<div dir="ltr">RMBerger discussed the relationship of tachanun to t'filla.<div><br></div><div>RYBS discusses this topic in Al HaTshuva,in the Chapter "Tshuva and B"Chira Chofshit",</div><div>pp 244 -249, in the section entitled "The prayer of the public and the prayer of the individual". The concluding passage is as follows:</div>
<div><br></div><div>>>></div><div>There are two forms of prayer according to Chazal. One form is the universal prayer, the prayer of Everyman. All people need food, health; all need forgiveness for their sins; man feels loneliness and turns to the Almighty to redeem him. This prayer is the same for all, great and small alike, as the Rambam puts it "[Chazal instituted a fixed text for the Amidah] so that all people's prayers should be well-formulated, and the prayers of those of poor speech the same as those of fine expression". </div>
<div>In this prayer, one prays with the congregation, and asks for those needs everyone has. This is tfilat ha-amidah, the silent, communal prayer.</div><div><br></div><div>This is another form of prayer, the individualistic one. In this prayer the uniqueness of the</div>
<div>individual is reflected; and this is the supplication (tachanun) *after* prayer. Chazal did not set a fixed text for this form of prayer, since they sought to preserve in this form of prayer the essential independence of the individual supplicant.</div>
<div><br></div><div>These two forms of prayer are a mirror of the wondrous paradox of the human existence. On one hand, each person is like all others, and on the other hand he is unique, lonely, independent, separate from all others. He is like a sefer Torah [discussed above by RYBS.</div>
<div>SM] - all have exactly the same text, but each is in a different handwriting ... </div><div><br></div><div>>>></div><div><br></div><div>The next section of this drasha is titled "Man's uniqueness". Ayen sham.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Saul Mashbaum</div></div>