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Tachanun
Prayer from the heart: Background, translation, and insightsRabbi Reuvane Slater
Tachanun
This invaluable Tachanun companion sheds new light on a frequently recited - although little understood - tefillah. Be enlightened and enriched as you are led, phrase by phrase, through the translation and explanation of this most powerful and meaningful tefillah. More than a book on tefillah, it is a ladder - a means to help you, step-by-step reach greater spiritual heights.
Book Excerpt from Tachanun
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Tachanun:
An invaluable Jewish prayer companion that sheds light on the Tachanun tefillah -its power & its meaning- in a detailed translation & explanation that will change the way you pray.
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TACHANUN: ITS HISTORY AND ORIGINS
Originally, Tachanun had no set liturgy that was recited by everyone. Instead, each person would address Hashem with a supplication that was tailored to his own needs.1 The Gemara2 tells us that many people were noflim al p’neihem, fell upon their faces, asking Hashem to save them from their enemies. It does seem however, that the Rambam3 did in fact have a specific text that he recited for Tachanun. He writes: “Minhageinu l’hischanein bi’devarim u’pesukim elu - Our custom is to beseech Hashem in supplication using these words....” After some time4, a standard nusach was instituted.
Although the siddur assembles the entire Tachanun as one unit, there are in fact a number of separate sections which make up the tefillah.
This chapter details each separate section of Tachanun and explains the reason for its inclusion and a suggested source of origin for that section.
Part One: åäåà øçåí
This addition is recited on Mondays and Thursdays.
There is some mystery behind this tefillah. Some5 write the following: After the Jewish people were exiled, a boat carrying a number of Jews arrived at a city. The officer in charge was informed of the new arrivals and asked them what nation they were. “We are Jews,” they answered.
“If you’re Jewish,” replied the officer, “then I want to test you the same way Chananya, Mishael, and Azariah were tested. Three of you will be thrown into a kivshan ha’eish, a fiery furnace.”
The Jews asked for a three day reprieve, during which they fasted. On the third day, one of the Jews told of a dream he had the night before. In his dream, the word ki appeared twice and the word lo three times. One of the talmidei chachamim present told him that this dream was referring to a pasuk in Yeshayahu.6 This pasuk speaks of the formidable obstacles that will be overcome when the time comes for our ingathering into Eretz Yisrael. One of the obstacles mentioned is fire. Therefore, explained the talmid chacham, this dream is a clear indication that they would be saved. He advised them to go ahead and enter the furnace.
The man who had the dream entered first. The fire split into three columns. Three tzaddikim were chosen to enter afterwards; all were saved. After exiting, each one praised Hashem with three different supplications. These supplications make up the tefillah of åäåà øçåí .
The Kol Bo7 cites a similar story. After the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash, Titus sent a number of Jews out to sea in three rudderless boats. After drifting along for some time, they found themselves near Africa. They disembarked and then went to see the king to receive permission to settle there. When they told the king that they were Jewish, he responded, “As descendants of Avraham, you should also be tested by being thrown into a kivshan ha’eish like your forefather.”
The Jews were placed in jail for three days. During these days, they composed the different parts of åäåà øçåí as a form of supplication. They were freed soon after. When the Jews’ success became known to other communities, their tefillos were formalized and introduced as something to be said on a regular basis.
Mondays and Thursdays were chosen for the recitation of åäåà øçåí because these are special days on which we experience an extra measure of Hashem’s kindness. Thursday was the day when Moshe went up on Mount Sinai to receive the second set of luchos, and Monday was the day he descended after attaining forgiveness from Hashem.8
The Rokeach9 finds an allusion to the special qualities of Monday and Thursday in the pasuk ãøùå àú ä’ áäîöàå , “Seek G-d when He is able to be found.” The word áäîöàå could be read as á“ ”ä“ îöàå ”, with á referring to the second day of the week and ä to the fifth day of the week. Thus, read together this word means that on the second ( á) and fifth ( ä) days, one should seek Hashem.
Part Two: åéàîø ãåã àì âã
This pasuk speaks about the punishment of dever, pestilence, that was decreed upon klal Yisrael. David was punished as a result of his counting bnei Yisrael, an action that is forbidden by Torah law.10 He was given a choice of three punishments: cherev (sword), ra’av (famine), or dever (pestilence). David chose dever, because it was the only punishment that would make a clear statement to everyone that his punishment was from Hashem and could not be avoided. If David would have chosen to be punished with a famine, people may have concluded that David made this decision because he had vast storehouses of food. Similarly, if cherev, war by sword, had been selected, people may not have seen this choice as a complete admission of guilt, but rather as a testimony of his confidence in his herculean strength and prowess as a warrior. Dever, on the other hand, could affect anyone.
The reason why we begin nefilas apayim with this reference is because this tefillah was often recited when klal Yisrael wanted Hashem to save them from their enemies. We therefore say it any time we face a situation where we need to be saved from our enemies - both external and internal.11
The Vilna Gaon is of the opinion that this section
should not be said. Although the Gaon himself does
not explain why, the sefer Baruch She’amar suggests
that it may be because this verse highlights our sins.
Mentioning our negative actions is counterintuitive
when trying to elicit Hashem’s mercy.12
1. Siddur Otzer HaTefillos, Tikun Tefillah, Nefilas Apayim.
2. Ta’anis 9b.
3. Siddur Otzer HaTefillos, Tikun Tefillah, Nefilas Apayim.
4. Some say around the fourteenth century (Donin, To Pray as A Jew
[New York: Basic Books (Harper Collins), 1980] p. 203).
5. He’aros HaTefillah, p. 263.
6. Yeshayahu 43:2.
7. He’aros HaTefillah, p. 264.
8. Ibid.
9. HaRokeach, siman 319.
10. Shemos 30:12; see Yoma 22b.
11. He’aros HaTefillah, p. 285.
12. Baruch She’amar, p. 169.
13. Tehillim 51:19.