I am sending you my notes that I used to for the class.

The notes contain more detail then

I was able to give over in the one hour time slot but I thought that it would be beneficial
as a review or for those of you who were unable to attend.
If you have any questions, comments or queries please do not hesitate to call me or to you
may email me questions that you may have. Please contact me at 416-829-1761 or by
email at torontojs@rogers.com I am in the process of getting the classes on line so that
you can review or listen to classes you missed.

Power of Prayer
According to the Gemarah tractate Taanit 2a, Tefillah is a Mitzvah Doreita (Biblical
command): "You shall serve God with your whole heart Devarim- What service is
performed with the heart? This is Tefillah".
The power of Teffilah is so great it can even change nature, save people from life
threatening dangers, and abolish a bad decree that was declared upon a person.
The Tefiilot are therefore referred to as Avodah sheba-Lev (service from in the heart).
Rambam, Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (1135-Cordoba, Spain 1204 Fostat, Egypt,) was a
Rabbi, physician, philosopher, during the Middle Ages. It is said of Rambam From
Moshe Rabbeinu to Moshe (Rambam ) there was none like Moshe.
In his premier work Mishnei Torah: Laws of Prayer 1:1) likewise categorizes tefillah as a
mitzvah min Hatorah, a mitzvah doreita (a Biblical command), but states that the
number of teffilot or their times are not. A women is not obligated in Mitzvot that are
time bound, however, she is obligated to daven at minimum once a day. It is best that she
daven Shacharit. This statement is relied upon by the authorities that hold that women,
while being required to daven , only need to daven once a day (preferably in the
morning), though they can, if they wish, they can daven all three daily tefillot prayers.
Some Halachik authorities disagree and suggest that tefillah is mitzvah Drabbanan, a
mitzvah instituted by the Rabbis.
All agree, however, that the text of, and the specific times designated for teffilah were
established by the Chachamim of the Anshei Kenesset Hagedolah The Men of the Great
Assembly- A body of one hundred twenty sages and prophets who lived during the time
of the Second Beit Hamikdash.
The Anshei Knesset Hagedolah set up the Seder Tefillah, (the order of tefillah), Dinei
Venusach Hatifillah, (the laws and text of tefillot), Kaddish, Barchu, Kedushah,
Shemonah Esrei, Tefillah BTzibur, the communal tefillah, Berachot, Blessings, Kiddush
and Havdalah.
What we say during our tefillot is not as important as what we think during them. This
idea is implied itself in the word teffilah itself. The Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Yehuda
Loew Ben Betzalel (1512-1609) writes in his sefer Beer Hagolah p. 52

The word tefillah comes from the word pllail which Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchak
1040-1105) explains means thought, because teffillah requires Kavanah (concentration)
and thought. (There is a concept in Jewish Halacjic thought that certain Mitzvot cannot
be accomplished without express intention -Mitzvot Trichot Kavanah e.g. The recitation
of Shema,).
It is interesting that Avudraham (Rabbi David Ben Yosef Avudraham 14th century) writes
that the gematria, (numerical value) of the word tefillah is 515 identical to the gematria of
the words Kavanat halev-with concentration of the heart.
Letter
Alef
Bet (Vet)
Gimel
Dalet
Hey
Vav
Zain
kHet
Tet
Yud, Yod
Kaf (Haf)
Lamed
Mem
Nun
Sameh
Ain
Pey (Fey)
Tzadi
Kuf
Reish
Shin (Sin)
Tav

Number Equivalent
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
200
300
400

One may ask: What need is there for Tefillah? Does Hashem not know what ails us and
what our needs are?
The root word of tefillah is plail-to judge, to differentiate, to clarify, and to decide.
Tefillah is the souls yearning to define what truly matters. Tefillah is a process of self
evaluation, self judgment; a process of removing oneself from the tumult of life to a little
corner of truth and refastening the bonds the tie one to the purpose of life.

