Looking Down

In the last section we learned that a person should gaze out of the window immediately before praying Shemoneh Esrei. Seeing the vast expanse of the heavens will humble his heart in the advent of prayer. How should he position his eyes for the rest of Shemoneh Esrei?

“And My eyes and My heart are there always” (Melachim I 9,3). Even after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, our eyes and heart should still be connected as strongly as possible to the structure where Hashem’s Presence dwelled. How can we accomplish this?

While the Beis Hamikdash was in existence, everyone agreed that a person should focus his eyes toward the ground, for this was the place where the Shechinah rested in the Temple. Today we are no longer able to pray in the Beis Hamikdash itself, but we face the direction where the Beis Hamikdash stood. Looking down in that direction should help us remember the Temple (Tur 95,2).

If possible while praying, a person should attempt to visualize that he is inside the Beis Hamikdash. After he has created this picture in his mind, looking down for the duration of his tefillah will remind him that it is as if he were standing in the Beis Hamikdash. Maintaining this image helps to elevate one's prayers (Rabbeinu Yonah 20b).

Lifted Hearts

Elsewhere, Chazal state that one should look up while praying: “One who prays should lift up his eyes, as the verse implies [Eichah 3,41], ‘I shall lift up my heart in my hands, to G-d in the heavens.’” Halachah l’maaseh, where must one direct his eyes during prayer?

The Gemara reconciles these two seemingly contradictory statements. “A person who prays should lower his eyes and lift up his heart” (Yevamos 105b). By lowering his eyes a person internalizes his own lowliness before Hashem, and by lifting up his heart he recognizes how exalted Hashem is. Lifting up one’s heart in his hands implies that his hands are linked to the act of elevating his heart. Since some people have the custom to lift up their hands to the heavens while praying, Chazal warn us that we should not be satisfied with this act alone. Rather, we should simultaneously lift up our hearts, in order that our prayers should be acceptable to Hashem (Rabbeinu Yonah, Berachos 22b).

Practically speaking, what does "lifting up one’s heart" mean?

Since there is no physicality in the heavens, a person should consciously remove himself as much as possible from physical pleasures and matters of this world, in order to focus his mind solely on Hashem (Darkei Moshe 94,2).

Text Copyright © 2012 by Rabbi Daniel Travis and Torah.org