6045 - Safeguarding the Precision and Sanctity of Prayer

Holy Letters of the Rebbe, Volume 16, letter no. 6,045. Baruch Hashem, the 9th of Shevat, 5718, Brooklyn.

The Rebbe addresses him as “the gaon, Rav Yakov she-yichye Verdiger.” “Shalom u’vrachah.”

“In a timely manner,” the Rebbe writes, “I received the siddur that you published—Siddur Tefilah, Tzlosa d’Avraham (The Prayer of Avraham), Section 1.”

The siddur is adorned with notes and enlightening explanations, and it is also surrounded by sources for the davening—where the prayers and customs come from, and the tradition behind them. It is a newly published siddur with added material: notes, insights, and careful source-references.

The Rebbe writes: “I found in it a great treasure—an otzar balum—of clarifying the various nuschaos of the prayers and matters connected with them.” The Rebbe is clearly excited about the work and describes it as a real treasury relating to tefillah.

The Rebbe adds that tefillah is not just another area of Torah. Our Sages, when speaking about tefillah, say in Gemara Berachos (6b) that these are “matters that stand in the height of the world”—devarim ha’omdim berumo shel olam. From this it is understood—and it is also obvious—how important every detail is.

The Rebbe emphasizes Rashi’s explanation on that Gemara. What does “rumo shel olam” mean? Rashi explains: it “rises upward.” When a person davens, the tefillos ascend above. That itself highlights the importance of precision, and it gives special value to the work you did.

The Rebbe says this is also evident from the early authorities, the earliest Rishonim, who were exact in every aspect of tefillah down to each word. As the Tur brings, they would even weigh and count the number of words in the prayers and blessings. Everything had to be precise and accurate.

The Rebbe continues: it is also known regarding Rabbeinu HaZaken, the author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, that he counted for himself a special zechus that he clarified and established the nusach of tefillah in his siddur. We daven today from the nusach arranged by the Alter Rebbe. Chassidim relate that when he clarified the exact nusach, he had before him sixty different siddurim and combined and refined them, choosing carefully from the various nuschaos until he established the siddur.

The Rebbe then says that the value of providing sources for tefillah is even greater in our time. The Gemara there notes that although tefillah is so lofty, nevertheless bnei adam mezalzelin bahem—people treat these matters lightly. In our generation, which the Rebbe calls “an orphaned generation,” this disregard has increased.

It has reached a point where, too often, a person claims authority and changes the nusach as he wishes—shortens, skips, rearranges—and certainly “fixes” and invents new prayers that our fathers and our fathers’ fathers never imagined.

The Rebbe says this is directly contrary to what we were warned in an explicit verse: “Al tivahel al picha, ve-libcha al yemaher le-hotzi davar lifnei HaElokim…” (Koheles 5:1)—“Do not be hasty with your mouth, and let your heart not rush to utter words before Hashem…” The Rebbe points to Ibn Ezra there, who speaks at length on this point.

The Rebbe adds that Rav Chaim Vital reported in the name of his teacher, the Arizal, that even regarding piyutim and songs, only those were approved “that were instituted according to the way of truth.” But later compositions, authored by those who did not know the path of Kabbalah, often do not understand what they are saying and err in the arrangement of their words, without knowledge. This is cited in Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar 1, at the beginning.

Because the Siddur he authored is so precious and dear to him, the Rebbe writes that he added some notes at the margins.

He expresses the hope that many will bring this siddur into their homes and study it. And most importantly, he hopes it will bring them to the intended goal: to reflect before davening, as we were instructed: “When you daven, know before Whom you are standing.”

The Rebbe cites Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim, beginning of siman 98): a person should think before tefillah about the exaltedness of Hashem and the lowliness of man, and remove bodily pleasures from his heart. This is based on the Mishnah: “Ein omdim le-hispallel ela…”—one does not begin to daven except with seriousness (koved rosh).

The Rebbe emphasizes that the instruction to reflect before tefillah is not a general idea, but a concrete halachic requirement that applies each time one prays. Since tefillah takes place three times a day on weekdays, and four times on Shabbos and Yom Tov (with the addition of Musaf), a person must engage in this reflection on each of these occasions. Before every Amidah, one is required to contemplate the greatness and exaltedness of Hashem (meromemus HaKel) and the lowliness of the human being (shiflus ha’adam), removing all worldly pleasures from the heart. Only through such preparation does the tefillah become fitting to its purpose and truly ascend Above.

Then, the Rebbe concludes, the tefillah will be appropriate to its purpose, and in Rashi’s words—mentioned earlier—it will truly “rise upward.”