The Mishna in Gemarrah Bava Kama 2a, uses the word Maveh as a synonym to describe
man. The root word of of maveh is bveh to daven. So the Gemarrah defines man as the
creature that davens. Furthermore, the Gemarrah in Berachot teaches that Nefesh the
soul is defined as tefillah. We further see this by the definition of Tefillah Avodah she
Balev service of the heart. If tefillah was designed to make request or demands from
Hashem it would be referred to as Avodah She ba Peh or service of the mouth.
We are the only creatures on earth that have the capacity for Tefillah, no other creature
has the possibility to connect with Hashem as we do. The Torah tells us in Beresheit,
That Hashem breathed life into Adam and he became Nefesh Chayah, Onkelos
(Onkelos is the name of a famous convert, (c.35-120 CE). He is considered to be the
author of the famous Targum Onkelos (c.110 CE). Translates this as Ruach Mamlallah
a speaking spirit. So we see that mans ability to interact with society is through thought
and expressed through speech.
The use of Hebrew as the language to convey Tefillah may seem somewhat perplexing.
Doesnt Hashem know whats in my heart, who cares if I use English, French or Spanish,
isnt it the message that counts. The sages allow for prayer in any of the Seventy
languages and a person fulfills his obligation of tefillah however they recommend that we
daven in Lashon Hakodesh The Holy Tongue. Ramban (1194-c1270) was a Rabbi ,
philosopher, physician, Kabbalist and Torah commentator. Rabbi Moshe Ben Nahman in
Sefer Shemot shows that Hebrew is the language that Hashem used in creating the
universe and the language of Prophecy, that he explains is why it is called the Holy
Tongue. That is why the Teffilot have greater sanctity when they are uttered in Hebrew.
The sages note that no translation can capture all the nuances of the Teffilot, or the
prophetic words of Hashem or the Holy compositions of the Great Men of the Anshei
Kenesset Hagedolah.
If a person davens in another language besides Hebrew, he does not fulfill his obligation
unless he understands whatever he is saying,, but if he davens in Hebrew he fullfils his
obligation even if he does not understand.
Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1704/1710 (?) 1772 was a disciple of Rabbi Yisrael
Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hassidic movement and largely seen as his successor.
Rabbi Dov Ber is regarded as the first proponent and exponent of Hassidism and one of
its most important propagators. It is known in Kabbalistic literature that the letters of the
Aleph Beit were created first. Thereafter, by the use of the letters Hashem created all the
worlds. This thought is hidden in the words Berisheit bara elokim et That is the first act
of Hashem was create the letters from Aleph to tet.
This explains why Adams first demonstration of greatness came when Hashem asked
him to give names to all the creatures of the new universe.
When Adam said that the Ari, lion should be called Ari and the Yona dove should
be Yona, he was saying that the spiritual forces expressed by those letters , in the
formula signified by those unique arrangements of letters and vowels , were translated by
Hashem into nerve, sinew, skin, shape, and strength or fierceness or the Lion and the
passivity and gentleness of the dove.

The Chida, Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Ben Isaac Zerachia Azulai (1724-1807) was a
rabbinical scholar and a noted Torah commentator. Ask a brilliant question.
Why is it necessary to articulate prescribed text of the tefillot,-Doesnt Hashem Know
whats in our hearts? Wouldnt it be a greater sanctification of Hashems name if He
were able to fulfill unspoken human desires?
The Chida explains that the combination of letters as formulated by the A.K.H. who
composed the tefillot , have the power to arouse forces beyond our imagination. Thereby
new spiritual lights can be created through the agency of Human beings. To accomplish
this we must articulate the teffilot. This causes the sacred letters to arouse the spiritual
roots. It brings about a totally unprecedented combination. The interaction of the Aleph
Beit is combined the respective prayer and the particular circumstances prevailing on
earth at that instant the words are uttered.
Adam and eve sin- creating notzatot that descend into this world and get trapped, through
tefillot and Brachot we release these shards back into their spiritual realm.
The Talmud in Berachot relates a famous story:
Rav Yismael Kohen Gadol was in the Holies of Holies on Yom Kippour, Hashem asked
him for a bracha. He replied: May it be your will the your mercy conquer Your anger,
that your mercy overshadow Your attributes, that behave toward your children with the
attribute of mercy, and that for their sake You go beyond the boundary of judgment.
This story is astounding for both for what it says and for what it does not. Why did
Hashem need RYishmaels blessing? Why didnt Yishamel comply by blessing
Hashem? How does a request that Hashem treat Bnei Yisrael kindly constitute a blessing
to Hashem? What do we give Hashem when we bless him?
Yismael knew that Hashem is blessed when man is secure, because then all man can
come to recognize that service of Hashem lies in success.
Even personal tefillot are not necessarily selfish, we see in Tehilim I am with him in his
distress, I will show him his salvation
So to pray in plural is is zenith but invidual prayer is also accepted.
The A.K.H. had the ability through Nevoah to combine letters, verses and ideas in ways
that unlock the gates of heaven.
We see that that the act of tefillah can be tantamount to the act of creation, which it is so
important not to deviate from their language and formulation
So now lets look at the make up of Sanhedrin.
According to Jewish tradition the Great Assembly or Anshei Knesset HaGedolah was
an assembly of 72 scribes, sages, and prophets, later expanded to 120 in the period from
the end of the prophets up to the time of the development of Rabbinic Judaism or

