In Conversation

“How do I improve my kavanah in tefillah?” It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked by my seminary students. We all struggle with this; most of us can find the time to mutter a quick, passionless Shemoneh Esreh, but the real challenge is committing to a daily, emotionally charged tefillah.

Kavanah is what transforms our tefillah from an eisek meis to an eisek chai.

What is our obligation in kavanah for Shemoneh Esreh? Is it an exercise in translating biblical Hebrew? Are we expected to know the meaning of each and every word, the difference between “chus” and “racheim,” or “nisecha” and “nifleosecha”?

The Gemara (Eiruvin 65a) teaches: “Rabi Eliezer says, one who returns from a journey should refrain from tefillah for three days.” Rashi explains that after an exhausting trip one lacks the requisite mental focus for engaging in tefillah.