Rif Brachot 22b

22b

{Brachot 31a continued}
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: One who prays needs to direct his heart {our Gemara: toward Heaven, and perhaps the girsa is better without it}. Abba Shaul says: a sign {reminder} for the matter: Tehillim 10:17:

יז תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ ה; תָּכִין לִבָּם, תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ.

17 LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt direct their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to attend;

One who prays needs to envision himself as if the Divine Presence is manifesting itself opposite him, as is stated in Tehillim 16:8:

ח שִׁוִּיתִי ה לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד: כִּי מִימִינִי, בַּל-אֶמּוֹט.

8 I have set the LORD always before me; surely He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

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And we learn in perek mitzvat chalitza {12th perek Yavamot, daf 105b}:
Rabbi Chiyya and Rabbi Shimon the son of Rabbi were sitting. A matter arose among them. One them began and said: One who prays needs to place his eyes below {Towards the bet HaMikdash perhaps, and to the earth rather than towards Heaven}, as is stated in Melachim I 9:3:

ג וַיֹּאמֶר ה אֵלָיו, שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת-תְּפִלָּתְךָ וְאֶת-תְּחִנָּתְךָ אֲשֶׁר הִתְחַנַּנְתָּה לְפָנַי--הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת-הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּנִתָה, לָשׂוּם-שְׁמִי שָׁם עַד-עוֹלָם; וְהָיוּ עֵינַי וְלִבִּי שָׁם, כָּל-הַיָּמִים.

3 And the LORD said unto him: 'I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.

The other one began and said: One who prays needs to direct his heart above, for it states in Eicha 3:41:

מא נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל-כַּפָּיִם, אֶל-אֵל בַּשָּׁמָיִם.

41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

While this was going on, Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yossi joined them.
He said to them: with what are you involved?
They said to him: {the topic is} prayer.
He said to them: so said my father: One who prays must cast his eyes downward and his heart upward, such that he fulfills those two verses.

Rabbi Yehuda said: Such was the custom of Rabbi Akiva - that when he prayed with the congregation, he would cut it short {so as not to inconvenience them}, but when he prayed alone, one would leave him one one corner and find him in another corner, because of the genuflexions and prostrations.

Perhaps could pray the entire day?
It is already spelled out via Daniel's hands, for it is stated: (Daniel 6:11)

יא וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי-רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא, עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ, וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ, נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם; וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל-בִּרְכוֹהִי, וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ, כָּל-קֳבֵל דִּי-הֲוָא עָבֵד, מִן-קַדְמַת דְּנָה. {ס

11 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house--now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem--and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. {S}

Perhaps this was only because he was in captivity? It states in Daniel 6:11:

יא וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי-רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא, עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ, וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ, נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם; וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל-בִּרְכוֹהִי, וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ, כָּל-קֳבֵל דִּי-הֲוָא עָבֵד, מִן-קַדְמַת דְּנָה. ס}

11 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house--now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem--and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. {S}

Perhaps he prayed facing any direction he wished to? It states in Daniel 6:11:

יא וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי-רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא, עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ, וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ, נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם; וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל-בִּרְכוֹהִי, וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ, כָּל-קֳבֵל דִּי-הֲוָא עָבֵד, מִן-קַדְמַת דְּנָה. {ס}

11 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house--now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem--and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. {S}

Perhaps he combined all of them {all three prayers} into one {and fulfilled them all at one time}?
It was already explained by David, for it is stated in Tehillim 55:18:

יח עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם, אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה; וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי.

18 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; and He hath heard my voice.

Perhaps he may cause his voice to be heard {by speaking loudly}?
It is already explained via Chana, for it says in Shmuel I 1:13:

יג וְחַנָּה, הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל-לִבָּהּ--רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת, וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ; וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ עֵלִי, לְשִׁכֹּרָה.

13 Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken.