Tanaim, marking a transition from an era of prophets to an era of Rabbis. They were in a
period of about two generations.
The Men of the Great Assembly -- in Hebrew, Anshei Knesset HaGedolah -- was an
unusual group of Jewish personalities who assumed the reigns of Jewish leadership
between 410 BCE and 310 BCE. This time period follows the destruction of the First
Temple, and includes the early decades of the Second Temple, up until the invasion of
the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great.
Realizing that the Jewish people were growing weaker spiritually, a group of wise leaders
came together -- expanding the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, from 70 to 120
members -- with a special aim of strengthening Judaism. Initially gathered together by
Ezra, they defined Judaism in this tumultuous time when prophecy and kingship were all
but gone from the Jewish people.
Among them we count the last of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, as well as
the sages Mordechai, (of the Purim story), Yehoshua, (the High Priest), Nechemia (the
chief architect of rebuilding of Jerusalem), Shimon HaTzaddik (also a High Priest).
Keep in mind that at this time the Talmud has not yet been compiled. Knowing how to
live a Jewish life depends on knowing the commandments of the Torah and their
interpretations and applications which have been passed down orally -- in short, knowing
what is known as the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, both of which date back to
Moses' teachings at Sinai.

ACCURATE TRANSMISSION
The destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash and ensuing exile were incredibly traumatic
experiences for the Jewish people: The Beit Hamikdash and its daily service were gone
as was the monarchy. The Jews found themselves in an alien land with none of the
normative institutions fundamental to Judaism. (Ironically, the Jewish world is still in the
same situation. The difference is that after 2,500 years the exile is so comfortable that
what is really an abnormal situation is now accepted as totally normal) As the Jewish
people struggle with the aftermath of exile, accurate transmission of this oral tradition
becomes essential. And here is where the Men of the Great Assembly make the greatest
contribution.
As we see in history, to the extent that the Jews stop living according to Jewish law and
tradition (i.e. that which makes them Jewish), to that extent they assimilate and disappear.
Therefore, the contributions of these men can be said to account to a large measure for
Jewish survival.
The Mishna pays them great homage:
Moses received the Torah from Sinai and conveyed to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the
Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly ... Shimon
HaTzaddik was one of the remnants of the Great Assembly. He used to say, "The world
stands on three things: on the Torah; on the service of God, and upon acts of lovingkindness..." (Ethics of the Fathers, 1:1)

THE CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE

In addition to insuring the accurate transmission of the Oral Torah, the Men of the Great
Assembly decide which of the multitude of Jewish holy writings should be in the Bible.
The Jewish people have produced hundreds of thousands of prophets (both men and
women). Which of their writings should be preserved for future generations and which
had limited applicability?
The Men of the Great Assembly make this decision and give us what is known as the
Tanach. (Tanach is a Hebrew acronym which stands for Torah, Prophets, Writings.)
The Hebrew Bible consists of the five books of the Torah, eight books of the prophets
(the last of which consists of twelve short books) and 11 books of various writings, which
include the Psalms (largely attributed to King David), the writings of King Solomon
(Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), the books of Job, Ruth, Esther and Daniel etc.

PRAYER
The last thing that the Men of the Great Assembly do is formalize prayer. They actually
begin a process which is not finished until the 2nd century CE, after the destruction of the
Second Temple, but they lay down the key principles and basic structure of formalized
prayer.(2)
During the First Temple period, there was no need for formalized Jewish prayer liturgy,
because God's presence was more manifest. It was much easier for the individual to have
a close, intense, personal relationship with God. Additionally, a great deal of what is now
the object of prayer was formally accomplished through the offering of sacrifices and the
Temple service. Of course, when the Second Temple was rebuilt, sacrifices resumed, but
most of the Jews had not returned to the land of Israel and therefore had no access to this
medium of connecting to God via the Temple. In addition, as mentioned previously, even
with the Temple rebuilt, the connection during the Second temple period was much
weaker.
Therefore, the times of the formalized prayer are designed to correspond to times when
things were done in the Temple: the morning prayer is designed to correspond to the
Shacharit Service in the Temple; the afternoon prayer corresponds to the Mincha Service;
a the evening prayer, Ma'ariv, corresponds to the nightly duties (as there were no
sacrifices as night).
The centerpiece of each selection of prayers (repeated three times a day) is the Shmonei
Esrai, "The Eighteen Blessings." Each "blessing" is stated in the plural, to underscore the
interdependency of the Jewish people, and each blessing is rooted in Torah and
Kabbalah.
The mystical depth of this prayer -- a masterpiece of writing by the Great Assembly -- is
astounding. For example, the blessing for healing is composed of 27 words,
corresponding to the 27 words in the verse in the Torah (Exodus 15:26) where God
promises to be the Healer of the Jewish people. It is said (Nefesh HaChaim 2:13) written
by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin (1749-1821), one of the primary students of the Vilna Gaon,
and the father of the Lithuanian Yeshivah Movement, that the text of the Shmonei Esrai

