The Power of Prayer and Tehillim
An excerpt from Rabbanit Ruth Tzivion's book “Mother's Home,” about her mother, Rabbanit Batsheva Esther Kanievsky, of blessed memory, and the power of prayer and Tehillim.
On prayer
Articles, recipes, prayers and stories about family, motherhood and Jewish traditions.
The Prayer of the Doomed
“And when they had brought them outside, (one of them) said: Escape for your life, do not look back, and do not stop anywhere in the surrounding area; escape to the mountain, lest you perish. But Lot…
On the “Shemoneh Esrei” Prayer - An Explanation of the “Modim” and “Sim Shalom” Blessings
The blessing מודים אנחנו לך – “We acknowledge and thank You” Here one should praise the Almighty for His miracles, because the person for whom a miracle is performed does not realize that it is a mir…
On the "Shemoneh Esrei" prayer - The blessings for Jerusalem
The blessings “And to Jerusalem, Your city” and “The sprout of David, Your servant” There is no need to speak at length about these blessings—about the need to shed an uninterrupted stream of tears,…
On the “Shemoneh Esrei” prayer - an explanation of the middle blessings
The blessing ראה בענינו – “Look upon our afflictions” Here one should pray for Israel’s redemption. But one should not have in mind the notion that we will then be princes and nobles on earth and all…
On the “Shemoneh Esrei” Prayer - An Explanation of the Blessings
As we prepare for prayer, we must know well how to make it pleasing to the Almighty, and this applies especially to the “Shemoneh Esrei” prayer. I do not intend to discuss here the meaning of the sma…
What Kind of Prayer Is Accepted?
The book “Sha'arei HaAvodah,” attributed to Rabbeinu Yonah, states: “The prayer of someone who prays with tears is accepted, because the gates of tears have not been locked. Tears correspond to the w…
The Power of Prayer - In Your Own Place
And Yet Prayer Is Stronger... When the prophet Elijah brought a drought upon Israel during Ahab's reign (because of their idolatry), upon the Northern Kingdom where ten tribes lived, there was no rai…
The Power of Prayer - An Overwhelming Effort or a Small One?
It Is Not Your Task to Finish the Work “It is not your task to finish the work, but neither are you free to withdraw from it” (Pirkei Avot, 2:16). Whose task is it to finish the work, then? King Davi…