The Rebbe concludes: “With honor and with blessing.”

This is an unusually appreciative letter. The Rebbe repeatedly praises the author for the siddur and for the careful work of clarifying and sourcing tefillah. He emphasizes how this will help people prepare properly, and then their davening will truly ascend.

After this, the Rebbe adds a number of notes to the sefer:

1. Tallis Katan and the berachah on tzitzis
   The Rebbe notes a statement early in the sefer (page 14a), where the author writes that one should recite the berachah on tzitzis before putting on the tallis katan.
   
   

The Rebbe explains that halachic rulings—especially in a siddur—must reflect the final practical conclusion, as it applies in reality. In our times, it is very rare for the situation to be as described, because the tallis katan must have the required shiur. If it does not, then a berachah would be berachah levatalah, with all the seriousness that implies.

The Rebbe adds that, unfortunately (ba’avonoseinu harabim), many people’s tallis katan does not have the proper shiur. Therefore, many rely on the berachah on the tallis gadol: when making the berachah on the tallis gadol (“lehisatef ba-tzitzis”), one should have in mind to exempt the tallis katan as well. This approach is relied upon even when the tallis katan does have the shiur.

From this, the Rebbe writes, it follows that those whose tallis katan definitely lacks the shiur—and who also do not wear a tallis gadol (for example, before marriage)—should hear the berachah from someone else who is making a berachah on a tallis gadol and answer Amen. The Rebbe notes that these matters are discussed in the Acharonim on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, siman 8, se’ifim 16–17.

(When I was growing up, in cheder and in class, everyone would make the berachah “asher kidshanu… al mitzvas tzitzis,” as it appears in the siddur. But based on the Rebbe’s point here, a child’s tallis katan often does not have the required shiur. Perhaps for chinuch this may be permitted, but you note that it requires further halachic clarification.)

2. “Four tefachim” / “four tefachim u’mashu”
   In another note (end of the introduction, page 41b), there is a correction  to “four tefachim,” the Rebbe comments on the explanation offered there. He notes that the wording “four tefachim and something” is found in the Siddur HaArizal of R. Shlomo of Rashkov, and also in Pri Etz Chaim and Shaar HaKavanos in the discussion of sukkah measurements (the “pas” of four tefachim).
   
   

The Rebbe also points, by the way, to discussion regarding another measurement question (“se’or kezayis”) and refers the reader to Shaar HaKolel (by R. Avraham Dovid Lavut, the Rebbe’s grandfather) and to responsa literature (Hashev Moshe, in a responsum to the Chasam Sofer).

3. Modeh Ani: “shehechezarta bi nishmasi” vs. “beyadcha afkid ruchi”
   The author questioned the wording: in Modeh Ani we say “shehechezarta bi nishmasi,” but at night we say the pasuk “beyadcha afkid ruchi” (not “nishmasi”).
   
   

The Rebbe answers that “shehechezarta bi nishmasi” fits the wording of the later berachah that ends “ha-machzir neshamos…,” and also fits the pasuk “vayipach be-apav nishmas chayim.” Regarding why we say “afkid ruchi” and not “nafshi” or “nishmasi,” the Rebbe refers to Shaar HaKavanos, Drushei HaLaylah, daf 10.

4. Rosh Chodesh and exceptions regarding fasting
   You note that the Rebbe makes a comment in the end of his siddur (around page 148) regarding exceptions related to fasting and Rosh Chodesh, and the Rebbe adds that one should also include Aleph b’Tishrei—Rosh Hashanah. He refers to Tzofnas Paneach of the Rogatchover (Mahadura Tinyana, p. 142b).
   
   

(Some details are hard to state with certainty, but this is the general direction of the Rebbe’s note.)

5. Work on Rosh Chodesh; haircuts and nails
   You note that the siddur brings the idea of refraining from work on Rosh Chodesh and also cites Tzavaas R. Yehudah HaChassid not to take haircuts or cut nails on Rosh Chodesh.
   
   

The Rebbe comments that this depends on clarifying the reason: is it because of an issur, or because of sakanah? If it is due to danger, then it is not really part of the discussion of issur melachah. You add that the Rebbe also references discussion suggesting limits on haircuts after chatzos in certain contexts, pointing to related sources.

In summary, you emphasize that the Rebbe is very pleased with R. Yaakov Berger’s siddur Tzlosa d’Avraham. The Rebbe praises the careful sourcing and clarification of nusach, warns against careless changes and innovations, and stresses that the real purpose is to lead people to proper preparation before davening, so the tefillah will truly “rise upward.”