.

The Rambam’s Reason: “So That Torah Scholars Won’t Be Found Constantly”

According to the Rambam, the court that enacted that a ba’al keri should immerse, he says, they think that once they enacted, the enactment shows that ritual purity and impurity are indeed relevant for prayer. He says, no, “but ritual purity and impurity are not relevant to it”. The reason why a ba’al keri must go immerse is not about an issue of ritual purity and impurity, rather, as I said, divrei Torah don’t accept impurity, rather so that… the same thing regarding prayer, prayer doesn’t accept impurity, one only needs to wash the hands, rather so that Torah scholars won’t be found constantly with their wives like roosters, one shouldn’t be so often with their wives, and one shouldn’t be bound to prayer as a ba’al keri alone, that he should have trouble and he’ll need to go immerse, and the same law, when they said that if his impurity is accidental, he should indeed immerse for this.

The Chacham Tzvi’s Question – “Torah Scholars” vs. Everyone

Speaker 2: Yes, the Chacham Tzvi agrees only regarding divrei Torah, that divrei Torah is only for Torah scholars, but prayer everyone prays, even if he’s not a Torah scholar. So it doesn’t fit so well the explanation of “so that Torah scholars won’t be found constantly,” yes? It doesn’t say that no one should be. The enactment was made for Torah scholars.

Speaker 1: Again, prayer, for prayer, for prayer is an enactment for everyone. If there’s a nullification of the enactment regarding prayer, it’s not only an enactment for Torah scholars, it’s an enactment for everyone. Right?

And he asks, he brings that in the Gemara it says there’s a question that there are two reasons: one reason is “so that Torah scholars won’t be found constantly,” and the other reason is because it’s throwing off the yoke and frivolity, right? One must have awe and fear. It could be that the Rambam understood that it’s the same idea. What is the frivolity? This is the frivolity, that one turns to the Jewish women. So this is essentially relevant for everyone, because for everyone this is frivolity. So it doesn’t fit so well for prayer. It doesn’t fit so well.

And who knows who made the enactment? “The custom outside of Judea and the calf.”

Discussion: The Common People and the Enactment

Speaker 2: Again, when Ezra made the enactment “that a ba’al keri should not read divrei Torah,” did he make it for Torah scholars. By default, because who learns Torah?

Speaker 1: You see, Kriat Shema everyone reads, and we’re talking about whether it’s called divrei Torah.

Speaker 2: No, Ezra enacted for Torah students, for Torah scholars, and after the Second Temple they enacted for Torah scholars.

Speaker 1: Again, a common person may read Kriat Shema even as a ba’al keri. What you’re saying doesn’t make sense.

Speaker 2: Yes, the enactment is an enactment for Torah scholars. And he says, as the Gemara says, this is an enactment for Torah scholars.

Speaker 1: What does it mean this is an enactment for Torah scholars? He wanted that Torah scholars shouldn’t be constantly. The common people should fulfill on Rosh Hashanah, they should pray as ba’alei keri…

Speaker 2: No, no, no, it can’t be, it can’t be. Again, again. It can’t be. This is an enactment… for the people?

Speaker 1: Yes, it can’t be. It’s an enactment… it could be that they are collateral damage. Divrei Torah is the main thing that they fought over.

Ezra’s Enactment for Ba’al Keri – Nullification of the Enactment and the Custom of Washing

The Reason for Ezra’s Enactment – So They Won’t Be Found Constantly with Their Wives

As the Gemara says in Berachot, the Torah was only given for Torah scholars. They wanted that Torah scholars shouldn’t be constantly, the common people shouldn’t be constantly with their wives, they should pray as a ba’al keri.

No, no, no, it can’t be. It can’t be. This is an enactment… again, again. It can’t be. This is an enactment for the people? Yes, it can’t be. It could be that they are collateral damage. Divrei Torah is mainly a thing that they were careful about. So such an enactment was made. Eh, the common people can’t even say Kriat Shema. Okay, let them go to the mikveh. One can say it’s not a bad thing. But that’s not the main reason. The intention of the enactment is not this. It can’t be.

Why Prayer is More Stringent Than Kriat Shema

And why prayer? I don’t know. He brings that the Rambam has a time, this is backwards, that they nullified the enactment for Kriat Shema, but not for prayer. That prayer is more stringent, as if prayer needs more to have Ezra’s prayer than Kriat Shema. And this has something to do with the Rambam’s knowledge, that there were two different enactments. It’s not clear. The Torah scholars should ask from their wives, and they should ask from the Almighty what they need.

No, we’re going to see at the end that the Rambam is going to say that in practice the custom is that one does wash for prayer, not for Kriat Shema but for prayer. It seems that this has to do with what they understood that prayer requires even more seriousness, or something like that, than Kriat Shema. Prayer.

Law 5: A Zav Who Had a Seminal Emission and a Niddah Who Expelled Semen

Therefore, so says the Rambam, yes, “therefore they used to say.” Yes, but what does he bring that they used to say at the time of the enactment? I don’t know. Yes? Agreed. Yes?

And therefore they used to say at the time of this enactment that even a zav who had a seminal emission and a niddah who expelled semen during intercourse when she saw niddah need immersion for Kriat Shema, and certainly for prayer because of the keri, even though their impurity is not more severe than the impurity of zav and niddah.

Explanation: Impurity Doesn’t Prevent, Only Keri

Some have wondered like zav, which means a certain condition, there isn’t, let’s go like this. The main enactment was made that a person shouldn’t willingly be constantly with his wife too often. But what happens when a person is a ba’al keri not because he was with his wife? No, no, no, no, no. Where have you seen such a simple explanation?

What it says here is a simple thing. What it says here is that impurity doesn’t prevent prayer. Impurity, exactly, yes, that’s the meaning, he remains impure.

The Immersion is Not for Purification but Because of the Decree

This is not such a simple explanation. This is a very simple explanation. The reason why they shouldn’t come as lepers is not because one didn’t need to be disgusted, one didn’t want to connect with a zav. Not correct, not correct, not correct. That’s not the meaning, that’s not the meaning, that’s not the meaning. These are all people who exerted themselves this way.

Earlier we said that impurity doesn’t prevent, impurity doesn’t interfere. You’re impure you can continue to pray. But there’s one impurity that does interfere, which is keri, you mustn’t be a ba’al keri.

Now, there’s sometimes someone who is already impure with an additional severe impurity, immersion will help him from the impurity of keri, but it won’t help him from the impurity he already had. Exactly.

With all this, since we don’t really want the impurity from the part of keri, because we don’t really care about the purity, you can technically learn the law of keri, which doesn’t help you at all, you can’t go into the study hall, you can’t do anything, you’re still impure from the zav. But our Ezra’s enactment doesn’t care about the laws of ritual purity and impurity, it cares about making an immersion after keri or that you should make an immersion.

