Shacharis > Psukei D’zimra > _Hallelukah
Every word of davening we utter and every mitzvah we perform creates a new spiritual reality, with the power to effect massive change in the world. But what happens to our tefillos once they leave our mouths? Where do they “go?”
The Tzadikim teach that tefillos embark on a spiritual journey, ascending through higher and higher realms, drawing closer to Hashem’s throne of glory. However, this ascent is not automatic—nor is it without obstacles. The path is fraught with challenges, as spiritual barriers seek to block the tefillos from reaching their destination.
Of course, we do not see any of this with our physical eyes. Tefillos create spiritual entities that travel through spiritual realms, encountering spiritual obstructions along the way. The idea of unseen realities is not foreign to us. Look under a microscope, and an entire universe of life appears where the naked eye once saw nothing. Ask a child what fills the air, and they may say “nothing,” yet the fact is that the atmosphere is a complex blend of gases, each playing a crucial role in sustaining life. Just as the physical world contains hidden layers of existence, so does the spiritual.
The Baal Shem Tov once approached a Beis Medrash but stopped at the doorway, refusing to enter. When asked why, he explained that the room was packed, filled to the brim with Torah and tefillah. His Chassidim were bewildered. Shouldn’t that be more reason he would want to enter it?!
The Baal Shem Tov clarified that this was no compliment. Torah and tefillah are meant to ascend to Shamayim, not remain suspended in the physical world. A Beis Medrash should ideally be devoid of Torah and tefillah, because everything uttered within it should already be soaring heavenward.
But what gives our tefillos and mitzvos the “wings” they need to rise? The answer lies in the way we do them. When mitzvos and tefillos are infused with sincerity, love, and awe—b’dichilu u’richimu—they become a true expression of the neshamah clinging to its Source. This connection fuels their ascent, ensuring they reach their intended destination.
A mitzvah or tefillah without love and awe is like an unplugged electrical appliance. No matter how perfectly it is built or how well it is positioned, without being connected to a power source, it simply will not work. But when a mitzvah or prayer is infused with heart, it is like plugging in the appliance – it comes alive with energy, gaining the power it needs to function and ascend. This spiritual “electricity” is what propels tefillos past the barriers that seek to hold them back.
The Sharei Orah teaches that from the Earth to the Heavens, no space is empty. The entire expanse is filled with spiritual entities—some pure, compassionate, and life-giving, while others are forces of impurity that seek to block and damage. When a Yid davens, his tefillos must traverse this space, much like a traveler passing through a perilous road teeming with wild animals and thieves.
{Second call-out: From the earth to the Heavens, there is no empty space!
Dovid Hamelech, understanding these dangers, established zemiros in Tehillim. When a Yid uses these zemiros properly, they serve as protection, shielding his tefillos so that the klipos—the forces of obstruction—cannot harm them.
When we daven our tefillos do not merely disappear into the air. They embark on a journey, powered by the intention and sincerity with which they were davened. The Tehillim we say in P’sukei D’zimra, and the Hallelukah’s we will explore next, are the tools that Dovid Hamelech provided to help us bypass all the klipos that seek to prevent our teffilos from reaching the Heavenly throne.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 29.