Although it’s important to concentrate throughout the Shemoneh Esrei, in the first bracha – Magein Avraham – concentration is absolutely essential. The Shulchan Aruch [Siman 101:1] states categorically that if one doesn’t have the proper kavanah, intentions, in the first bracha, you have to say Shemoneh Esrei over again. The Rema qualifies this by saying that in practice we don’t say Shemoneh Esrei again since we probably won’t have kavanah the second time as well.
The Chafetz Chaim in the Biur Halacha says he would think that if a person realizes after Magein Avraham that he didn’t have kavanah, he should stop and not finish the Shemoneh Esrei. This is because everyone agrees that he doesn’t fulfill Shemoneh Esrei, therefore, that would make the rest of his Shemoneh Esrei brachot levatalos (blessings in vain), so how could he continue? He suggests that if someone says the first bracha and then realizes he was daydreaming, he should stand quietly and wait until the chazan says the chazoras hashatz, the repetition. He should concentrate on the chazan’s first bracha, fulfilling his requirement through the chazan and only then continue his own Shemoneh Esrei.
The Piskei Teshuvos says that in practice we don’t do this. He cites the responsa of the Yabia Omer, that if one pauses for enough time to finish the Shemoneh Esrei, he has to go back to the beginning. Furthermore, since in our day many chazanim don’t have the proper intention, we rely on the Chayei Adam – that one can continue the Shemoneh Esrei although he didn’t have kavanah in the first blessing.
In his Kehilas Yaakov, the Steipler Rav, zt”l, zy”a, explains that one can continue saying Shemoneh Esrei since, although he doesn’t fulfil the premium obligation of tefilah b’kavanah, he does fulfill the basic obligation of prayer. He cites from the great Mabi”t that Hashem in his kindness accepts the prayers of our mouth even when they are mindless. This is what we say in Shema Koleinu, “Ki Attah shomei’ah tefilas kol peh amecha Yisrael b’rachamim – For You (the Almighty) listens to the prayer of every mouth of His nation Yisrael with mercy.” The emphasis is on ‘prayers of the mouth,’ even if they are bereft of mind and heart. (This is although the Balei Mussar say wryly that a tefilah only of the peh is considered feh!) To come full circle, since one fulfills the lowest level of prayer, the rest of his Shemoneh Esrei blessings are not considered brachot levatalos.
What if one wakes up, say, in the bracha T’ka B’shofar and realizes he was a space cadet and hadn’t paid attention since the beginning? In the name of the great Chazon Ish, zt”l, zy”a, the Orchos Rabbeinu [1:59] has a more arduous solution. He recommends that one should stop, mentally think about the meaning of the blessings from the beginning until where he is up to, and only then continue on. Rav Shloma Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, zy”a, also gives this recommendation as well. If one takes this high road, he will find himself davening longer Shemone Esreis much of the time. But I can also guarantee you that the end result will be very therapeutic because, after having to do this kind of mental gymnastics a few times, you will become much more careful to pay attention.
As an aside, Rav Shlomo Zalman extrapolates from this Kehilas Yaakov and Mabi”t that the protection that we get from saying one hundred brachot every day is there even if we don’t have kavanah when saying the brachot. This is since we at least fulfill the basic level of prayer even without kavanah, so it’s enough to afford us protection.
Finally, what is so exceptional about the blessing Magein Avraham that the Shulchan Aruch says that we have to say Shemoneh Esrei over again if we didn’t have kavanah? The answer is because the first blessing is the password to get into Hashem’s Palace, to have an audience with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. By saying the G-d of our forefathers, the G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov, we are identifying ourselves as the children of the Avos. Only then do the Heavenly gates swing open to us. If we don’t have kavanah in Magein Avraham, we never were admitted. That’s why our concentration is so indispensable and crucial.
In the merit of our heightened awareness of the importance of kavanah b’tefilah, may Hashem accept our prayers and bless us with long life, good health, and everything wonderful.
Transcribed and edited by Shelley Zeitlin.