Therefore it makes a prohibition even for one who has a seminal emission and he still remains impure or a zav, anyway afterwards going to the mikveh, but before the immersion he must purify himself from the part of keri. Right. And the same law for a zav, so says the Rambam.

Eh, immersion is because he remains impure, eh, immersion is for purification? The immersion is not about that he actually needs to be pure from the impurity, because then it wouldn’t make sense, because even after his immersion he’s still nonsense, he’s still impure from the impurity of keri. But that’s not the impurity of the zav, or right.

The Immersion is Because of the Decree So They Won’t Be Found Constantly

Rather because of the decree, it’s a type of immersion that one makes because of the decree so they won’t come as lepers, it shouldn’t be impure. It’s an external type of thing, a type of decree.

And what the Rambam hinted at here, perhaps he didn’t need to have all the laws of immersion in a mikveh either? Perhaps this isn’t an immersion of a mikveh? Why shouldn’t you have the laws of prayer? But what is one of the laws of prayer? The Rambam doesn’t say, here he doesn’t say this, he doesn’t say keri. No, I know, he says that one shouldn’t delay the prayer.

But who can be impure from the impurities? They made that niddah you should, I mean that keri he considered like an impurity. But he says he must go to the mikveh, what must he do? Okay, there’s the aspect of nine kabin, but it doesn’t say that here. Here it says, the Rambam doesn’t bring, because the Rambam doesn’t bring the enactment at all. He’s going to soon be able to say washing, from the Torah is apparently yes, not necessarily perhaps in the mikveh.

Question: Why is Intercourse During Niddah Different?

But in any case, what he says is, the other thing is that keri for example isn’t really a reason for impurity from the dead. The only intercourse is during niddah, that makes sense. He had intercourse after she was a niddah, she became impure, she remains impure, but incidentally, he made evening prayer, it was also for women. But it’s not about that. Why is it different?

It’s understood this way, no one conducts themselves according to Ezra’s enactment, because it’s also for women. Although one can say with a Torah scholar women are further. It seems that Torah scholar doesn’t necessarily mean a Torah scholar. I don’t know what the explanation is. Perhaps all Jews are Torah scholars in this enactment. Perhaps the wives of Torah scholars, I don’t know.

Nullification of the Enactment of Prayer

In general, the subjects say, the Rambam on this law that one must go to the mikveh for prayer, this enactment of prayer has already been nullified. Again, none of the subjects have… ah, have already learned? And this is also nullified. Why?

Further, as we learned earlier regarding ba’al keri, the Rambam said that Ezra’s enactment was nullified. Also the enactment that was made a generation after Ezra that one should immerse for prayer was nullified. He calls it this enactment of prayer. Right, because the Rambam goes with the Torah… no, he means the enactment of prayer, the thing that there needs to be… just as there is purification of hands, there is purification from keri. The law of purification from keri that exists for prayer, is no longer there.

Because the Rambam learned that there were two courts that had two different enactments. There was an enactment for Torah and an enactment for prayer, and this was also nullified just as it was nullified. The first answer is it didn’t spread, the community didn’t have the strength to uphold it, meaning they didn’t have the strength to go to the mikveh.

Question: Perhaps Among Torah Scholars it Did Spread?

But it could be that for Torah scholars it did become common, it spread, because the reason is so they won’t be found with their wives like Torah scholars. Something, one must say that the Torah scholars style is not necessarily. The Rambam says there specifically Torah scholars. Here I can shout, the Rambam only writes laws for Torah scholars, I mean the laws that were and that will be, it’s all laws for everyone. So, I don’t understand.

Law 6: The Custom of Washing – A Sign So They Won’t Enter the Synagogue When They Are Impure

Okay, the Rambam says but “and from all this” – yes, that’s what I expected – “and from all this”, although essentially Ezra’s main enactment was nullified, the custom is widespread among all Israel our fathers and teachers that a ba’al keri doesn’t pray until he washes his entire body with water, even if there doesn’t need to be immersion, but there is indeed an issue of washing, that he should wash his entire body with water, as a sign so they won’t enter the synagogue when they are impure.

The New Reason: A Sign

That means, now we have a new thing, that it’s not only his hands feet and face that are dirty, but he has additional dirt that he needs to take care of. But not just washing, he must wash his entire body, his entire body with water. He means this, he means to wash, he doesn’t mean just wiping, he must with water. I don’t know, it’s a bit more, we’ll still see.

Laws of Prayer: Purity of Hands, Covering Nakedness, and Purity of the Place of Prayer

This is essentially nine kabin, if you want to think about it, this is the idea of nine kabin. This is the custom, and here he sees a new chiddush (novel insight). Until now we learned that there are two things that one can think about why one must immerse: one, tumah (ritual impurity), tumah is not relevant today, and the decree of Ezra. Now we have a new thing, a sign so that they should not enter the synagogue when they are impure. And this is actually only for prayer, Shema perhaps doesn’t have this law, I don’t know.

The Sign is Only for a Ba’al Keri and Only for Prayer

Yes, we see that the sign so that they should not enter the synagogue when they are impure is only for a ba’al keri (one who had a seminal emission) specifically, and it’s also only for prayer. That means, other people are ready to stand, they don’t need to wash, they’re not dirty.

How does the thing of being ready come in? Being ready is a general thing, this is the action that one prepares oneself. And this is the Piskei Hilchos Neshim, that you shouldn’t be dirty, you should be ready, as if you should look presentable, prepare yourself. Okay, so.

Distinction Between Healthy and Sick

In matters of emission in a healthy person, who is healthy and strong, or a sick person who had relations with his wife, but a sick person who had an emission against his will, does not require washing, and it is not the custom.

For this there is not the custom, because the reason is only “so that they should not be found constantly with their wives.” No, the reason is… wait, the reason here is not. The reason here is “they shall be called holy to the holiness of Israel.” What does it matter that he was sick? The simple meaning is that there simply is no custom. I don’t know.

Question: Is the Washing After Being with a Woman or After the Emission Itself?

It could be that the washing is after being with a woman more than the emission itself, as we see by a sick person who had an emission. And healthy, healthy means healthy who had relations with his wife, or healthy who had an emission? “Or a sick person who had relations with his wife.” How does one translate this? What is the Hebrew translation? I don’t know the Hebrew translation.

Healthy means possibly, yes, healthy… this comes from the Gemara the distinctions essentially. The Rambam said something that it’s a custom, I’m not sure. Healthy means even who had an emission, that’s how they learn it here. A healthy person who had an emission, and all the more so who had relations with his wife.

