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item, '<a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/waiting-prayer">Waiting before
Prayer</a>'<br />
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<p class="he" dir="rtl" data-reactid="136">כמה ישהה בין תפלה
לתפלה? רב הונא ורב חסדא. חד אמר: כדי שתתחונן
דעתו עליו. וחד אמר: כדי שתתחולל דעתו עליו.</p>
<p class="en" data-reactid="137">[Minimally,] how long must one way from [one]
prayer to [another] prayer?<br />
Rav Huna and Rav Chisda [both spoke on the subject, but we lost the record of
who said which].<br />
One said: long enough that one would be able to get into a pleading
[<em>tischonein</em>] mindset.<br />
One said: long enough that one would be able to clear [<em>tischoleil</em>]
their mind.</p>
<p dir="rtl" data-reactid="137">מאן דאמר “כדי שתתחונן
דעתו עליו.” דכתיב “ואתחנן אל ה'”.
ומאן דאמר כדי שתתחולל דעתו עליו דכתיב (שמות
לב:יא) “ויחל משה”.</p>
<p dir="ltr" data-reactid="137">The one who said, “to get into a
pleading [<em>tischonein</em>] mindset”, as it is written, “And I
pleaded [<em>va’eschanan</em>] to Hashem.” (Devarim 3:23)<br />
The one who said, “to clear [<em>tischoleil</em>] their mind”, as
it is written, “And Moshe appealed [<em>vayichal</em>].” (Shemos
32:11)</p>
<p class="en" style="padding-left: 210px;" data-reactid="137"><em>-Berakhos
30b</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p data-reactid="137">Although the second source text isn’t exact.
“ויחל” has the root \חלה\, to begin.
“תתחולל” is from \חלל\, emptiness.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">
<p data-reactid="137">This <em>gemara</em> struck me as paralleling something
I was once told about there being two approaches to meditation.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">One is to keep the mind focused on a single thought.
Like Moshe, focused on trying to lead the Jews into Israel, praying
“<em>va’eschanan</em>“.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">The other approach to meditation is to clear the mind,
<em>tischoleil</em>, to make oneself empty. Going back one step before
<em>va’eschanan</em>, to the תחילה, the beginning.<em><br />
</em></p>
<p data-reactid="137">How does one <em>daven</em>? Sometimes we bring our
needs to the <em>siddur</em>, interpreting its praises and requests based on
where we are in life. Other times we avoid all preconception, and listen to
what the <em>siddur </em>is telling us to say.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">
<hr />
<p data-reactid="137">So much for the epiphany I wanted to share, now
“just” understanding the <em>gemara </em>itself.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">1- Apparently in the text the Ritva had, Rav Huna is
identified as stating the first opinion, and Rav Chisda, the second.</p>
<p class="en" data-reactid="137">2- Rashi provides us with context. In a
situation where one has to say the Shemoneh Esrei twice, for example, if one
erred and needs to repeat Shemoneh Esrei, or for Shacharis and then for
Mussaf, how rapidly in succession may the second one begin?</p>
<p data-reactid="137">3- The Rashba and the Ritva point to the parallel
<em>gemara</em> in the Yerushalmi (Vilna ed. 28a) that says one must wait the
time it takes to walk 4 <em>amos</em>.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">4- Rashi, the Ritva and the Shitah Mequbetzes all say
there is no real dispute in the <em>gemara</em>, the difference is one of
terminology. I took this to mean that pragmatically, waiting long enough to
get one’s requests in order for the second <em>tefillah</em> and long
enough to clear one’s mind are the same length of time. Especially since
this is how long one has to wait, and actually succeeding in reaching the
right mental state is secondary. And presumably, this length of time is the
time it takes to walk 4 <em>amos</em>.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">5- And in fact, the Shulchan Arukh (105:1) rules,
“One should wait the time it takes to walk four amos, so that their mind
will be settled enough to pray in a language of <em>techinah</em>.” (The
Tur ad loc says “4 <em>amos</em>“, but doesn’t give more
detail.) In the context of having to repeat a prayer after an error, the
Rambam (Tefillah 10:1) quotes the first opinion,
“<em>tischonein</em>“, verbatim.</p>
<p data-reactid="137">It is interesting that neither refer to
<em>tischoleil</em>. Make of the Rambam and Mechabeir siding with
<em>tischonein </em>what you will.</p>
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