is so spiritually powerful that even when recited without intention, feeling or

understanding, its words have a great impact on the world.
Through Divine inspiration and sheer genius the Men of the Great Assembly were able to
create out of the ashes of a physically destroyed nation, a spiritually thriving people.
Their work defined and anchored Jewish religious and national identity and created
focus, unity and uniformity for the Jewish people, no matter where in the world they
might be scattered.
The last surviving member of the Great Assembly was Shimon HaTzaddik. Under him,
according to the ancient historian Josephus (Contra Apion 1:197), the Jews of Israel
prospered and Jewish population in the land reached 350,000.
It helped the Jews physically (if not spiritually) that the Persians were such benevolent
dictators. But the picture was about the change with the growing power of the Greek
Empire looming on the horizon.
The Greek empire is on the At this time Mordechai leaves his home and stature as a
judge of the A.K.H. and initiates a self imposed exile to Babylon (Bavel). It is his through
his guidance that Esther is installed as queen and saves the Jewish People from
destruction by the Hand of Haman. Through her union with Achashverosh they have a
child Darius the Great who in turn allows Daniel and Ezra to return to Jerusalem and
complete construction of the Second Beit Hamikdash allowing one of the golden eras of
the Jewish people.
The 4th century BCE has been eventful for the Jewish people:
* Exiled to Babylon, they witness the fall of a mighty empire before their very eyes as
the Persians invade.
* Permitted to return to the land of Israel by the Persian emperor Cyrus in 370 BCE,
they reluctantly take up the offer, with only 42,000 of their number actually returning.
* The returnees' attempts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem are aborted early as their
angry neighbors, the not-so-good Samaritans complain to the emperor.
* In Persia, Haman, the chief minister to King Achashverosh, hatches a plot to
annihilate the Jews. But Queen Esther (who is secretly Jewish) comes to the rescue in 355
BCE.
* The next Persian monarch, Darius II, Esther's son, allows the rebuilding of the
Temple in 347 BCE.
* The Jewish people living in the land of Israel are re-energized spiritually thanks to
the leadership of Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly.
It is now 312 BCE and the last of the Men of the Great Assembly, Shimon HaTzaddik, is
High Priest. On the other side of Mediterranean, a new threat is looming. It is called
Greece.

THE RISE OF THE GREEK EMPIRE

The origins of Greece are shrouded in mystery and date back to the time of Abraham,
18th century BCE, or perhaps even earlier. Historians disagree as to where the Greeks
came from. They could have been people migrating down from Asia down through
Europe and settling in the Greek Isles, or they could have been seafaring people who
settled along the coast.
Whoever they were, the earliest inhabitants of mainland Greece (called Mycenaeans
after excavations found at Mycenae) developed an advanced culture. But, around 1100
BCE, the Mycenaeans were invaded by barbarians called Dorians and all their
civilization disappeared. Greece went into a "Dark Age" to re-emerge hundreds of years
later.
The classical Greek period begins as early as 7th century BCE, though we tend to be
more familiar with its history in the 5th century when Greece consists of a group of
constantly warring city-states, the most famous being Athens and Sparta. The Greek
victory at the Marathon (490 BCE),(1) the destruction of the Persian fleet at Salamis (480
BCE) and the victory at Plataea (479 BCE) brought and end to the Persian Empire's
attempts to conquer Greece. During the last three decades of the 5th century, Athens and
Sparta waged a devastating war (Peloponnesian War 431-404 BCE) which culminated in
the surrender of Athens. More inter-Greek fighting followed in the 4th century but later
in that century all of Greece would succumb to Phillip II of Macedon, who paves way for
his son, Alexander the Great, to spread the Greek civilization across the world.
The late 5th and the 4th century are as eventful for the Greeks as it has for the Jews.
Despite constant warfare, this is also the golden age of classical Greek culture -- the birth
of democracy, the time of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato.
GREEK IN HUMANITY
While admiring the Greek contributions to civilization -- its politics, philosophy, art and
architecture - it is easy to forget what Greek society was really like.
For example, we've heard of the "Spartan lifestyle," but what did that mean in practice?
Well, for starters, at the age of seven, Spartan boys were separated from their parents;
they lived in military barracks where they were beaten, and not even given minimal food
to encourage them to steal. To be Spartan meant to be tough.
The Athenians, not as tough as the Spartans, were not what you'd describe as "soft"
either. For example, they thought nothing of killing infants (a common practice in all
ancient civilizations even the "elevated" ones). One of the most influential thinkers in
Western intellectual history -- none other than Aristotle- - argued in his Politics (VII.16)
that killing children was essential to the functioning of society. He wrote:
"There must be a law that no imperfect or maimed child shall be brought up. And to
avoid an excess in population, some children must be exposed [i.e. thrown on the trash
heap or left out in the woods to die]. For a limit must be fixed to the population of the
state."

