During Elul one gets ready for the Days of Judgement (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) with a three-pronged approach: - Teshuva; repenting. - Tefilla; praying. - Tzedaka; giving charity.
In order to pray properly one needs to understand what one is saying.
If one is not fluent in Hebrew, one should get a Siddur and Machzor with an English translation.
One should remember that one is praying to the One Above.
If ones thoughts wander during prayers one should pause and recollect ones thoughts.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 18: 3-4.
Ktiva Vechatima Tova; with wishes for a Happy New Year,
- Danny Wednesday, 3 Elul 5768
R' Micha Berger wrote on September 3:
ReplyDeleteI have classes on the meaning of various tefillos at http://www.aishdas.org/asp/category/audio . My approach was to translate the words, discuss some of the rishonim's comments, and address one or two of the mussar and hashkafah themes that the prayer addresses.