Why a healthy person who had an emission? Because he is healthy, because usually he is a ba’al (has relations), and he does it always when it comes out. But a sick person who had an emission against his will, it’s actually both things, either he is usually not a ba’al, therefore it’s not relevant to him the… or perhaps simply, a sick person is weaker, one shouldn’t pursue him, I don’t know. Perhaps it’s easier? Perhaps this? I don’t know. What is the distinction of sick? Sick, because it’s harder for him to go to the mikveh, even if it’s not a… but here it’s only a custom.

Custom of Sepharad and Custom of Ashkenaz

Okay. This is what the responsa of the Rashba says. And he says that even this is a custom… ah, the Rambam says that it’s a custom. So this is not the law, the Rambam says that it’s a law, but it’s the custom of Sepharad. This is one of the places where the Rambam brings, there is a custom of Sepharad and a custom of Ashkenaz as it were. He says that “the Jews who are among,” he brings the language of the Geonim, Rambam, “the Jews who are among them do not listen.” I mean that a Ribal (?) they were accustomed to wash.

How, even his hands and feet? Or primarily washing his entire body?

No, no, primarily washing his entire body. They were not particular. In Europe people used to wash less than in Sepharad.

Laws of Prayer: Purity of Hands, Covering Nakedness, and Purity of the Place of Prayer

Continuation: The Decree of Ezra and Washing of Ba’alei Keri — Custom of Sepharad and Custom of Ashkenaz

Speaker 1:

Ah, the Rambam says that it’s a custom, it’s not a law. The Rambam says that it’s not a law, it’s a custom of Sepharad. This is one of the places that the Rambam brings, there is a custom of Sepharad and a custom of Ashkenaz like this, perhaps I’m saying correctly. He says that the Jews among them, he brings the language in the letter of the Rambam, “The Jews among the Ishmaelites are accustomed to wash, the Jews among the uncircumcised were not accustomed to wash”.

Speaker 2:

How, on Purim, Yom Tov and festivals or the washing of the entire body?

Speaker 1:

No, no, the washing of the entire body, the nine kabin of Yom Tov. In Europe people used to wash less than in Sepharad in those lands, in those times. They were not particular, but they were particular that if one had relations one must wash before praying.

Very good. The Rambam says, “And so a zav who had an emission, and a ba’al teshuvah who comes to convert, we do not require him to immerse, and even women who saw niddah and zavah, we do not require them to immerse, only washing alone”. Nevertheless, there is also no custom. That means, only by the decree it was, they also had to wash.

Speaker 2:

Like the washing of the entire body.

Speaker 1:

Here there is not this, only one does only what is practically important, that one should not have any chatzitzah (barrier) so one can pray. This is simple, this is for everyone, this is even the sick person must wash the filth, he should not be smeared, this is a simple thing.

Levels of Purity

There are several levels: there is the simple not being dirty, and there is washing from the simple dirt, and there is washing from the assumed dirt, and there is washing in the manner of immersion in a mikveh. It looks like it’s all levels and layers.

Speaker 2:

The immersion in a mikveh is a thing of cleanliness, it’s more than… immersion in a mikveh is originally essentially it is cleanliness.

Speaker 1:

The Rambam says the reason for keri, but I’m speaking regarding tumah and taharah, it’s not… the Rambam says the laws of immersion, the mikveh, the whole thing. It’s not… true, perhaps that’s the reason, but the idea of it is like a law, it’s a law that tamei is tamei. This is yes.

Chiddush: The Rambam Doesn’t Bring the Measure of Nine Kabin

Okay, let’s learn one more thing. Until here is the first important point.

The Aruch HaShulchan by the way, yes, okay. The Rambam for example, when he brings the law, he doesn’t even say the word nine kabin, because the Rambam understood that one means primarily to wash his entire body. According to the Rambam there is no question at all.

Speaker 2:

If so, nine kabin is a measure in the entire body.

Speaker 1:

This is the Gemara had an inquiry what one must do. This is today’s rabbis who struggle that it must be the faucet eighth. According to the Rambam it’s certainly enough. On the contrary, if it’s good for a shower, perhaps that’s the best way to wash. Right, the other way is a weak action and one doesn’t become clean. I don’t know any other way, but someone thinks differently. This is apparently the… but you see that the Rambam doesn’t bring the measure at all. It’s more a practical thing. The Gemara says a measure that is practical. The Gemara says that it must be by pouring, but this is simple because… simple because if it’s not enough to sit in it, one must pour it out so the thing should become clean. But it’s primarily for cleaning. Okay, this is the… but in practice, I looked it up, even this is not the law, one doesn’t conduct that one must have nine kabin. So the Chassidim who conduct themselves to go to the mikveh, one must ask them what is the intention of their custom. But… I looked it up, actually one doesn’t conduct, not this and not that. There are those who hold it for the… okay, spiritually is another thing, but now we’re speaking of law, yes?

Digression: Chassidim Who Go to the Mikveh Every Day

Perhaps it’s important, one should remind oneself every day that one should be a talmid chacham (Torah scholar). Everyone is a talmid chacham. It doesn’t help, I may not ask you a question, it’s nothing. But everyone goes to the mikveh, which is nullified to the decree of Ezra. But okay, already. Okay. As that tzaddik says? I want to be different in Gehinnom with the… you want to go to the mikveh for years? You want to go… what do you mean Shabbos? You want to go for a shower, yes. Okay, in any case, this is another topic. Now we’re speaking laws of things that prevent immersion.

Law 7: Covering Nakedness

The Rambam’s Language

Speaker 1:

“Covering his nakedness”, says the holy Rambam. The second thing of the four things is “covering his nakedness”. Five things. “Covering his nakedness” is a thing that we already learned in the laws of Shema, in those laws. Only here it seems… another thing. He says here a stringency. “Even though he covered his nakedness in the way that he covers himself for Shema”, you already know, we already learned in the laws of Shema that one must be covered in his nakedness. “That one only needs for prayer”, here is a greater… the covering is another level. There it was “his heart sees his nakedness”, “his friend sees his nakedness”, all things, but here we’re speaking of another thing. “Half of his heart”. In short, to speak in Yiddish, for Shema one only needs to have pants, and for prayer one also needs to have a shirt. Right? Yes. “Half of his heart”. “And if he did not cover his heart, even though his heart does not see his nakedness, since he covered his nakedness he prays and fulfills, but initially he should not do so”. It’s not actually preventing, it’s initially a prevention.

Speaker 2:

But the other things perhaps are not preventing?

