Published by Targum Press (Price: $21.95).
As a tefilloh teacher at seminaries here in
Yerushalayim, I have found that there is a dismal and
sometimes pathetic attitude toward tefilloh. By and
large, there are many young women, coming from the best of
homes, who just go through the motions of tefilloh.
They have little concept of what true kavonoh is,
and their motivation to understand how through tefilloh
one can develop a relationship with Hashem is low.
Davening has become a burden for them. It pains me to
note how many frum girls have given up davening
altogether. In a generation that so desperately needs the
power of tefilloh, we seem to be unable to inspire the
next generation to be effective daveners.
Rabbi Menachem Nissel, with his new book Rigshei Lev
on women and tefilloh, has done a great service for
the women of Klal Yisrael. Rabbi Nissel has been a
master teacher of tefilloh in many Jerusalem
seminaries for many years and knows this worrisome situation
inside and out. He has been out there on the front lines
teaching students how to daven, and he has
successfully developed a complete derech for teaching
how to make prayer meaningful. (He also lectures in Ohr
Somayach Yeshiva.)
Now, we can access his classes through his book. In a style
that speaks directly to us, it can truly facilitate putting
the regesh back into our lev.
Rabbi Nissel has the gift of an eloquent pen. In the
hashkofo part of the sefer entitled
"Perspectives," he creates a beautiful tapestry where the
ideas interlace one into the other giving us deep insight
and meaning into what tefilloh really is. Every point
he makes he backs with thorough mar'ei mekomos.
He begins by bringing out the crucial point that all of the
difficulties and trauma that we face in our lives are
nothing more than a means to attain a relationship with
Hashem. tefilloh is thus the vehicle whose ultimate
purpose is to maneuver us closer to Him. He continues with a
discussion of male-female roles and relationships -- and
concludes with an extraordinary insight that the power of
tefilloh is intrinsically female. It follows that
tefilloh is a vital and essential part of a woman's
essence.
Many women will be pleased to know that the book includes an
in-depth analysis of why so many women suffer from
childlessness. Their anguish is part of a long chain of
suffering that goes back to the Imahos and in
particular Chana, which ultimately is connected to a woman's
most basic need: to create life.
Rabbi Nissel moves on with description of how a women's
connection with tefilloh is in turn the driving force
that will bring the Geula. He uncloaks a fascinating
insight into our current troubles with the children of
Yishmoel by demonstrating that they too have an immensely
powerful koach hatefilloh. Consequently, utilizing our
koach hatefilloh to its fullest strength is perhaps
the most meaningful antidote to our present problems.
In particular, I was moved to tears when reading the
concluding hashkofoh chapter, where the author relates
in the most poignant and dramatic of ways the scene of
Esther entering the palace of Achashverosh. It is really a
stunning piece. Let me share with you the flavor of this
section:
She was on her third day of fasting. She removed her
sackcloth and ashes and donned royal clothing -- perhaps her
beautiful attire would help hide her gaunt features after
not having eaten for so long. She set out towards the royal
palace, comforted that the Shechinoh was escorting
her, yet with constant prayer on her lips. As she approached
the courtyard of the palace she focused all her energies on
her tefillos. Her fate, and the fate of every man,
woman, and child in Klal Yisroel, and the fate of all
of Jewish history, were on her shoulders. Her big moment had
arrived.
She entered the palace. Disaster struck. For Esther, no
greater catastrophe could possibly have occurred. The
Shechinoh, unable to remain inside an impure palace
filled with idols, left her. Suddenly she felt totally
alone. There she was, a frail and fragile woman, who had
never enjoyed parents or children, with no friends to
support her, utterly alone in the most hostile environment
on earth, at the most critical moment in her life. And in
her moment of greatest need, Hashem had abandoned her.
"Keli, Keli, lomoh azavtoni! -- My G-d! My G-d! Why
have You forsaken me!" She burst out crying. She cried and
she davened, and she cried and she davened,
until her whole body became an ocean of tefilloh
and tears.
The Halachah section is very well organized. It is user
friendly, clear and concise. To help the reader navigate
through it with ease, there is an introductory chapter that
explains that there are basically four categories of
Halachos delineated. The first is that of the "default"
posek -- the rulings of HaRav Chaim Pinchas
Scheinberg. This is followed by the "some poskim say"
where the opinions of contemporary halachic authorities such
as HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l, HaRav Moshe
Feinstein zt"l, and yblt"a HaRav Yosef Shalom
Eliashiv, HaRav Efraim Greenblatt, HaRav Moshe Halberstam,
and HaRav Moshe Shternbuch are presented.
A third category contains extensive Hebrew footnotes
intended for advanced scholars that include many of the
svoros behind the rulings. Finally, there are two
chapters with specific minhagim and halachos for those
who follow nusach Eidot Hamizrach or nusach Sefard-
Chasidi. Through his exquisite and precise arrangement of
Halachah that age-old question of "If there is more than one
opinion, what should I do?" dissipates, for we can know
exactly what to do.
HaRav Efraim Greenblatt, in his approbation to the sefer,
makes an interesting observation: "What is distinct and
exceptional about this sefer is that many issues were
brought before the great halachic leaders of our generation,
and their insights that are included in this work do not
appear anywhere else in print. The author presents these
opinions with skill and wisdom so that they are easily
accessible. This book is thus totally unique."
The book concludes with some special tefillos (some
that have been written specially for the sefer) for
shidduchim, fertility, children, and to daven
for those who strayed from the path of Torah. In addition
there is an important and powerful essay from HaRav Aaron
Feldman who presents authentic daas Torah on the issue
of women's prayer groups.
This is not just another halachah sefer, it is a
clear, wonderfully written and articulate book that truly
closes the gap of what we can accomplish in our relationship
with Hashem. It can help us to better utilize the powerful
tool of tefilloh that we as women have in our hands.
Highly recommended!
Mrs. Chana Silver is a teacher at several Jerusalem
seminaries. She is a crisis counselor and has written many
articles on issues concerning young Jewish women.
