When I talk to Hashem, I always find myself begging Him to draw me closer to Him and to give me the things I need. Am I being too selfish? Should I rather focus on davening for the geulas Shechinah (redemption of the Divine Presence from Its concealment)?
What a great question!
The posuk in Tehilim says דבר שקרים לא יכון לנגד עיני, One who speaks deceptively will not be established before My eyes. Hashem wants us to talk to Him from our level; He does not want us to force-feed ourselves tefillos that are not coming from our hearts. Hashem would prefer a “lower level” tefillah that comes from the depths of the heart, than a higher level tefillah that is not said with heart.
Another thing we have to have in mind is that each and every neshamah is a part of the Shechinah Hakedoshah, and when beseeching Hashem to have mercy on your neshamah, you are also begging Him to release the Shechinah from its galus!
It is true that tefillos for the Shechinah itself are a higher level tefillah, but to daven for the redemption of the prince or princess is also a great thing!
טוֹב אֲשֶׁר תֶּאֱחֹז בָּזֶה וְגַם מִזֶּה אַל תַּנַּח אֶת יָדֶךָ – It is good that you take hold of this, and from this also do not withdraw your hand (Koheles). Of course we should also daven for the Shechinah, but the main tefillah should be what you feel in your heart!
Whenever davening for anything gashmiyus or ruchniyus, we should try to think that we are asking Hashem to help his dear child, the cheilek Elokai mima’al that resides in us. With this we elevate all our tefillos so that they truly are for the Shechinah, but we don’t run away from ourselves. We are still actually davening for ourselves.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 36.
