Middos and Prayer

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    • Michal 2 years ago

      The three steps backwards before the Amidah as a moment of miraculous transformation of ones middos;  meaning how owe measures oneself.  It is the place for one of the highest measurement of self, referred to as “Shefal Ruach”, or lowly spirit.   It is for me the perfect place to address the root of all negative middos, namely arrogance:

       וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה

      “And you say to yourselves, “My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.”[1]

      Taking the three steps backwards, takes me back to the words of Akabyah ben Mahalalel who instructs us to pay attention and,   “Da Mayayin Basah” “know from where you came”  as the first stage to protect oneself from coming to the “hands” of a sin[2].

      I can use this moment as an opportunity to contemplate all the prayers that led me to this moment.[3]  I take the three steps backwards and pause with thought until I am able to really know that my prayers up until this moment was an expression of Hashem Who breathed life into me from His highest dwelling with all His angels just so I can be elevated and attach to Him.   He is only dwelling high with the angels so that he can share that with the humble people on earth.  “To revive  the spirit of the lowly, and to give life to the contrite hearts”.  This explanation of the verse is shared by the Ibn Ezrah, I dwell, to revive the spirit, etc.; or, I dwell in the high and holy place above with the angels in order to give life to those humble people on earth.

      כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֗א שֹׁכֵ֥ן עַד֙ וְקָדֹ֣ושׁ שְׁמֹ֔ו מָרֹ֥ום וְקָדֹ֖ושׁ אֶשְׁכֹּ֑ון וְאֶת־דַּכָּא֙ וּשְׁפַל־ר֔וּחַ לְהַחֲיֹות֙ ר֣וּחַ שְׁפָלִ֔ים וּֽלְהַחֲיֹ֖ות לֵ֥ב נִדְכָּאִֽים

      The three steps backwards before I step forward before My Master, therefore has the potential to being a moment so high of “Vayipach B’apav Nishmas Chayim”, “He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.”[4]

      It was a moment of Prayer of Adam, of being contrite, and “sh’fal ruach” that triggered “He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being”!

      When I really think about it and understand the truth, how Hashem dwells above so that a mortal human being with limitations can be elevated by Him, despite His Supremacy,  it is humbling.  Hashem is demonstrating His humility kavyochal in this beautiful act of Chesed and Tzedakah to us.

      It is only when I have attained this Midah of Sh’fal Ruach that  I can then take my three steps forward and be protected from limiting myself with a limited perspective, also known as arrogance before My Creator chas v’shalom[5].

      What is so amazing to me is that with only this short moment of true thought, I can “become” a new person, a person acquiring this midda of Sh’fal Ruach.   That transformation only happens because  Hashem Kavyachol dwells so High only to elevate us, who are down here  with the gift of eternal life [6].  This is  “Da Mayayin Basah”, knowing  where you have come from.[7]

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Akavia ben Mahalalel says: Keep your eye on three things, and you will not come to sin: Know from where you came: And when you are keeping your eye on where you came from, the thought will cause you to be of a lowly spirit and you will be saved from the trait of arrogance – as it is stated about it (Proverbs 16:5), “Every haughty person is an abomination to the Lord. (Pirkei Avos 3, 1)

      [1] Devarim, 8:17

      [2] עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ (Pirkei Avos, 3:1)

      [4] Genesis, 2:7[5]

      [6] Isaiah 57:15

      [7] Ideas inspired by the explanation of Rabeinu Yonah on Avos, 3:1.

       

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