ב ה Tefillah packet #22
Ketores Since davening today is instead of the Avodah of the Beis Hamikdash, we say the words from Torah that speak about the Avodah every day in davening. In the Beis Hamikdash, after bringing the Korban Tomid, they would bring the Ketores. So after reading the part of Torah speaking about the Korban Tomid, we read about the Ketores. We say a short paragraph as an introduction, and then read the parsha of Ketores from the Chumash. Afterwards we say the words of the Mishna that explain the details of the mixture of spices. The Arizal writes that speaking about the details of the Ketores is very special. It is connected with birurim, taking sparks of kedusha that are stuck in kelipah and elevating them again. The Zohar in Parshas Vayakhel speaks at length about the special rewards we get for saying the Ketores every day, especially when we say it with kavana!
Hashem Tzevakos After the parts of davening that speak about how the ketores is made, we say three pesukim which Dovid Hamelech put into Tehillim: The posuk Hashem Tzevakos Imanu was said by Avraham Avinu. It means that Hashem is always with us and gives us koach. The posuk Hashem Tzevakos Ashrei Adam was said by Yitzchak Avinu. It says that a person who trusts in Hashem is very fortunate! The posuk Hashem Hoshia was said by Yaakov Avinu. In this posuk, we ask Hashem to save us! According to Kabbalah, saying these pesukim three times after saying the ketores has a very strong koach!
Ve'arva In Korbanos in the morning, we say the pesukim that talk about the Korban Tomid and the Ketores, and the halachos about how the Ketores is made. When we do this, Hashem counts it as if we are actually bringing the Korban Tomid and the Ketores! After finishing (and saying the pesukim that Kabbalah teaches we should say after the Ketores), we say a posuk from Malachi: Ve arva LaHashem Minchas Yehuda Viyerushalayim, Kimei Olam Ucheshanim Kadmoniyos. The korbanos of the Yidden should be sweet to Hashem, like days of old and previous times. This posuk is part of a Nevuah about Moshiach! The Navi says that Hashem will give us the Beis Hamikdash and accept our korbanos with all of the nisim we had during the first Beis Hamikdash. We are asking Hashem that not only should it be counted as we are bringing the Tomid and the Ketores, but that we should actually be able to bring them for Hashem to enjoy!
Abayei The paragraph of Abayei comes from the Gemara, Mesechta Yoma. It speaks about how the Amora, Abayei, would review the steps of the entire daily Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash in order, based on the teachings of Abba Shaul. Even though the halacha (the way it will be done in the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi) is different, we still say it this way. In a sicha, the Rebbe explains that Abayei s opinion about the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash represents the Avodah of Yidden in the time of Golus. Chassidus explains this section of Abayei with the Ruchnius dike meaning of each of these parts of avodah. One of the main differences is that the Ketores is in a different order. Ketores is the inyan of Mesiras Nefesh, which is in a stronger and more pure way during Golus. Only on Yom Kippur do we say in davening the order the way it will actually be done in the Beis Hamikdash, which is connected with the Ruchnius level of Yidden the way they will be when Moshiach comes! We get the koach from Yom Kippur to have a taste of that level of Avodah every day. See Sefer Hasichos 5752, p. 419
Ana B'Koach In Korbanos, we have the paragraph of Ana B koach, which we say during many tefillos. This paragraph is very special and very holy! It was written by R Nechunya ben Hakana with deep meanings in Kabbalah. Ana B koach has 42 words. The first letters of each word together spell out one of Hashem s holy names! When we finish reading these words, we say Boruch Sheim, blessing the name of Hashem we just read through the words of Ana B koach. This tefillah always helps us elevate ourselves. When we say it at the beginning of Shacharis, it helps us elevate our entire davening!
Ana B'koach Another reason why we say Ana B koach is to hint to another part of the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash that we didn t say yet! We said parts of the Torah about the Terumas Hadeshen, the Korban Tomid, and the Ketores. We mentioned most of the rest of the steps of the Avodah in the paragraph of Abaye. But there was something else that was done in the Beis Hamikdash every day that we didn t say anything about here! In the Beis Hamikdash, they said Birchas Kohanim every day. (We did say the words of Birchas Kohanim in brachos, we didn t say that it is part of the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash.) When we say Ana B koach, we are hinting to Birchas Kohanim! Ana B Koach has hinted inside of it Hashem s holy name. In the Beis Hamikdash, when they said Birchas Kohanim, they said the name of Hashem, the holy Sheim Hameforash! Ana B Koach hints to that.
Ana B'Koach Another reason why we say Ana B koach here in davening is to ask Hashem for Moshiach! After we spoke about all of the daily korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash, we want Hashem to know that we miss the Beis Hamikdash, where we can do the avodah the way it should be done. In the word of Ana B koach, we are asking Hashem to take us out of Golus and bring us into Geulah already! There is a beautiful translation of this tefillah into Yiddish, which shows how every line is asking Hashem to bring Moshiach! See Hakriyah Vehakedusha, Tamuz Tof-Shin-Alef.