There are two opinions in the
Gemara[94] with regard to the source of the three daily prayers. According to one opinion, Avraham established the
Shacharis prayer, Yitzchak the
Minchah prayer, and Yaakov the
Maariv prayer. According to a second opinion,
Shacharis and
Minchah were instituted to correspond to the two daily
Tamid offerings, while
Maariv corresponds to "the remains of the offerings that were not consumed by evening, and are consumed during the course of the night."
According to both opinions the order of prayer is Shacharis, Minchah and Maariv, for
- Avraham instituted Shacharis, then Yitzchak established Minchah, and finally Yaakov introduced Maariv;
- the morning daily offering, which corresponds to Shacharis, preceded the afternoon daily offering -- Minchah -- which in turn preceded the offerings consumed at night -- Maariv.
However, in another location
[95] the
Gemara indicates that the order of the three prayers is
Maariv,
Shacharis and
Minchah, an order that follows the world's creation where night preceded day. How are we to reconcile these opposing views?
There is a general Halachic principle that "With regard to 'Works of Creation' day ensues after night," while "With regard to sacrificial offerings night succeeds day."[96]
Accordingly we may say that regarding the two orders of prayer, whether Maariv is the concluding prayer ("night follows day"), or Maariv is the opening prayer ("day follows night"), depends on whether prayer falls under the heading of "offerings" or "Works of Creation." In point of fact, both these aspects exist in prayer.
This is because prayer contains two distinct elements: On one hand, prayer consists of "service of the heart" -- serving G-d "with all one's heart"[97] -- while on the other hand, the simple meaning of prayer is "supplication," wherein the person petitions G-d for his personal needs.
These two aspects of prayer are quite antithetical. Divine service consists of cleaving to G-d and accepting His yoke;[98] at such a time one would think that personal needs do not come into consideration at all. Nevertheless, prayer also consists of asking G-d for one's personal needs -- the very opposite of selfless devotion.
This is because the "service of the heart" aspect of prayer -- cleaving to G-d -- is similar to the aspect of "offerings," inasmuch as -- similar to bringing an offering -- the person then stands before G-d and desires to come close to Him. Supplicating for one's needs is similar to "Works of Creation," i.e., physicality, where the person thinks of his own physical needs.
The explanation of this is as follows:
In terms of spiritual service, "Works of Creation" denotes divine service wherein holiness is drawn down into this world, while "offerings" relates to service with those matters that have G-dliness already revealed within them.
The same holds true regarding the personal spiritual service of each individual, composed as he is of soul and body: "Offerings" denotes the manner of service that reveals the sanctity of the soul which is "truly a part of G-d above,"[99] while "Works of Creation" is the service of refining the body.
This also explains why with regard to "Works of Creation" day follows night, and with regard to "offerings" night follows day:
"Offerings" is a form of service that from the very outset deals with matters wherein holiness is already revealed; one begins with a state of illumination and daylight and forges ahead[100] to ever more luminous levels of holiness. So that the "darkness" that follows this ever increasing light of day, is in truth a form of "black light" -- light that transcends ordinary luminescence (and thus termed "dark").[101] When this degree of holiness -- night that follows day -- is revealed, the person attains a state of complete nullity.
"Works of Creation," however, wherein darkness precedes light, is the service of drawing down G-dliness within a "dark," i.e., material world. As a result, this manner of service begins at night and proceeds into illumination and daylight -- illuminating the world with the "daylight" of holiness, until the darkness of materiality itself is transformed into the light of holiness.
Prayer also contains these two aspects:[102] The "service of the heart" aspect consists of toiling to reveal the light of one's soul through the arousal of love and awe of G-d in one's heart. Then there is the verbal aspect of prayer, where mere intent does not suffice, one must physically enunciate the prayers. This latter aspect is necessary because the ultimate purpose of prayer is to refine the body and animal soul -- something accomplished through the physical expression of the words of prayer.
These, then, are the two orders of prayer: With regard to the soul's cleaving to G-dliness, one begins with the daylight prayer of Shacharis, a luminous state. With regard to the refinement of one's body, animal soul, and the world as a whole, the night prayer of Maariv -- the state of spiritual darkness that needs to be transformed to light and holiness -- is the first of the three daily prayers.
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXXV, pp. 125-129.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Berachos 26b.
- (Back to text) Ibid., 26a.
- (Back to text) Chullin 83a.
- (Back to text) Beginning of Tractate Taanis.
- (Back to text) See Torah Or, p. 79b; Or HaTorah, Vayeitzei.
- (Back to text) Tanya, beginning of ch. 2.
- (Back to text) See Berachos 28a.
- (Back to text) See Or HaTorah, Masei -- end of p. 1,397; Biurei HaZohar of the Tzemach Tzedek, p. 91.
- (Back to text) See Kuntres HaAvodah, ch. 1; Ein Omdin 5678; Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. IV, p. 776a ff.
Toldos