Note the tone of his statement. Aristotle isn't saying "I like killing babies," but he is
making a cold, rational calculation: over-population is dangerous; this is the most
expedient way to keep it in check.
In warfare, the Greeks invented the "pitched battle" -- with thousands of foot soldiers
colliding with the enemy, slaughtering and being slaughtered as they advanced. (The 80
pounds of armor and weaponry carried by the average Greek hoplite (infantry man) also
necessitated a pitched battle since after about 30 to 45 minutes the soldiers were all
exhausted) While we tend to think today of the Greeks as cultured and noble, it is
shocking to learn how brutal their civilization (like all ancient civilizations) could be.
The other great Greek innovation was the phalanx. Instead of the undisciplined," free for
all" combat common in ancient warfare, the Greeks fought in disciplined battle lines;
infantry advanced with shields "locked" together and spears pointing straight ahead. A
well-disciplined phalanx created a formidable wall of shields and spears which was used
with deadly efficiency.
The one who took the Greek conquests to new heights was, of course, Alexander the
Great.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Alexander, born in 356BCE, was the son of Phillip II (382-336BCE), the King of
Macedonia in northern Greece. (And considered a barbarian by the southern Greek city
states). Phillip created a powerful, professional army which forcibly united the fractious
Greek city-states into one empire. From an early age, Alexander, displayed tremendous
military talent and was appointed as a commander in his father's army at the age of
eighteen. Having conquered all of Greece Phillip was about to embark on a campaign to
invade Greece's arch-enemy, the Persian Empire. Before he could invade Persia he was
assassinated, possibly by Alexander, who then became king in 336BCE. Two years in
334 BCE he crossed the Hellspont (in modern-day Turkey) with 45,000 men and invaded
the Persian Empire.
The backbone of Alexander's Macedonian army was his infantry. They carried extremely
long pikes (spears which may have been as long as 21 feet/ 3 meters.) These pikemen
moved in giant squares called a phalanx, shields locked together, 16 men across and 16
deep-the first five rows of pikes pointed straight ahead creating a lethal wall of spear
heads.
In three Colossal battles, Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela, that took place between 334
and 331 Alexander brilliantly (and often recklessly) led his army to victory against
Persian armies that may have outnumbered his own as much as ten to one. His chief
tactics were to always be on the offense and always do the unexpected. In battle he would
lead his Campanion Cavalry right at the strongest (rather than the weakest) point of the
enemy line. When he fights the Persians, for example, he goes for the most heavily
protected point of the Persian force surrounding the Persian Emperor, aiming to destroy
the leadership. When the Persian emperor Darius flees at the battle the Persian army
collapses. By 331 BCE the Persian Empire was defeated, the Persian Emperor Darius was
dead, and Alexander was the undisputed rival of the Mediterranean. His military
campaign lasted 12 years and took him and his army 10,000 miles to the Indus River in

India. Only the weariness of his men and his untimely death in 323BCE at the age of 32
ended the Greek conquest of the known world. It is said that when Alexander looked at
his empire he wept for there was nothing more to conquer.
At its largest, Alexander's empire stretched from Egypt to India. He built six Greek cities
in his empire, named Alexandria. (Today the best known is the city of Alexandria in
Egypt at the Nile delta.) These cities and the Greeks who settle in them brought Greek
culture to the center of the oldest civilizations of Mesopotamia.
HELLENISM
The Greeks were not only military imperialist but also cultural imperialist. Greek soldiers
and settlers brought their way of life: their language, art, architecture, literature, and
philosophy, to Middle East. When Greek culture merged with the culture of the Middle
East it created a new cultural hybrid-Hellenism (Hellas is the Greek word for Greece)
whose impact would be far greater and last for far longer than the brief period of
Alexander's empire. Whether through the idea of the pitched battle, art, architecture or
philosophy, Hellenism's influence on the Roman Empire, Christianity, and the West was
monumental.
The Greeks showcased all human talents - literature, drama, poetry, music architecture,
sculpture, etc. They glorified the beauty of the human body, displaying athletic prowess
in the Olympics. Nothing regarding the human body was considered embarrassing, in
need of hiding, or private for that matter.
(Athletic competitions performed in the nude were the norm in Greece. Our modern word
"gymnasium" is derived from the Greek word "gumnos" which means naked. Public
toilets often consisted of a bench on main street with holes in it; people sat there and did
their business as others walked by.)
Naturally, human passions were venerated and this meant there were few sexual taboos -even pedophilia and pederasty. Indeed, the sexual initiation of a young boy by an older
man was considered the highest form of love and vital part of a boys education. Plato
wrote of this in his Symposium (178C):
"I, for my part, am at a loss to say what greater blessing a man can have in earliest youth
than an honorable [older] lover ..."
Even Greek gods were described in human terms and were often bested by human beings
in Greek mythology; with time, it became the style of intellectual Greeks to denigrate
their gods and speak of them with biting cynicism and disrespect.
In short, the Greeks introduced into human consciousness an idea which is going to come
into play as one of the most powerful intellectual forces in modern history - humanism.
The human being is the center of all things. The human mind and its ability to understand
and observe and comprehend things rationally is the be-all-and-end-all. That's an idea
which comes from the Greeks.

