[Avodah] Tea before Shacharis

[Elazar M. Teitz]

<<I think it's a pretty safe bet that RSZA said Birkas HaTorah prior to Tehillim, and if so, then V'haarev Na is *not* enough.
I wonder why? What do those psukim have that v'haarev lacks? Could it be that davening for ruchniyus does not meet the definition of bakasha? I don't know...>>

<Perhaps the whole point of tefillah before akhillah is that one ask for siyata diShmayah for one's physical needs befrore trying to address them oneself? In which case, it would make sense that the baqashah must be closer to the subject of food than birkhas haTorah.>
 
     The reason V'ha'arev does not suffice is that the source is the g'mara's statement that " 'Lo so'chlu al hadam' -- lo soch'lu kodem shetispal'lu al dimchem."  Obviously, then, it must be a t'filla for the physical.

     Thus the pasuk in T'hillim 30 that is relevant is not "Mah betza," but "Sh'ma Hashem v'choneini, Hashem heyei ozeir li."

EMT