Speaker 1:

That means the things that prevent for Shema also, are yes preventing?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

That means so is the law regarding Shema is also… that means first one law we heard, just as it prevents by Shema it prevents by prayer. Only we see here that by prayer there is still another stringency.

Chiddush: Why is Prayer More Stringent Than Shema?

Speaker 2:

Why? If it’s from the Torah one is more particular? There’s an extra law in prayer?

Speaker 1:

He says that it’s yes, he asks, he brings here the holy Rabbeinu Manoach, the Rav Ba’al HaShalman, who is the Rav Ba’al HaShalman?

Speaker 2:

Does anyone know?

Speaker 1:

He asks a question, what do we see that usually Shema is more stringent than prayer, regarding the foundations, from the Torah. He says that the answer is that here is the distinction, that “he should cover his heart”, there is a Gemara that one must cover his heart by prayer. He says the reason is that prayer one must be standing before the King, Shema one is not speaking with the King. That means Shema, with whom does one speak by Shema? You speak to yourself, Shema Yisrael, yes? It’s words of Torah, but it’s not with the King. Prayer must be with the King, therefore there must be, must be, the prayer also, the law from even the custom that he brings from prayer from washing of ba’alei keri, is also only by prayer, not by Shema. Why? Because Shema doesn’t have the preparation properly before the King of Israel. Shema is…

Chiddush: Shema Doesn’t Have the Law of Proper Preparation Before the King of Israel

In other words, the Chassidic Jews who say that one must read Shema only with a hat and coat, it could be it’s a nice thing, but there is no proper preparation before the King of Israel for Shema, only for prayer. And you can know the story, the Lubavitcher Rebbe once met R’ Chaim, he was reading Shema in pajamas, he was very angry. He said that he is opposed to Shema with pajamas. But we see here in the Rambam that by Shema there is no concept at all of proper preparation before the King of Israel, but prayer one must put on a hat and coat, if one is standing before the King. But prayer… you don’t agree with me?

Digression: Time of Shema and Praying Late

Speaker 2:

No, it’s a bit also connected more generally, like the Gemara’s praying was, when one sees the sun, one is still at home, one sees the sun, and one says Shema, and afterwards the rooster crows, when one gets dressed…

Speaker 1:

Ah, when is the time of Shema? When is it possible that an honest rabbi should be so busy that he should not have time to pray? It’s simple that one went to the beis medrash, one said all the prayers, and they put on the garments, when one said all the prayers. Well, but you’re speaking of Shema, which is more… today has come the time of Shema.

Speaker 2:

Yes, one reads for most Chassidim, one reads unfortunately reading Shema earlier, because you pray late, after the time of Shema.

Speaker 1:

This is a strange thing to do.

Speaker 2:

Yes, this is also a strange thing that the Chassidim do. One grabs a Shema.

Speaker 1:

Yes, Shema comes the enactment is that one should say it with the blessings. You want to pray late, and then it’s initially very a strange thing to do. It’s not clear what the meaning of this is. Actually when you read Shema with its blessings it’s not the Shema that you are obligated from the Torah. But initially they set it up this way, that they inserted Shema into prayer. And before they inserted in the order of prayer “fortunate are we who rise early and stay late”. Also for this perhaps.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it’s already an old thing that one makes it that the congregation prays later.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I’m not saying. I’m saying that what we’re learning is more as it were the original law. What one does, one does, is another thing.

Law 8: Purity of the Place of Prayer

Structure: Three Types of Purity

Speaker 1:

Okay, the next of the five things was purity of the place of prayer, that the place where one prays must be clean. Ah, until now all three things are already purity. Yes, purity of hands, purity of covering nakedness, yes, purity of the place of prayer. Three types of purity. One can say it goes more and more “outside”. First hands and your body, then a covering of nakedness that you must put on, then the… one should say that the mind should be clean. This is already back inside. It’s already next, yes. Back inward.

The Rambam’s Language

Purity of the place of prayer, how so? So says the Rambam: “One should not pray in a filthy place, and one should only pray in a nice place”. A place of filth. “And not in a bathhouse”. Ah, we learned a filthy place is the definition that we learned still in Shema. A place where there is excrement or such a thing. “And not in a bathhouse” where one washes, “and not in a bathroom”, “and not in a garbage dump”, “and not in a place that is not presumed to be pure until he checks”, until one checks that the place is clean. Before one prays one must look. The general rule is, any place where one does not read Shema, one does not pray there. The same law is actually. “Just as one distances from excrement from his feet and from behind him, and from seeing nakedness. Ah, the Mishnah Berurah says that the bathroom has a bad smell, and it’s nakedness. The animal in a bathroom is nakedness. and from seeing nakedness. The thing is, the prayer, all the same laws.

Chiddush: What If One Prayed and Afterwards Found Excrement?

What if one prayed and afterwards found that there was excrement there? That it wasn’t a clean place, one didn’t follow the law of checking it.

Speaker 2:

No, one gives him a checking.

Speaker 1:

That means, even… how must one check? One must check the cleanliness of the place of prayer. If it’s a place that is presumed… one doesn’t need to go down, but if it’s a place that is presumed, that there is a concern that there is excrement, then one gives him such a penalty, he returns and prays in a pure place, he must pray again.

Speaker 2:

What does it mean? And is it then a voluntary prayer?

Speaker 1:

No, his prayer was not fulfilled. It’s an abomination. He prayed in a manner that is not… hey, what is the sin?

Speaker 2:

Sin.

Speaker 1:

Very good. No, the Rambam says that it’s an accident, he didn’t have to know. Okay, but you did have to know that you must check. So, the Almighty doesn’t like prayers of sinners. This is the word. Yes, the prayer of the wicked is an abomination, disqualify yourself. Yes, yes. Yes, it’s not a prayer. There is by you, I think. Yes.

Chiddush: What If in the Middle of Praying He Finds Excrement?

Very good. And what is the occurrence in the middle of praying? Tell me that we learned that one must check beforehand. You taught me what happens if one didn’t check. What if in the middle of praying he finds that there is excrement? Yes. If he can distance it in front of him, so that he should not see it, he should distance four cubits. And if he cannot, he should stop.

Speaker 2:

Earlier one also prayed in the middle of talking, in the middle of walking somewhere?

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Earlier we also spoke about one who prays in the middle of walking.

Speaker 1:

The water before, and the water after. True. In tractate Berachos there are many laws. It seems that it was once more a greater occupation, people drove every day a camel, camels. Today also, one drives, one travels. One drives in a car, it’s a bit different.

And the law is, if he can distance it in front of him, that the excrement should not be in front of him four cubits. It’s an interesting language, he should distance behind him, a person should withdraw. He should come out back behind him. He should go until he remains behind him. He should not go always in front of him. He should withdraw. He should withdraw. But it’s not proper conduct that he should pray so.

