Manchester, England
I have heard the following explanation from HaRav Sholom Schwadron, zt"l (from his Rebbe HaRav Elya Lopian, zt"l): There are people who come to pray with their neshomos, and there are people that come to pray with their nefoshos. There are people who come to pray with their ruchos, and Hashem hears their outcries, and then, there are the simple folk, estranged from Hashem and His mitzvos, who pray as if with bodies devoid of neshomos. Yet, as Dovid Hamelech o"h says: Hashem's kindness reaches even these. He listens to the prayers of everyone who comes — Shomei'a Tefillah Odecha kol bossor yovo'u, ki Attoh Shomei'a tefillah.
On a different note, Dovid Hamelech's intention can be explained according to the Medrash Shochar Tov (brought down in sefer Mikdosh Me'at, Tehillim 65): Shomei'a Tefillah Odecha kol bossor yovo'u. The wording of the posuk does not state "kol Odom", but rather "kol Bossor." Our Chachomim derive from this verse that no prayer of a person will be accepted, unless he fashions his heart into a piece of bossor — a flesh-and-blood heart, filling it with thoughts of repentance.
The Medrash Rabbah, Parshas Beshalach (21:4) teaches that the mal'ach appointed over Prayer gathers up all our tefillos everyone has prayed at each of the countless gatherings throughout the generations. He forms them into atoros — headpiece ornaments — and figuratively places them upon the Head of Hakodosh Boruch Hu. This explanation is derived from the terminology "Odecha Yovo'u," Odecha taking on the connotation of "adi" — ornament.
When one studies the above medroshim on a deeper level, one comes to realize that the tefillah most valuable before Hakodosh Boruch Hu is the tefillas kol bossor. The prayers of those people who fashion their hearts into a piece of flesh, filled with repentance, are those that Hakodosh Boruch Hu chooses, and from these are created the ornaments for Him.
Bnei Yisroel pray before Hashem and say: "Shomei'a Tefilloh — You listen to our prayers even though we are not worthy. "Odecha kol Bossor Yovo'u — Your Crown and Your Ornaments are the prayers of the downtrodden and the brokenhearted who pour their hearts out before You in prayer and supplication. These are the tefillos that Hashem favors…
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Zochreinu Lechaim, Melech Chofetz Bachaim
In order to understand this prayer in which we plead with Hashem to remember us for Life — and we reiterate that He inscribe us in the Book of Life — we must first understand what Life really is, and what is the reverse of Life.
In the Selichos of Erev Rosh Hashonoh, we pray: "Chaim devorecha yad'einu Keil gibor veyo'etz', lehidobek beTorosecha osonu lehivo'etz". Mighty G-d, You have shown us life through your Word, and we have come to cleave to your Torah. We affirm that true Life is only when man clings to the Torah, the fulfillment of rotzon Hashem. He climbs higher in his ruchniyus, and that is what Life is all about.
This point is finely explained (sefer Bechor Shor on maseches Rosh Hashonoh 16b) as follows: It is understood that each one of us is composed of a nefesh, ruach, and neshomoh. If the person is righteous, these three components are maintained within him, never leaving him for a moment. Yet, should he sin, he causes the neshomoh, the highest part, to depart. If he sins further, he causes the ruach aspect of him to go away, thereupon leaving him only with the nefesh. By comparison, he is then likened to animals, and this is what death is all about.
We know that there are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah, and each member of Klal Yisroel is tangibly connected with one of those letters. The Yisroel lives by it, his name being intertwined with that letter. Symbolically, each person's letter is inscribed in the Heavenly Sefer Torah, its vowels and crowns representing that individual's nefesh, ruach, and neshomoh. If things come to pass and it is decreed upon an individual that his neshomoh must leave him, then that person's vowels are erased from the Heavenly Sefer Torah. If it is decreed that his ruach must leave him, then the crown of his letter is erased as well. Finally, if it is decreed that the person must die completely, his soul to abandon his body, then everything — the entire letter — is erased from the Sefer Torah upon High.
This is the meaning of the tefillah "Zochreinu Lechayim." May we be permitted to live in This World, and our years not be chopped off before our time, chas vesholom. "Kosveinu Besefer HaChaim" — O Hashem, allow that letter in the Sefer Torah which is intertwined with our neshomos, to remain written in Your Sefer Torah upon High. This so that all our days be filled with Torah and mitzvos, fulfilling the Rotzon Hashem.
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Be'ein Meilitz Yosher Mul Maggid Pesha
I saw a beautiful peirush from HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlit"a based on the Talmudic phrase (Sanhedrin 17b): "Rabbi Kahana said, `If all of the Sanhedrin condemn an offender, he is pardoned.'" We ask Hakodosh Boruch Hu to conduct His Heavenly Kingdom in similar fashion as the Earthly Sanhedrin. When there is not a single Defender to stand up against the Accuser, and Heaven forbid, the entire Heavenly Tribunal has condemned us in unison, O Hashem! Consider us righteous in Justice, O King of Justice. Conduct your Judgment in the same manner as the Holy Torah, that in an instance when all agree to condemn the accused, he is pardoned instead.
According to the Chofetz Chaim, (Shemiras Haloshon, Sha'ar HaTorah, Chapter 2, from Zohar, Parshas Vayeishev), we can explain this phrase on a different note: Rabbi Yehuda said, "Toras Hashem temimah, meshivas nofesh." How important it is for people to toil in limud haTorah! Whoever toils in limud haTorah will merit Life in This World, and in the World to Come. Thus, he will merit the best of both worlds. Even one who studies with ulterior motives will merit great reward in This World, and in the World to Come. So great is the power of limud haTorah.
This explanation is alluded to by Dovid Hamelech in Tehillim (119): "For Your statutes we have stood up today, as all are Your servants. If not for Your Torah, my fondest, I would have been lost in my sorrows." The Zohar elucidates this point by writing that the Day we have stood up for Your statutes is the Day of Rosh Hashonoh. Were it not for our fondest treasure — the Torah — and our merits of limud haTorah, we would have, Heaven Forbid, been lost in sorrow on this awesome Day of Judgment (as we would have been found guilty).
We plead with Hashem Yisborach: If there is no Defender to stand up against the Accuser, as we have already reached the point of no defense, all our good deeds and mitzvos were performed without proper intentions, devoid of lofty motives! You, O Hashem "Taggid leYaakov devar chok umishpot!" Tell the Children of Yaakov the Word of Law and Judgment"; You, Hakodosh Boruch Hu Yourself, repeat the words of Torah Law and Judgment which we have learned and studied over and over. May it be in this merit — of limud haTorah — that You defend us in Your Judgment, O King of Justice.
The above article appeared in the Tishrei, 5758 edition of the bi-annual Kol Hatorah journal. It has been translated with permission.