Above all, the Greeks thought that this was enlightenment, the highest level of
civilization. They had a strong sense of destiny and believed that their culture was
ordained to become the universal culture of humanity.
The Jews had a different vision. The Jews believed that a world united in the belief in one
God and ascribing to one absolute standard of moral values -- including respect for life,
peace, justice, and social responsibility for the weak and poor -- was the ultimate future
of the human race.
This Jewish ideology was wedded to an extreme, uncompromising exclusivity of worship
(as demanded by the belief in one God) and a complete intolerance of polytheistic
religious beliefs or practices. There was only one God and so only one God could be
worshipped, end of story.
To the Jews, human beings were created in the image of God. To the Greeks, gods were
made in the image of human beings. To the Jews, the physical world was something to be
perfected and elevated spiritually. To the Greeks the physical world was perfect. In short,
to Greeks, what was beautiful was holy; to the Jews what was holy was beautiful.
Such disparate views were bound to clash, sooner or later.
THE GREEKS VS. THE JEWS
During his military campaign against Persia, Alexander takes a detour to the south,
conquering Tyre and then Egypt via what is today Israel. Alexander is planning to
destroy the Temple, egged on by the Samaritans who hate the Jews There is a fascinating
story about Alexander's first encounter with the Jews of Israel. (Who were until that time
subjects of the Persian Empire).
The narrative concerning Alexander's first interaction with the Jews is recorded in both
the Talmud (Yoma 69a and in the Jewish historian Josephus's book Antiquities XI, 32147.) In both accounts the High Priest of the Temple (in the Talmudic narrative he is
Shimon HaTzaddik -- the last surviving member of the Men of the Great Assembly) in
Jerusalem, fearing that Alexander would destroy the city, goes out to meet him before he
arrives at the city. The narrative then describes how Alexander, upon seeing the High
Priest dismounts and bows to him. (Alexander rarely, if ever, bowed to anyone.) In
Josephus's account, when asked by his general, Parmerio, to explain his actions he
answered: "I did not bow before him but before that God who has honored him with the
high Priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very apparel."
Alexander interpreted the vision of the High Priest as a good omen and thus spared
Jerusalem and peacefully absorbed the Land of Israel into his growing empire. As tribute
to his benign conquest the Rabbis decreed that the Jewish firstborn of that time be named
Alexander (which is a Jewish name until today) and date of the meeting (25th of Teves)
was declared a minor holiday.
So Alexander the Great does not destroy the Temple. And he listens when Shimon
HaTzaddik tells him that the Jews are not enemies of the Greeks but the Samaritans are.
The Talmud relates the interaction between Alexander and the Jewish delegation

They (the Jews led by Shimon HaTzaddik) answered, "Is it possible that these idol
worshippers should fool you into destroying the House where prayers are offered for you
and your kingdom that it should never be destroyed!" Alexander said to them, "What idol
worshippers do you mean?" They replied, "We are referring to the Samaritans who are
standing before you now." Said Alexander, "I am handing them over to you to do with
them as you please.
As a result, the Jews are given free rein to go trash the Samaritans, which they promptly
go out and do. And Israel and Jerusalem are peacefully absorbed into the Greek Empire.
At first, the Greek authorities preserve the rights of the local Jewish population and do
not attempt to interfere with Jewish religious practice. The Jews continue to flourish as a
separate and distinct entity for 165 years - a rare phenomenon in the Hellenistic world.
THE BEIT HAMIKDASH AS THE BLUEPRINT OF OUR TEFILLOT
I will take you on a tour of the Beit Hamikdash and how the teffillot corresponds to daily
life in the Beit Hamikdash.
The Chachamim instituted these tefillot instead of leaving them up to the individual may
be as follows:
The Gemarrah in Sanhendrin 64a tells us that the A.K.H. eradicated the yetzer hara, (the
evil inclination) of idol worship throught the power of their collective teffillot. Idol
worship is rampant during this time. We find constant reference and admonishments in
the Torah:
Starting with the 10 commandments: You shall have no other G-ds.
In the Shema: Beware for yourselves, lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray
and serve g-ds of others
We cannot fathom how difficult it must have been. You just have to look at the exhibits
in the Museum of Cairo. This Yetzer Hara is eradicated prior to the building of the
Second Beit Hamikdash.
The Vilan Gaon Eliyahu Ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon, (also the
Gaon of Vilna or "The Gra" from the Hebrew acronym "Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu"), (
1720-1797), was one of the most outstanding Rabbis in recent centuries. He was an
exceptional Talmudist, Halachist and Kabbalist, and was the foremost leader of nonhasidic Jewry. He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ha'Gaon ha'Chasid mi'Vilna,
"the saintly genius from Vilna.
The Yetzer Hara of Idolatry was related to the Power of Prophecy and once the Y.H.
for Idol worship was eliminated so too was the ability for prophecy.
The Gemarrah in Megillah 14a, tells us numerous prophets arouse from Israel twice as
many that left egypt. 600,000 men left Egypt so a rough estimate is 1.2 million. The
average maid servant that was freed from Egypt had stronger Nevuah, prophecy than the
the Men of A.K.H. So it is no wonder that tefillah was left up to the individual prior to

