Parshas Ki Sisa
By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
No, just in case you’re wondering … I am not referring to the (current) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Brett Kavanah … er, I mean … Kavanaugh.
Rather, the word I want to talk about is kavanah, the Hebrew word for intention. In its simplest meaning, it refers to concentrating the mind in the performance of a religious act, ensuring that it doesn’t devolve into rote, mechanical action. It is most commonly associated with concentration and intention in Jewish prayer, but the concept of kavanah applies to all mitzvos, as we shall see.
As the great Portugese Torah statesman, Bible commentator, and philosopher, Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437–1508), writes in his classic work Yeshuos Meshicho (12:1):
“Prayer without Intention, is like a Body without a Soul”.
Essentially, there are four kinds of kavanah one can have (or not have) when praying to G-d or performing His mitzvos, and they are:
(1) Kavanah latzeis, i.e. intention and awareness that one is performing a mitzvah, and that by doing this mitzvah he is fulfilling the will of the Al-mighty. If you’re shaking a lulav on Sukkos and you don’t even know which holiday you’re in, you likely have not done a mitzvah.
(2) Peirush Hamillim, (lit. “the meaning of the words”) - with some mitzvos, including the mitzvah of Prayer, one has to know what the words mean in order to fulfill the mitzvah. [So, for example, to perform the biblical mitzvah of reciting the Shema twice daily properly, one has to have in mind the following translation and meaning (minimally): “[Shema Yisrael,] Hear, O Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, the L-ord, the One and Only.” At this point in history, the L-ord is only our G-d, for He is not acknowledged universally. Ultimately, however, all will recognise Him as the One and Only G-d (Aruch HaShulchan 61:4).
(3) Ta’amei Hamitzvos. (lit. “the rationale for the mitzvos”).Some mitzvos such as donning tzitzis,or tefillin, or sitting in a Sukkah, require an additional intention when performing them: One must also have kavanah for those reasons. This is because the Torah itself writes the rationale for these three mitzvos. So, for example, when donning one’s tzitzis or tallis, one should have in mind that G-d commanded him to wear the tzitzis “… so that you may remember and perform all My commandments“ (Numbers 15:40).
(4) Omed Lifnei HaMelech (lit.”standing in front of the King”) - according to some Halachic authorities, there is a special kavanah that one must have before starting to pray the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah or “Silent Prayer”) three times daily. He must feel as best as he can as though he is standing in front of the King of all Kings (which, of course, he is!)
Kavanah is not just for prayer or for the performance of mitzvos, but actually applies to all areas of life. In fact, chapter 231 in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim starts off with the heading: “That all of one’s intentions be for the sake of Heaven”.
The following short but powerful story with Reb Elyah Lopian ZT”L, a great Mussar (Jewish Ethics) personality in the previous century, tells it all:
IT’S ALL IN THE INTENTION
Once, as Rav Lopian was walking down the streets of Jerusalem, he passed a construction worker fixing the sidewalk. After the man was out of earshot, Rav Lopian turned to his talmidim (students) and said, “Can you imagine the sechar (reward) that man would get if he was repairing the streets of Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel) in order to fulfill a mitzvah? His merit would be tremendous! In fact, anything in life can be a mitzvah, as long as you have in mind that you are doing it to serve G-d”
Rav Lopian himself lived this concept, turning all his seemingly mundane tasks into Avodas Hashem (Service of G-d). Whether it was taking care of his health, assisting his talmidim, or talking to others, his intention was always to serve G-d.
[Sources: Circle Magazine for Kids]
http://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=750