Note to Self About My Davening
by Shaul Nemtzov
Remember when you used to sit in Yeshiva, watching that businessman rush through Shacharis? The way he’d burst in, Tallis half-on, catching up to the Minyan somewhere between Boruch She’amar and Yishtabach? Remember how you judged him (though you tried not to), thinking “I’ll never be like him”?
Well, the hard truth is: You’ve become that businessman.
Every morning, same routine. You rush to Shul, run through the words, catch a Borchu, pause for a Kedusha, and eavesdrop on a Kriah. Out the door before you can even process what just happened.
And you utterly despise it.
You hate how mechanical it’s become. How disconnected you feel. How your Davening has transformed from personal time with Hashem into a daily task to check off your to-do list.
You’ve tried to change. Those mornings after inspiring Farbrengens when you promised yourself “tomorrow will be different” never actually happened. Trying harder didn’t help. Coming earlier didn’t solve it. In your bones you just know you need to learn how to make davening real again from others who actually know how to Daven for real – even in today’s fast-paced world…yes, that might help.
Then one day, a Chossid visits your Shul, and you watch him from afar, from the corner of your eye. The way he sits so calmly learning Chassidus before davening with his eyes sailing across the page as if reading a personal letter. Not studying – but experiencing. Not learning – but living.
And then he Davened.
Not in a rush. No pressure. Without worrying too much about the pace of the Minyan. Just… there. Simply present. As if the clock took a break from ticking so that he could Daven in peace.
“How to Daven like a Chossid in 5785”, you wonder. “Copy him”? That wouldn’t necessarily help you Daven naturally, where every word flows easily and makes you feel closer to HaShem and more refined. What you need is a real program to understand what Davening is all about from each angle – Halacha, pshat (the words and what they mean), and the Chassideshe depth. Of course, there’s also the unspoken, unwritten things about Davening that you need to know (such as how to pace yourself, how to think Chassidus during Davening, how to become a better person through Davening and work on your Middos, how to care less about the pressures of the big wide world and care more about your personal inner world…).
That’s where Project Iyun Tefillah comes in.
We’re not going to tell you to just “Daven slower” or “look inside.” We’re not going to give you surface techniques that feel fake and fall away after a week. And we’re definitely not going to make you feel guilty about how superficial your Davening is right now.
Instead, we’re offering you a real path to change. A year-long journey to rediscover what Davening can be – what it should be – for you.
Think about it: How many times have you stared at the words in your Siddur, knowing they hold deep meaning, but instead look like a blur of Hebrew words. How often have you wished you didn’t have to force your lips to mumble all those words at lightning speed?
This isn’t just another shiur on Davening. This is your chance to transform your mornings from dreading Shul to longing for Davening. Imagine going through every section of Davening as if on a journey from your home to HaShem’s throne. You know how to get there and you feel as though each paragraph is taking you closer. You understand each word so deeply that rushing becomes impossible – not because you’re forcing yourself to slow down, but because each word finally means something real to you. Finally getting through Davening no longer feels like a chore but more like getting through to yourself and reaching HaShem in a real and authentic way.
For one year, join others just like you – people who are done with Davening as a chore – who are ready to Daven for real. Together with our teachers, we’ll:
- Go through every part of Davening (and know who wrote them)
- Explore the Halachic aspects of it (and know what to do when)
- Learn what it means (so we know what we’re saying)
- Learn how to apply it in our daily lives (so we actually feel different and more connected to HaShem
Learn from:
- Dayan Levi Raskin שליט”א (author of the three volume super-commentary on the siddur of the Alter Rebbe) on the Halacha
- World-renowned Mashpia R’ Yosef Klyne שליט”א, on the nusach of the Alter Rebbe, minhag, history, depth of the peshat, and pirush hamilos according to Chassidus.
- World-renowned Mashpia R’ Osher Farkash שליט”א on how to Daven with Chassidus, with practical guidance on Hisbonenus (“meditation”) for Chassidim living in 5785.
And here’s the best part: It’s designed to fit into your fast-paced life. There will only be one Shiur per week for only 40 minutes (recordings available if you can’t make it live). No pressure to become someone you’re not. Just steady learning and genuine growth at your own pace.
Yes, it’s a commitment. Yes, it takes time. But ask yourself: How many more mornings are you willing to rush through words that should be giving your day purpose but instead feel burdensome?
Turn a new page. Your Siddur is waiting to come alive. HaShem is waiting to hear your true voice.
Join me on this journey.
P.S. Remember that businessman you used to watch in Yeshiva? He’s probably wishing someone had offered him this opportunity years ago. Don’t let another year slip by. Next year, we’re going to take a deeper approach to the Siddur in a whole new way in a new cycle of learning. So join us now!