this. An example of this is the Mitzvah to thank Hashem for the food we eat. The Torah
says Veaclta, Vesavavtah, Uberachta, You shall eat, be satiated and bless However no
Bracaha, blessing is provided. However, even with the power of Nevuah, Moshe
rabbeinu institutes the first Beracha (hazan), the second Beracha Yehoshua instituted
(Haaretz) and Kind David instituted the Beracha of rebuilding Jerusalem.
Its amazing how they had the insight to set up the teffillot prior to the cessation of
Nevuah and we still use these teffilot today!!!
Mordechai one of the last official members of the A.K.H. leaves Israel prior to the
destruction of the 1st Beit Hamikdash and establishes himself in Babylon in order that the
people will not be lost and that the Transmission of Torah continues.
To sit on the A.K.H. you need to have the following criteria:
1. Experience.
2. Wisdom.
3. The Ability to speak and comprehend the seventy languages of the worlds
nations.
The Chazon Ish: Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, (1878-1953), popularly known by the
name of his magnum opus Chazon Ish, writes in his sefer, book Kovetz Igros The
fact that we do not have the Yetzer Hara for Idolatry does not make us greater than our
forefathers who possessed this trait, on the contrary. It makes us lesser individuals
The A.K.H establishes all its concepts for Israel based on three criteria:
1. Havei Matunim Badin, Be deliberate in judgment
With the cessation of Nevuah, a judges ability to discern the truth about a case was lost.
They had to listen to testimony in the defendants language directly. Jewish Biblical Law
did not allow for intermediaries. Transmission had to be direct.
2. Hamidu Torah Harbei, Develop many disciples
Prior to the removal of Koach Hanevuah, the transmission of Torah was through Rebbi to
talmid, to one student. However, now more than ever, it became quantity as opposed to
quality. One in a thousand would become a Talmid Chacham, a wise sage. So it became
an imperative to teach as many as possible to produce that one sage.
3. Siyag Ltorah, Erect Barriers
Prior to the removal of Koach Hanevuah, the average person could identify what it meant
to be shomer shabbat, shomer Mitzvot, they knew the halachot and could determine on
their own if they felt it was necessary to take action or not. For example, doing business
on the shabbat is a prohibition of the Rabbis in order not to write on the shabbat. So the
sages imposed these barriers to protect us because we have forgotten how to discern what
is proper and what is improper.
With this introduction we can now look at how the teffilot were set up.

The Tefillot were instituted to correspond to the daily tamid sacrifice. So our teffillot
makes it possible to come close to Hashem just as a scarifice, Korban, which comes from
the word in Hebrew Karov, close.
The Vilna Gaon ask the obvious question, we close our tefillot Ye he Ratzonmay it
be your will.that the Holy temple be built speedily in our daysand we may serve You
with reverence as in the days of old and is in former years. This means that for now we
are using our tefillot as a means to come close to Hashem, but we daven that eventually
we may be able to resume the avodah (service) in the Beit Hamikdash . What superior
quality does the korban have that teffillah does not possess? The answer given by the
Vilan Gaon, is that while teffilah makes it possible to obtain selichah (forgiveness) ,
mechilah (pardon), and kapparah (atonement) and e can indeed come very close to
Hashem, nevertheless, the wrongs which we have done are still exist. However, the
korban causes the wrong doing to disappear. This is what we call a reyach nichoach
Lhashem, a pleasing odor to Hashem.
We are therefore, not surprised that the teffilot follow closely the architecture of the Beit
Hamikdash. To begin with the entrance of the Beit Hamikdash was through the Ezrat
Nashim, were people would gather prior to the doors opening. These avdei (servents)
Hashem were gathered the Ezrat Nashim in the early predawn hours in early anticipation
of the opening of the Hechal doors. In short it was a gathering place of general assembly.
See diagram 1. This place of general assembly corresponds to the part of our siddur
which precedes the actual Shachrit. See page 12 of the RCA siddur. Adon Olam, Birchat
Nitlat Yadayim, Aher Yatzar and Elokei Neshema.

