Questions
On the one hand we crown Hashem as king and on the other hand we ask for our personal needs.
What are the 2 opposite ideas we find in the Tefilos of R"H?
How could Eli make such a big mistake and think Chana was drunk?
He thought she was drunk in Tefila because she was asking for personal needs.
How is one supposed to behave during Shemona Esray?
Completely botul to Hashem - remove all distracting thoughts etc...
Why do we blow the Shofar on R"H?
We are crowning Hashem as king?
When do we read the story of Chana?
On day 1 of R"H.
We are supposed to Daven with complete bitul (nullification) yet the 12 middle Brachos are asking for personal needs.
Where do we see 2 opposite ideas in Shemona Esray?
How did Chana prove that what she was asking for was really for Hashem?
She said she would dedicate his life to Hashem.
Why do we think that Shemona Esray should NOT include personal requests?
Because it is the highest of all the tefilos - at a point when one should be standing completely botul to Hashem.
Which Tefila on R"H generally brings about the most Kavana?
U'nisane Tokef
What was Chana davening for?
For a child.
By using the physical things for good purposes.
How do we elevate the sparks in the physical world?
Why does everyone get so excited in Shul during Nesane Tokef?
Because their Neshama wants them to have physical brachos so they can use those things to make this world into a Dira for Hashem.
What are the 2 main ideas in the tefilos of Rosh Hashana?
Crowning Hashem as king and asking for personal needs.
What do we read in Shul on R"H day 1 from the Torah and Haftora?
Torah - Hashem remembers Sara and gives her a child.
Haftora - Tefilas Chana
What did Eli accuse her of and why? (Pshat reason)
Being drunk because she was davening out loud and for a long time.
He is really asking for those things so he can use them to serve Hashem.
When a Jew is standing before Hashem on R"H and asking for physical things what is he really asking for?
When Chana explained to Eli what she was really asking for how did he respond to her?
He gave her a bracha that her tefilos should be answered.
How does the Gemara describe how a person should stand before a king?
Not a single movement. If he moves a hand he is Chayav misa.
What is the tefilla of Unisane Tokef about?
How Hashem is judging us and deciding what kind of year we will have.
What was Eli really "accusing" Chana of?
Focusing on her own personal needs when she was standing before Hashem.
When a Jew is hungry or thirsty his nefesh is making him feel that way so he can elevate that thing to Kedusha.
What's the connection between hunger and thirst and the tiredness of the Nefesh (in the possuk Reavim gam tzemaim nafsham...tisatuf)?
How do we have the story of Chana and Eli inside of us all the time?
Why is it even more important that a person only focuses on Hashem and crowning him as king on R"H than it is all year round?
Because on R"H we are in middle of the coronation.
What does "Shetamlichuni Aleichem" mean and what is the connection to R"H?
That you should make me the king over you. This is what we are doing to Hashem on R"H.
What do we learn from the way Chana davened (chassidus)?
We should ask for our personal needs because they are really coming from our Nefesh.