Unlike the first three and last three brochos of shemona esrei which are constant and contained within every shemona esrei said during the year, the middle brochos consisting of personal bakashos are not. There is however at least one bakasha that is mentioned in every shemona esrei said throughout the year which would suggest that it is a critical בקשה.  That בקשה is שבענו מטובך which the Kuntres Avodas Hatefillah (Pathway to Prayer) translates along the lines of "Satisfy me from your goodness in a way that I don't have to pursue my taavos."  In other words, at least three times a day and even more often on Shabbos and Yom Tov Chazal have given us the opportunity to ask Hashem to quite simply let us live our lives showered with pleasure directly from Him and not have to come on to lust.  May we be zoche to not waste this opportunity and may the RBSO  shower us with his goodness.

are you referring to ושבענו מטובה which we say in ברך עלינו?

In Nusach Ashkenaz it's ושבענו מטובך.

thanks! that clears it up for me. i was trying to understand where we say 'sabenu mituvecha' during the week.

it's a gevaldig vort.

were is world- we need a tread "sfard or ashknaz"

Yalla Yalla Yallili......

heuni memass wrote on 08 Sep 2011 18:28:


On the subject of ashkenaz vs. sefard and nuschaos.  If you look at the brochos of shemona eisray and compare the various nuschaos, ashkenaz, sefard, ari, adas mizrach, etc. you will find that in every single brocha except one there is at least some difference of opinion in gersaos.  The one brocha that to my knowledge stands out is the brocha of Teshuva.  Every siddur I have checked has the same nusach.  When it comes to teshuva klal yisroel is united.  (Kind of similar to this website, no matter what your background) everyone is united in the goal of helping each other stay clean).  In the zechus of this unity may we be zoche to teshuva shelaima.

amen or omein . Great stuff as usual UAJ!

don't forget oomine

beautiful vort!

ZemirosShabbos wrote on 08 Sep 2011 18:01:


The Vilna Goan also had the menhag of saying שבענו מטובה, however the שיח יצחק seems to say that even according to this pshat it is a tefillah that a person should be satisfied and not need to pursue excessive tayvos: ושבענו מטובה פי' שיהיה לטובה ולא לרזון (ועוד כוון בזה כידוע כי אין אדם מת וחצי תאותו בידו ע"כ אנחנו מתפללים שנסתפק מטובה ר"ל מקצת טובה ולא נהיה רודף קדים כל היום

There was a Rosh Yeshiva once visiting Jewish inmates in a jail and arranged a minyan for scharis.  Towards the end of the tefila one of the inmates started taking off his tefilin during uva lezion.  After davening the RY approached the inmate and asked him what was your rush, where do you have to go? You’re in jail, there’s nowhere to go! 
Sometimes we do things so habitual it stays with us forever without even thinking about it.

A similar story is said about the Satmar Rav (I think).  A badchan once asked him permission to impersonate him for a skit being done for a chasana or Purim.  The Rav agreed.  While pretending to act like the Satmar Rav, the badchan noticed tears running down the Rav’s face.  The badchan felt so awful and horrified and afterwards immediately went to ask for mechila.  The Rav explained that he wasn’t crying because he was being made fun of.  He was crying watching himself act every day.  He realized that each day he simply mimics what he did the day before.

Often we end up davening by rote, without much emotions and just mimic what we’ve been doing for years.  Especially during these yemi ratzon we should strive to make our tefilos meaningful and not just another routine and habit. 

Saw this today:

TAKE TIME TO PRAY

I got up early one morning,
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish,
I didn’t have time to pray.

Troubles just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task.
"Why doesn’t God help me?" I wondered.

He answered, "You didn’t ask."

I tried to come into God’s presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"Why, child, you didn’t knock."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
He said, "You didn’t seek."

I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.

רמב"ן שמות כ"ב, כ"ו: ושמעתי כי חנון אני

    "'אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך לא תהיה לו כנשה... והיה כי יצעק אלי ושמעתי כי חנון אני - חנון ומקבל תחינת כל אדם אע"פ שאינו הגון"

Based on this possuk and the explanation of the Ramban, that the RBSO listens and accepts the tefila of every person, worthy and unworthy, Rav Shalom Arush writes in Bisdei Ya'ar that the foundation and prerequisite of prayer is to know and believe that the RBSO is merciful. And He listens and 'pays attention' to our prayer. Regardless of whether the person is worthy or not. (as long we don't base our request on a feeling of entitlement, rather we ask for a matnas chinam, basing our request only on His mercy).

Thanks ZS. I often fall into that trap.  What zechus do i have that hashem should listen to me anyway?  But I have it all wrong.  A person does not daven based on his zechuyos.  It is all a matnas chinam.  If so, then why not me?  I can take a free hand out just as well as the next guy .

Last three posts - LIKE, LIKE, LIKE.
The idea that Hashem lends an attentive ear to prayers of "unworthy" is something I had trouble coming to terms with. It is only that I see it be the case, all the time!