“Rebbe, Mit Vos Davent Men”? With what [Hisbonenus] should I Daven? A Chossid asked his Rebbe, sure he would now receive deep explanation in Chassidus.
The Rebbe’s Response?
“Daven Mit Di Verter” – Daven with the words [Pirush Hamilos]”.
***
As we approach the end of this mini-series of Davening, we will discuss the first level of Avodas Hatefilla.
Chassidus discusses the Nefesh Elokis and the Nefesh Habehamis.
Less discussed however, is the Nefesh Hasichlis.
Here we will discuss one element of it.
Nefesh Hasichlis is – like all Nefoshos – an energy.
It is the intellectual energy. Or the energy of intellect.
The Nefesh Hasichlis is not the brain.
Just as we are not our body. Rather we live “in” our boy. So too the brain is only a vessel through which energy gets sent into the body. In reality however the brain is as much Nefesh Hasichils as the hand…
They both are “Keilim” for the Sechel to work.
The Nefesh Habehamis works on impulse. It wants whatever will make it feel good in moment.
The Nefesh Hasichlis on the other hands, wants to understand, wants to grow intellectually, understand deeper, and… it wants to act on in manner that makes sense intellectually.
This Nefesh, this the ability to do what makes sense rather than what we impulsively want, is what a human has over an animal.
***
This past Shabbos, I was walking to Shul with my 7 year old son.
As we approached the “woods”, a five minute stretch of beautiful forest, my son grabbed my hand tighter.
I immediately understood why, but I didn’t say anything.
It was only a minute later, when a large unleashed dog came barrelling towards us playing ‘fetch’ with his owner, that my “brave” son admitted he was scared.
Interestingly, walking right next to this large dog, was a child no older than my own, with no fear at all.
Same dog, same age. Only difference? This child lives with his dog all week, so his mind is programmed that dogs are not scary at all.
My son on the other hand only knows about dogs from what he hears, sees, and senses.
He senses his father’s discomfort, who sensed his father’s discomfort, who sensed… This coupled with the stories about the “scary dogs”… imbues in my chid a fear.
But it’s not rational, my child’s father knows that the dog won’t bite him. So why his discomfort?
The reason is, because the rational, or conscious, mind, did not imprint that knowledge into the subconscious mind. And so the natural feeling of fear is still triggered, despite the maturity and knowledge that it is not scary.
***
The Nefesh Hasichlis has two parts,
- The conscious – where new information is absorbed. [Bina].
- The subconscious – where the knowledge becomes the way we look and feel about something in actuality. [Daas]. (In Nefesh Hasichlis terms, this may be referred to as habit. Habit is the mind getting used to a certain way of doing something/seeing something).
How many things do we know theoretically, that we don’t act upon? Why don’t we do what we know how to do?
What gets us to actually act is the feeling to act,
What causes that feeling is not the knowledge.
What causes that feeling is actually the depth of knowledge made so realistic, that one can feel its effect even without actually having physically seen it.
***
If you recall, we previously discussed that Davening is about perceiving a deeper dimension of reality,
Davening is about moving the knowledge into understanding, and understanding into feeling.
The first, and most basic method for doing that, is repetition.
By saying the same thing every single day.
Every day, say the same thing. Every day discussing the reality of Elokus.
Every day the same thing.
Every day.
Whichever part of Davening it is, say it, hear yourself say it, and repeat it, but most important of all, understand what you are saying.
So for the next two weeks, take on one part of Davening that you will say with Pirush Hamilos. Every Day.
Make it one part, the same part, that you will say every day, be it Ashrei, Ahavas Oilom, or Adoin Oilom, whichever part it is. Just make sure it is the same part.
And you will soon see how merely this one knowledge, repeated every day will move the ‘idea’ from the rational conscious mind, into the emotional subconscious mind.
Do this, and watch your entire feeling and passion change.