Shemone Esrei 2 - Commencing the Audience
(Sources: Sifsei Chaim Beur Tefillas Shemone Esrei,Midos veAvodas Hashem, Tefilla Vaad Beis, Rav Schwab, Iyun Tefilla, Shemone Esrei, Nesiv Bina)
In our last article, we described Shemoneh Esrei as an awe-inspiring encounter — a private audience with the Melech Malchei HaMelachim, the King of Kings, that has another profound dimension- “Mechilas Kvodo”. It can be construed as “beneath Hashem’s dignity” that we stand before Him day after day, three times a day, listing our personal requests. After all, would we approach a human king so often to discuss our health, our livelihood, or our daily frustrations? Yet Hashem, in His infinite love, does exactly the opposite of what we might expect. He invites it. More than that — He wants it. This is because there’s something Hashem values even more than His own honor: our relationship with Him. Hashem is “mochel al kevodo,” setting aside His royal dignity, so that we can approach Him freely, openly, and personally.
Hashem asks us to check in daily, to express our needs and concerns to live the most basic elements of our lives with Him-not apart from Him.
With these ideas in mind, we can now begin to explore the text of Shemoneh Esrei itself — starting with its opening words:
“Hashem, sefatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilasecha.”
“Hashem, open my lips, and let my mouth declare Your praise.”
When a person prepares to speak, he first organizes his thoughts, turning over in his mind the many ways they might be expressed. Yet no matter how much planning he does, it is only through Hashem’s kindness that the right words are ultimately used and that the message is successfully conveyed. Therefore, through this sentence we ask Hashem to enable us to articulate our thoughts successfully to succeed in tefila. ( Nesiv Bina Vol. 1 Chelek 4, p. 301-302, based on Mishlei 16:1)
- Rav Shimon Schwab explains that this short verse parallels the three stages of the korban olah — the burnt offering that was brought each morning and afternoon in the Beis HaMikdash:Hefshet – Skinning the animal
- Nituach – Dividing it into parts
- Kalil la’eshim – Burning it completely on the altar
Each of these steps, Rav Schwab teaches, corresponds to a stage in preparing ourselves for tefillah.
1. Hefshet – Removing the Outer Layer
Before we begin to daven, we must symbolically “peel away” the outer layer of our physical selves — just as the korban was skinned before being offered.
We live in a world that glorifies appearance. Hollywood, advertising, and social media invest billions to make us believe that we are to be defined by the way we look. In truth this is not our real self. The image we see in the mirror — our body, our clothing, our presentation is merely the container that holds our essence: our neshamah.
A computer provides a parable. The bright, user-friendly screen is what we see, but the real essence of the computer is deep inside — in the hidden code and circuits that power everything. Similarly, tefillah calls us to turn away from the surface view of who we are and connect to the soul within.
That’s why we begin with “Hashem, sefatai tiftach” — asking Hashem to open our physical lips, because our goal is to transcend the physical and let our inner self, our neshamah, speak instead.
2. Nituach – A Humble Breakdown
A “1 on 1 audience” with HaKadosh Boruch Hu requires humility. – symbolized by nituach — cutting the animal into parts in the korbon ola.
Even the most charitable view of ourselves reminds us that we often fall short of Hashem’s expectations. But this humility is not self-degrading; it’s grounding. It puts us in the right mindset — honest, real, and ready to speak before the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.
We therefore state ufi yagid tehilasecha- “Although my mouth is unworthy, please permit me to speak your praises.”
3. Kalil La’eshim – Total Devotion
The olah was “kalil la’eshim”, completely burned on the altar. This represents the fiery inspiration that should accompany our tefillah.
One is to balance the aforementioned feelings of humility with fiery enthusiasm. It is exhilarating to deliver oneself to Hashem in a private, personal audience, and connect to Him through the words of the neviim and chachamim as a member of Klal Yisrael.
Rabbi Daniel Rubin