Over the past three classes, we have spoken about focusing during prayer. We brought quoted a Mishna in Berachot, chapter five, that discusses the pious men of old who spent an hour before they prayed, contemplating, in order to clear their mind from the clutter. There are a few words in that Mishna, before it talks about the pious men of old. It says, אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ כֹּבֶד רֹאשׁ You have to start praying with a Koved Rosh/seriousness . But Rashi translates Koved Rosh as humility . Why is humility so important for prayer? In Alei Shor (vol 1 page 113), regarding how to empty your mind from the clutter before you pray, Rav Wolbe asks how you can just suddenly stop all that business you were involved in just a moment ago, that you were totally engrossed in? How do we just forget about all that? He says the only way to do it is to realize that all that business needs prayer for success. Only through praying will we have the proper outlook on the business that we do. We should realize it's not my strength and my power that makes it happen. When you start to pray, suddenly you start thinking, “ I have to do this. I have to do that ,” whether in your business, or your busy day…the cake you have to bake, the children you have to pick up from school... why do all those things pop into your mind when you start to pray? Why is it so difficult to focus? Why do all these thoughts come to mind? He says, it’s a sign that we don't really believe that we need prayer for our success. And therefore, he says, the biggest interference to our praying with kavana is not our ADHD, or our fast-paced life. Of course, that is part of it, but the main problem is our arrogance . What turns on those thoughts that flood our mind? What's the little machine that's producing all those thoughts? It’s our arrogance. Behind all of those thoughts is the fundamental belief that I'm in charge of my life and I make the things happen. If I don't think about them, and I don't take care of them, they're not going to be taken care of. We must realize the fundamental mistake in that arrogant outlook. The only way to fix it is by annulling yourself to God. That's the whole purpose of prayer. We start our prayers with bowing, and we pray with our feet and hands locked, to symbolize that we can't do anything. In the words of Rav Wolbe, “ Prayer and arrogance are an oxymoron.” They don't work together. The whole essence of prayer is humility, and with that humility, you get the proper outlook on life. Therefore, we have to put time in to focus on these important points. That means you have to have a little inner discussion with yourself. When you start praying, and those thoughts come to your mind, you have to stop yourself and say, “ Hmm, there you go again. You think you're in charge. You think you're making things happen. You don't make things happen. God can slow everything down.” You're thinking about, “ How am I going to make the sale?” But Who's going to make sure the boat comes in on time? Who's going to make sure they pay?” You're not in charge. There's a cute story Rav Matityahu Salomon told over once. He said, there was a man in England, where he used to live, who was a cutthroat in business. He was very, very tough. But he prayed a very, very long Amidah. Somebody (perhaps Rav Matityahu) once asked him, “ Why are you praying for so long? You look like you really know how to take care of your business. You're in control.” He answered , “I pray to Hashem that I know what I'm doing in my business, but I know You can ruin everything. So please, leave me. Let me do my thing.” That's what some people feel like. “ I can really handle it. Just, Hashem, don't mess anything up. Don't ruin anything .” But that's a totally warped way of looking at things. There is no success with without Hashem . If, while our eyes are closed, praying to Hashem, we're not able to focus on Him, and we're only thinking about our tactics and our hishtadlut and our activities, that's an indicator that deep down, we think we're making everything happen. And therefore, it means you have to rethink your approach to Who's really making things happen. That's the work of Kavana, and that's the work of prayer. Have a wonderful day.