Speaker 2:

If one lets him should he go let pass through.

Speaker 1:

That means, let’s say he’s praying right against a wall, he can’t go make it should be in the back, he should move to the side.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

And if he can’t do that either, he should stop. He should not pray further. He should wait until…

Laws of Prayer – Purity of Place, Things That Prevent Prayer, and Intention of the Heart

Purity of the Place of Prayer (Continued)

Bad Odor in the Place of Prayer – The Great Sages

He should not go, he should throw himself forward. He throws himself to the ground, but it’s not respectful. He should move further away.

And he cannot pray there if it’s filthy. That means, for example, if he says he has a belt on his hand, he cannot go and put it in the bag, he should move to the side.

But he cannot pray, he must stop. He should not continue praying, he should wait until he comes to a clean place.

Okay, this is the Rambam. This is common to everyone, feces which is truly something disgusting.

There is a stringency, the great sages would not pray in a house where there is beer, a house where there is beer, simply where they make beer, I don’t believe simply where there is beer.

And not in a house where there is muryas and soaking flax, iron that is being processed.

No, he says that the beer can intoxicate, so he brings. Rashi says it has a strong smell. Perhaps in my opinion one can say a place that smells from the… what is it called?

Yes, he can become intoxicated. Intoxicated? Yes, it’s not Torah, it’s his intention. The Rambam says he learns yes that it’s implied that it’s a bad smell. Okay, there’s no difference.

It’s a bad smell even though the place is pure, the place is clean, it’s not like feces where the place itself is not clean, but it’s only a bad smell. Perhaps he means more like purity of place, it’s for institutions. I’m saying these two places are completely invalid, but the great sages said that there’s also a bad smell, which is not the same, but it’s not disgusting. It’s a sharp smell, it takes away the focus. Okay, it’s not impurity, the opposite of pure is impure or filthy.

That means, there are laws of purity of place which we learned from “and your camp shall be holy,” and there are laws of intention. But here this is somewhere in between. You can say that all purity of place is essentially a matter of intention, but it’s all on a slightly different level.

No, it could be one is from honor and one is from intention.

So in short, a place that has a bad smell, the custom is not to pray there. The custom of the great Amoraim, I don’t know who it was, the Gemara brings names, that they didn’t pray in… a place that has a bad smell, I can continue here.

Things That Prevent Prayer

His Body Must Be Clean – Needs His Orifices

Okay, let’s go a bit further. Now there are… ah, this is also… okay, okay, okay, things that disturb him. I actually meant it chases him, it drives him. But there are also things that are a bit not… things that disturb him… it means when his body is not a clean place.

It’s good. Things of the body are things that disturb him… one can say it disturbs him physically. Not disturbs him emotionally. That would be a different level. It disturbs him physically. Yes. Things that prevent prayer, that his body should be clean…

That his body should be clean and he should not pray when he needs his orifices… the prayer is an abomination very harsh, worse than if he didn’t pray, the prayer itself is an abomination. Abomination means extremely disliked.

So one must be careful, that he should relieve himself. But if it’s that he’s talking about such a case, he needs it so badly that he cannot hold himself.

So the prayer indeed he should relieve himself, first he should relieve himself and then complete his needs.

How obligated is he to stand the distance of a parsah can he hold himself, it’s fitting that he doesn’t have such a strong need for his orifices in honor.

But this section at the beginning is very…

Examining Oneself Before Prayer

How no one should pray until he examines himself very well, he should make sure that he has relieved his orifices, and removes his phlegm and mucus should remove what he needs to spit, or whatever physical things that disturb him. Spit or things…

All matters of Torah here.

Anything that disturbs him from this section at the beginning is nothing yet about their clothing.

The Rambam only said that one must cover the… the heart.

Meaning he would have said that he should tie his shoelaces, these can all be things that prevent them. But it doesn’t say that here.

Yawning, Sneezing, Spitting in Prayer

The Rambam says, “And if he yawned and sneezed and sneezed in his prayer,” he made various kinds of sounds that one makes with the mouth, a sneeze, whatever it’s called, or yawned, is this so impolite, simply that he lets himself be heard, whatever his body tells him in the middle of praying, he calls out loud, this is disgraceful, one must restrain the body when praying. “And if a yawn comes to him while he is praying, he should place his hand on his chin.”

“If saliva came to him in his prayer,” he has extra saliva that disturbs him, “he should swallow it in his tallit and in his garment,” he should not spit it out, he should otherwise put it in his tallit and garment, and it’s not a nice thing to spit where one prays.

“And if he is standing simply, he should cover his tallit now his saliva”, then he was permitted to spit a little, it’s apparently honor of people. He may yes, not exactly spit, but he may be exempt yes on the ground, “so that he will not be disturbed in prayer and his heart will be troubled.” That his body should be troubled is worse than that there should be saliva on the place.

Flatulence in Prayer

“If wind came out from below while he is standing in prayer unintentionally,” wind came out from below, “he is silent until the smell dissipates,” he should not pray because his body does disgraceful things, he should wait, and then “he returns to his prayer.”

The Rambam says further, and it says in the Gemara, “If he sought to pass wind from below and it was delayed and he cannot restrain himself,” he cannot hold himself, so “he walks backward four cubits” because it’s not a good smell, and he goes out from the smell.

Yes, but I think it’s not a place, he’s already talking he’s in the beit midrash, that’s one thing. But where he is now, he is now in the middle of prayer, he should go several away, “and waits until the smell dissipates,” he waits until the smell goes away.

Discussion: The Text “Master of the Universe, You Created Us with Orifices”

But I think if he does such a thing, one waits, something not good happened, but one uses it for a moral lesson. The Baal HaIkarim says so, that now he had an opportunity to see his limitations of his body, that he cannot even control himself on such a thing. He says, “Master of the Universe, You created us with orifices and cavities,” he put it together from what sometimes one must release air, and revealed and known before You is our shame and humiliation, it’s a disgusting thing, shame and humiliation from our lives, worms and maggots from our death, and he returns to his place and prays. This is a way how he should use his vulnerability and pray from it.

Rabbeinu Menuach says that this is an answer, that means now, everyone erred in error, and you’re standing in the middle of praying and you want… he doesn’t become guilty when he does something in front of Him. He will be forgiven. The only, basically he says, You made us this way, You made people with all these body parts, what should we do? It’s not my fault. Perhaps there is indeed a fault that I should calculate for Adam, not to eat for Adam and Eve, but he is not obligated.