It is also striking that corresponding to the fifteen steps that lead up to the Ezrat Nashim
to the Israelite court we find fifteen brachot Hashachar see page 18 RCA

The Brachot start with Who gave the heart understanding, and ending with Who
bestows beneficent kindnesses on His people Israel. This last blessing corresponds to
our arrival at the Israel courtyard, access which is limited to the Jewish people.
We are now at the Gates of Nikanor
SHA'AR NIKANOR
Each of the two doors that made up this gate measured five amos wide by twenty high.
That's pretty big. Unlike the other doors in the Temple (which, as the Jews gained
wealth, were covered in gold), these were left in their original form; solid copper.
Nikanor was a Jew charged with traveling to Alexandria, Egypt to buy doors for the main
entrance to the main courtyard. On his return boat voyage, there was a fierce storm. The
sailors threw out the first of the massive doors to try to lighten the load, but the ship was
still in danger.
When they came for the second door, Nikanor embraced it, begging the sailors that, if the
door had to go, he should go with it. A miracle occurred and the storm subsided. Nikanor
was terribly upset about the loss of the first door - that is, until the ship arrived safely in
port and they all saw the heavy copper door floating along beside the ship. In honor of the
miracle, the doors were never covered in gold.

In out tefillot we allude to the gates by saying, Master of all worlds, (page 24 RCA) we
conclude here with But we are your people (page 26 RCA). We say the Shema page
28 RCA. We are now in the courtyard of the Israelites, a place that only Jews could be in.
The final Beracha ends with Blessed are you, Hashem, Who sanctifies Your Name
among the multitudes. See number 2 on the diagram.
Continuing forward we reach the courtyard of the Cohanim, see diagram #3, this area is
for Cohanim and Levim only. We reach an area distinguishable by three steps known as
the Duchan.
At this point we say the threefold Beracha of the Cohanim, which is then followed by
Mishnah These are the precepts that have no prescribed measure etc. With this we have
accomplished a precept established by the Torah, every man is required to learn three
things on a daily basis. Mikra, Mishnah and Gemara.
Directly ahead lies the Mizbayach, the Altar, see diagram #4, it is here that we say the
Parshat Hatamid the portion of the Torah regarding the daily Korban offerings, and
the Mishna chapter What is the locationpage 42 RCA.
Further on, beyond the Mizbeyach is an area called between the Ulam Hall and the
Mizbeach .

Ulam

The Ulam Antichamber is on a higher level of holiness and you will notice in the model it
is elevated. There are 12 steps leading up to the Ulam. It is at this point we say the Breita
of Rabbi Yishmael Through Thirteen Rules is the Torah Elucidated page 48 RCA.
We are now at the Antechamber leading up to the Heichal. In the Yehi Kavod we find
alluded to the two crowns one for the Melech Hamashiyah and the Kohen Gadol.
We are introduced to the Ulam at Baruch Sheamar, which corresponds to the Ulam itself.
At the conclusion of the Pesukei Dzimrah we symbolically leave the Ulam by saying
Yishtabach. We symbolically arrive at the Pesach Heehal Page 82 RCA.
We now enter the Holy Palace on our right we find the Shulchan, on the left the
Menorah. These are represented by the two Brachot of Kriyat Shema. First who forms
light and created darkness, which represents the material revelation of Hashem in our
lives page 84 RCA, second with abundant love which asks for understanding Torah,
corresponding to the Torah, page 88 RCA.
We now reach the Mizbayach Haketores, the purpose is to produce, a pleasant odor to
Hashemsymbolizing pure love for Hashem. At this point we say the Shema. Page 90
RCA. It encompasses the pasuk, phrase, You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources.
We now advance to the parochet, curtain, adjacent to the Kodesh Hakedoshim, the Holies
of Holy; this is symbolized by the tefillah of Geulah. Page 96 RCA
Finally we are in the Kodesh Hakedoshim alone with Hashem, we say the Shmoneh
Esrei, when the silent prayer is completed we take three steps backward:back to the
Heichal, back to the Ulam, back to to the Azarah. It is here we repeat the the Shmoneh
Esrei in the place where the congreagation first gathered in the Ezrat Nashim.
With this introduction let us start to explain our tefillot. We will look at Adon Haolam.
Wednesday January 23, 2008 at BAGEL HAVEN KOSHER DAIRY RESTAURANT,
800 STEELES AVENUE WEST, BATHURST & STEELES (FOOD BASIC'S MALL)