Perhaps he should ask his needs and only afterwards pray {the first three blessings of Shemoneh Esrei}?
It is already explained via Shlomo, for it is stated in Melachim I 8:23:

כח וּפָנִיתָ אֶל-תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ, וְאֶל-תְּחִנָּתוֹ--ה אֱלֹהָי: לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל-הָרִנָּה וְאֶל-הַתְּפִלָּה, אֲשֶׁר עַבְדְּךָ מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם.

28 Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day;

{Except Rif seems to have a girsa of Techina instead of tefilla! This likely comes from the preceding word - וְאֶל-תְּחִנָּתוֹ. On the other hand, the awkwardness of interpreting tefilla as the non-tefilla of the pair disappears with this change.}
rina {cry} - this is prayer {the first 3 blessings}
tefilla {prayer} - this is supplication {for his needs}.

{The awkwardness could be avoided by making the drasha on the first part of the verse.

כח וּפָנִיתָ אֶל-תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ, וְאֶל-תְּחִנָּתוֹ-ה אֱלֹהָי: לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל-הָרִנָּה וְאֶל-הַתְּפִלָּה, אֲשֶׁר עַבְדְּךָ מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם.

28 Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day;

Thus, first you have tefillah, which = tefillah, that is the first 3 blessings of Shemoneh Esrei. Then you have techina, that is supplication, or asking for your needs. I think Rif's girsa reflects the correct derivation from the pasuk, but because the citation of the pasuk was shortened, the drasha no longer reflected the portion of the pasuk cited, and so the pasuk itself was munged. Now back to the Rif.}

We do not say anything after emet veYatziv so as to juxtapose geula {the blessing after Shema the closes emet veYatziv} to prayer {Shemoneh Esrei}. But if he wishes to come and say {a personal prayer}, even such as the order of Yom Kippur {our gemara: the order of the confession of Yom Kippur}, he may say.

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And we learnt in Avoda Zara, in the first perek {daf 7a}: They learnt {in a brayta}:
Rabbi Eliezer says: One should always ask for his own needs {first} and then pray, for it is stated in Tehillim 102:1:

א תְּפִלָּה, לְעָנִי כִי-יַעֲטֹף-- וְלִפְנֵי ה, יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ.

1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he fainteth, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.

and sicha {complaint} only means tefillah {prayer}, for it is stated in Bereishit 24:63:

סג וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה, לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב; וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא, וְהִנֵּה גְמַלִּים בָּאִים.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

{which is taken elsewhere to refer to the Mincha prayer. Thus the pasuk in Tehillim has the tefillah request for the fainting pauper first, and then the sicha-tefilla.}
Rabbi Yehoshua says: One should always pray and afterwards ask for his needs, for it is stated in Tehillim 142:3:

ג אֶשְׁפֹּךְ לְפָנָיו שִׂיחִי; צָרָתִי, לְפָנָיו אַגִּיד.

3 I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble;

And the Sages say: not like the words of this one, and not like the words of that one, but rather one should ask his needs in {the blessing in Shemoneh Esrei of Shema Koleinu =} Shomea' Tefillah.

{Avoda Zara 8a}
Rav Yehuda the son of Rav Shmuel bar Shelat said: Even though they {the Sages} said a person requests his needs in Shomea' Tefillah, if he wants to add to the end of any blessing {in Shemoneh Esrei} matters relevant to that blessing, he may do so.

Rav Chiyya bar Ashi cited Rav: Even though they {the Sages} said that a person requests his needs in Shomea' Tefillah, if he has a sick person at home, he says in the blessing for the sick {that is, Refaeinu}. If he needs sustenance {parnassa}, he says it in the blessing of the years {Bareich Aleinu}.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even though they {the Sages} said that a person requests his needs in Shomea' Tefillah, if he wishes to say after his prayer {even} like the order of Yom Kippur, he may say.

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And in this perek later on {5th perek of Brachot, daf 34a}, we say:
Rav Yehuda said: A man should never ask for his needs [either in the first three blessings or in the last three, but in the middle ones.]