I think so Asher Yatzar, which has the “and revealed and known before You” which is essentially the thing you’re saying now, you’re saying, it’s disgusting, what should we do? It helps and it fills. We’re ashamed, we are jealous of spirituality for being completely spiritual, yes, those are the angels who don’t have free choice. The angels to whom we say honored and honoring, we’re ashamed the whole time with them. But this makes us that we are in the middle of praying, when we notice that we are a person, we’re ashamed of the angels that we are so plain. True. Because what a person needs to eat, and consequently what he needs to eat, with the eating comes back all kinds of waste and things, and it’s a shame. Yes.

Urine in Prayer

If he was standing in prayer and urine fell on his knees, it’s also the same thing, he waits until it finishes. He cannot, while the body is engaged in disgusting things one cannot pray, he waits until the water finishes, then he returns to the place where he stopped, the place where he was holding in the prayer. But if the interruption from his urine was as long as the time to complete all the prayer, then there is no continuation, that means it’s not that it’s one prayer that he continues, but that means as if the prayer was cut off, then he returns to the beginning, he starts again from the beginning.

Discussion: Contradiction to the Rambam’s Rule by Prayer

Interesting, this… the Rambam says here by prayer that even if he paused long enough to complete it all, he does not return to the beginning. This is perhaps… I don’t know why. Here the Rambam says, yes, perhaps because of not forbidden interruption, it could be that this is also the same thing, the interruption was complete, this was in his prayer a contradiction. Yes, that’s one thing. I don’t see what they say clearly about this, but it could be that this is the explanation. That the Rambam said that if one interrupted in the middle of prayer during the completion, as if one can still continue praying as was the law.

Are you talking about Shema? Perhaps as Shema is different from prayer. Perhaps. And so he brings, that as Shema stops, for every Mishnah. I don’t remember the source, but I remember that’s what it says.

Four Cubits Before and After Prayer

Okay, there’s another thing, and if he urinates, someone is urinating, he waits the time of walking four cubits, one should wait as long as it takes to walk four cubits. And the same thing in reverse. And afterwards he prays. One who was praying, also after praying, one should not urinate in the four cubits. He waits the time of walking four cubits, and afterwards urinates, so that the words of prayer will not depart from his mouth.

Ah, he brings… it’s interesting. One made like a territory, where here is the place, a territory in place. This piece of place. He brings the language of the Yerushalmi, it’s a holy… All four cubits of prayer whisper around his lips, plus the prayer in his mouth. This is what one should make such a wealth for the prayer.

Fine good. This is the source of what this is. He holds in the middle of praying, there’s something a matter.

Intention of the Heart

Another thing. Okay. Have we learned about three types of things that are not honor or not clean: purity of hands, covering nakedness, purity of the place of prayer, things that prevent and disturb, which means physical things that prevent and disturb.

Now we’re going to talk about the spiritual. Finally. Yes. This is the Rambam. Spiritual things, first, intention of the heart.

Every Prayer Without Intention Is Not Prayer

Intention of the heart how? says the holy Rambam. Intention of the heart, one of the five things is intention of the heart. What is this? The Rambam says, every prayer that is without intention, is not prayer. A prayer that is without intention, is not prayer.

It could now… it could be that intention means having in mind the words of the prayer, or praying with an intention… the Rambam will explicitly say what is intention of the heart, he will explicitly say it. But Shema was indeed a bit of a meaning. Okay. And one who prays without intention, returns and prays with intention, must he pray again with intention? The Rambam says, but the Raavad says, ah, remember that all these laws and asking for things one must prepare before praying. So it’s the same thing intention. Matters of preparation. It’s the same thing intention. Intention is a heart, one must… it’s a great proof, intention means… he means “intention” that we pray, not the actual explanation of the words that we pray, because that happens in the middle of praying.

Prayer with Intention: Preparation, Settling the Mind, and Preventing Laws

Law 4 (Continued) – Intention in Prayer and Preparation Before It

But Shema was a bit of a completion. Okay, and if he prayed without intention, he returns and prays with intention. The Rambam says, but all these laws and asking for things must revolve around before praying. It’s as if it’s the same thing, intentions, matters of preparation. It’s the same thing, intentions, intention of the heart.

It’s a great proof that intention doesn’t mean the actual explanation of the words, because that happens already in the middle of praying. The intention means that before praying he must, he will say explicitly, one must be settled.

As “he found his heart ready,” he found that he is ready. “He found his mind confused and his heart troubled,” he must give himself a check. Just as he must check in the beginning regarding his body if it’s ready for praying, he must check in his mind if he is now settled, if he is now in a state where he can pray. “He found his mind confused and his heart troubled, it is forbidden for him to pray until his mind settles.” Not only must one not pray, one may not pray. “Until his mind settles.”

There is a huge leniency from Tosafot which says that one may yes. One must know if one relies on this leniency, but Tosafot permitted. But the Rambam says a simple law that one may not.

Law 4 (Continued) – One Coming from the Road

Further. Therefore, “one coming from the road and he is tired or distressed, it is forbidden for him to pray until his mind settles.” A person comes from a journey and he is exhausted, tired means hungry, or distressed, he is in pain, it is forbidden for him to pray until his mind settles. He may not pray. “The sages said, three days.” How long is he exempt from prayer? Three days after coming from a journey. “Until he rests and the worry departs,” until he calms down and cools his heat, his heated mind, and afterwards he prays.

Very good. In today’s times, a journey doesn’t mean traveling by car. Today it means a journey, traveling to the Land of Israel. Right, by the way, whoever traveled on a real yes, you fly on a plane, it takes a day or two until one comes back to oneself. And how much more so the grandson of a kal vachomer if a person traveled a long journey in his mind, he needs to have a long time to come back.

It’s true, a person is exhausted, he has an exhaustion. He tells you, the matter is talking about… it’s not an extra exemption from coming from a journey. Coming from a journey the sages say he doesn’t have the mind to learn. But a person who is at home and doesn’t have the mind to learn, he doesn’t need to already challenge himself, he needs to settle himself. He cannot say “I’m exhausted,” then one says “exert yourself,” but the next prayer must already be…

Right, very good. So we’re talking about a normal thing, that it’s difficult for three days. He doesn’t need to try, a normal person needs a whole try. It’s simple, because… yes.

Law 4 (Continued) – He Should Clear His Heart from All Thoughts

This is the main premise. Now he will enter to say a bit the preparation. He says so, “this is the language of a bit, and if you know what is intention, you will know what is a bit of preparation.” The holy Rambam says “that he should clear his heart from all thoughts, and see himself as if he is standing before the Divine Presence.” He should empty his heart, his thoughts, his heart, which is the place where thoughts come, “and see himself as if he is standing before the Divine Presence,” he should see himself ready to be busy with the right thing, the prayer which is done before the Divine Presence, and not be busy with other things. It’s an interesting language, he should see himself as if he is standing before the Divine Presence.

The other side is, one is always standing before the Divine Presence, it’s “the whole earth is full of His glory.” But here he sees it, he sees himself as if standing before the Divine Presence. The Divine Presence sees you the whole time, that’s not the problem. The Almighty, “the whole earth is full of His glory,” whatever exactly that means, that’s always true. But to see, that is intention. Intention is an objective, it’s not a thing in the person.

Therefore, not only at the Seder night is there “therefore a person is obligated to see himself,” “a person should see himself as if he is standing before the Divine Presence.”

Law 4 (Continued) – To Settle His Mind

How does one do this? “He needs to settle his mind,” settle with an ayin, settle his mind, settle, settle, he needs to sit down, in order to direct his heart, to prepare the heart, so that he will not be confused, calmly, with tranquility, in supplications, and with focus on the prayers. One needs to be a bit calm. This is the law, even one who conducts himself that prayer is permitted to pray without intention, one does not become exempt from the commandment of sitting down. In general, by the way, even twenty seconds, sit down before the Amidah, even if one prays Mincha, one must sit down for twenty seconds to settle one’s mind.

Interesting, when one sits down the mind becomes settled. When one stands there’s nothing, no? The language “to settle” means in general to settle one’s mind. I think it means literally to sit. There’s a Gemara on this, “anyone who intends to settle.” To settle. One… what is “what a good day”? He says “sitting specifically.” There’s a Rishon who means “he needs to sit two sittings.” One must sit two sittings. Give me a sit. Very good. Give me a sit. Well, what is this? It’s a normal thing.

Law 4 (Continued) – And He Should Not Make His Prayer Like One Carrying a Burden

“And he should not make his prayer,” says the Rambam, and also one must pray, the Rambam says one should pray with slowness and sounds, but “calmly and in supplications.” This is the Rambam’s language. Very good. “And he should not make his prayer like one who was carrying a burden,” like one carrying a load and he wants to finish it already. He wants to already give a throw down, a dump down the prayer. Therefore… I think he means that it shouldn’t be a burden, it shouldn’t be… he shouldn’t try to grab. The Rambam says, “a bit what do we see?”

Halacha 4 (continued) – Sitting a Bit After Prayer

“Therefore one must sit a bit after prayer and only then depart.” Before davening one must sit in order to be calm, and after davening one must sit again to show respect. One doesn’t leave immediately as one stood before, “you shouldn’t diminish the holiness even in the few minutes after davening.” It’s not just respect, I think it’s also the mindset that creates yishuv hada’as (settled mind), that he knows I’m going to daven. It’s finished. Very good.

Halacha 4 (continued) – The Early Pious Ones

Says the Rambam, “The early pious ones would wait an hour before prayer and wait an hour after prayer.” This is the minimum. The early pious ones did more than this. There should be an hour before davening for the yishuv hada’as, and an hour after the prayer, extending in prayer for an hour, and the prayer itself took an hour. Very good. This is the custom of the early pious ones.

Halacha 17 – Drunk and Intoxicated

Very good. Now we’re going to learn more actual halachos that come out of the halacha that one must have kavana (intention), right? Says the Rambam, who doesn’t have kavana? Who can’t we trust that he’ll have kavana? A drunk person. He should not pray because he has no kavana. And if he prayed, his prayer is an abomination. A drunk person cannot, even if he wants to. And if he prayed, his prayer is an abomination. Or does he say his prayer is an abomination also about not davening with kavana? No. Perhaps a drunk person is worse than simply not davening with kavana, because it’s a sin. And if he prayed, his prayer is an abomination. Therefore he must pray again when his wine departs from him. When he… what does “when his wine departs” mean? Wine, yes? “When his wine departs” means he’s already cleared out, when he becomes sober from wine, from his drunkenness.

This is a drunk person. Drunk means someone who has completely lost his mind. But also one who has drunk, someone who is slightly affected, he drank a little, also should not pray. And if he prayed, but if he prayed, his prayer is a prayer. He’s now going to… the Rambam says the difference between the two. What is drunk? Anyone who cannot speak before the king. Someone who wouldn’t be allowed to speak for an important conversation, for speaking before a king, because we don’t trust him. And intoxicated, which is very high, it’s much more than we think. It means quite a high level of sobriety. And intoxicated, he can speak before the king and doesn’t get confused. I mean, but the first one, before the king, is perhaps an exaggeration. Before the king one must prepare. Perhaps he means to say… even if he can speak normally. What doesn’t appear like a drunk person, that’s not a level here at all. And still there is intoxication, there is also some drunkenness, a light drunkenness. But here there isn’t any… even a little. A king means… a king is a fancy example. You can’t speak normally, you can’t… as one should speak with yishuv hada’as.

Intoxicated, he can yes, but even if he can, if there’s a revi’is (quarter log), he should already be stringent not to pray until his wine departs from him. This is what we mean that he’s a bit drunk. Really a revi’is is really… he’ll lick the wine, he’ll drink brandy, who knows what, in fact a question.

Halacha 18 – One Does Not Stand to Pray

Says the Rambam more sections on the topic of kavana, or what comes out of the topic of kavana. Or perhaps there are more criteria that aren’t so general, but these are criteria that are relevant… perhaps these are practical things. How? How should one prepare? Come on, someone told you “pray.”

“And not from laughter” – not from any laughter. “And not from frivolity” – frivolity always means one thing, what does it mean? It means games, it means entertainment. They have a play-mind and a mindset of playing, of play. “And not from conversation” – not from chatting and idle matters. “And not from quarreling, and not from anger, but from words of Torah.”

Before this one learns before davening. Yes, we say Eizehu Mekoman, we say Pesukei D’Zimra. This is like a bit more of words, one precedes the prayer. Yes, this is still part of the kavana. Here you have five more. Ah, you mean “no, no, no, no.” Okay. “And not from legal halachic discussion.”

Another thing, even from learning, one shouldn’t be completely absorbed in Torah study. Which words of Torah are better? Not when one says words of Torah should it be legal halacha. Even when you say words of Torah, your heart shouldn’t be free, not have kavanas halev (intention of the heart). Because then the words of Torah are legal halacha, you have to rule the halacha. And when you say words of Torah from aggada, you can still say Pesukei D’Zimra, you don’t have to think deeply into it. Otherwise he could be the Rambam but without the service. And it will be a whole on the contrary, when it will be a whole… a whole matter. Simple.

Discussion: Prayer and Knowing the Words

Ah, now we can learn another important halacha that comes out. We learned that in a place where there’s no kavana one cannot daven. What if one is in a place of danger and one cannot… in a place of danger there’s a short prayer. He says here that a regular prayer a person can already daven, he was educated from childhood. But there are certain prayers that for kavanas halev he needs to have a siddur in front of him, a machzor. Or he’s well-rehearsed in the prayers. Not a siddur, not a siddur. The Rambam doesn’t say that one may not daven from a siddur. The Rambam doesn’t say that one should daven from a siddur. Okay, I mean to say, but there’s another problem that kavanas halev is lacking, because one cannot be distracted from the prayer. No, but he doesn’t say it’s connected to kavanas halev. If one davens from a siddur it interferes with the kavana, because then he’s occupied with the words.

No, this is the halacha. This is stated in the halacha. We’re talking about the prayer. Then the halacha is that one must know the prayer.

Let’s understand. The reason why the halacha doesn’t let one daven is not because one will make a mistake. The reason is because he can’t put himself into the kavana. If while davening you’re trying to… your focus is to say the right words, it takes away from the focus of the actual davening. Prayer should be…

Prayer in a Place of Danger: The Shortest Prayer (One Blessing) – Halacha 20

Davening from a Siddur – A Digression

Speaker 1: No, but what you’re saying is today, because if davening from a siddur interferes with the kavana, because then it’s written… but there are people for whom davening helps them in their way, because they see the words. But they have full focus on their prayer, not scaring with other people who are davening. I have no complaints. I also daven from a siddur sometimes. I’m just saying what the Rambam says, what it says here.

Prayer is not a problem. Prayer that one davens always, for example, not the prayer, the prayer. Prayer is something a person… he was with… he’s become so familiar with the place I’ve been… he can already, he can already be the thing. But someone who is a singer, or anything, if he hasn’t prepared the words he’s going to sing beforehand, not because he’ll make a mistake, because he needs to be able to focus on the performance, he needs to be able to focus on the… it will come natural, it will come as something regular, not regular prayer of prayer in… regular prayer of chapters.

Halacha 20: Prayer in a Place of Danger – One Blessing

Speaker 1: What if there’s a chance that a person won’t know, and doesn’t know the Musaf prayer of Rosh Chodesh, like the prayer of festivals, which isn’t done so often, he should arrange before the prayer, and then pray, so that he won’t stumble in it. Perhaps he doesn’t mean the kavana, perhaps he does mean such a part of it, makes it so he won’t stumble in it, perhaps yes such kavana, perhaps he means his head shouldn’t be there, because he’ll be completely absorbed in Shemoneh Esrei, not Shalom Aleichem.

Says the Rambam, another thing that can take away the focus, when one is in a place of danger one cannot have intentions in Shemoneh Esrei, or a place of wild beasts and bandits. How will the prayer be? He can’t focus for a long time, because it’s a difficult time. He prays one blessing, and this is it. Ah, this is the shortest short prayer, it’s only one blessing. It’s the short prayer of the short prayer.

The Words of the Blessing

Speaker 1: He says like this: “The needs of Your people Israel are many and their understanding is limited.” They can’t focus, only on the words. One is in a place of wild beasts and bandits. You tell him the words, and as if I don’t have the strength to even figure out what is good. Usually when davening one figures out what is good, one asks for that. He says, I don’t have the strength. Master of the Universe, You know what is good, do it.

A Humorous Interpretation of “And let not enter before You the prayer of wayfarers”

Speaker 1: And it’s interesting, because when a person… returning to the Haggadah we say, from this we see clearly that the Haggadah is weak, because here the main prayer when one is in distress remains only “hear our prayer,” remains only the middle with the needs. And the prayer is prayed while walking, that is, he may pray while walking, permitted to stand in his place.

The same thing, I think, when a person is in a place of beasts and bandits, he becomes the livelihood, yes? The bandits will kidnap him, and the beasts will eat him. He asks the Almighty, give them another livelihood. “In Your great goodness,” find for them something else.

You know, there was a non-Jew who came to the Rebbe for a blessing for his livelihood? Yes, yes, yes. He gives to everyone “may He provide your needs,” isn’t that what the beasts are looking for, yes? You are now their “needs.” Ask the Almighty, “And let not enter before You the prayer of beasts and wayfarers.” Okay, but I think your previous interpretation was a more simple interpretation. And “In Your great goodness” he says simply like a bit of justification of judgment, if I’m the best livelihood… prayer makes fruits, okay, for one minute, yes.

When One Comes to a Safe Place – One Prays Again the Prayer Properly

Speaker 1: When he is saved, he says, this prayer is not like a short prayer that we learned, which one fulfilled, it’s just such a replacement, just such a placeholder. When he is saved, when he comes to a settled place, then he prays again the prayer properly, eighteen blessings.

Discussion: Tefilas HaDerech is a Short Prayer

Speaker 2: It seems, it’s more like such a Tefilas HaDerech like that?

Speaker 1: Very good. So the Rambam has, he brings, I think we learned it once in our shiur, it came out if I remember. That the Rambam doesn’t bring his opinion of Tefilas HaDerech. There is the Rambam’s understanding, a Tefilas HaDerech isn’t simply that if you just need to go on a road you have to make a prayer. But everyone goes to daven, but there on the road, he can’t daven a proper prayer, when the time of prayer comes he makes a short prayer, the short prayer is Tefilas HaDerech he takes.

Yes, others say Tefilas HaDerech because he won’t be able to daven for the next three days, he should at least daven at the beginning of the journey. But here we’re talking about someone who goes, he can still return in peace by the time of prayer when he can go. What is a contradiction between the two halachos, I don’t know.

One must understand, in Tefilas HaDerech that we say and it also ends Blessed are You Hashem, who hears prayer, what comes in exactly here that a person must make a blessing? It’s written like this as a source, Tefilas HaDerech is essentially the prayer that one prays, which is a prayer that when on the road one cannot daven the proper prayer, but here one davens now what one needs most which is protection on the road. So here it includes everything, it’s the request for everything, but it’s a replacement for Shacharis or Mincha or whatever it is the time of prayer.

If this is the secret of Tefilas HaDerech, this is the short prayer. But basically it’s almost just an apology, I cannot, normally a person must be able to have enough understanding to cover all the needs of Your people Israel. But I cannot now, I cannot now cover even the needs of Your people Israel are many, not even the main points, because I’m so stressed, I just ask very generally. Something should be good, something I think one places on him. So indeed, that’s what it’s called. This I have yes, this I have yes, this I have yes. The Almighty is not on the road, He’s not stuck unfortunately. Our Shacharis is weak, I don’t think the Almighty is weak. So indeed the Almighty is weak. And tomorrow we wanted to learn further the difficulties.