Festival Prayers: Ya’aleh Viyavo III

Ya’aleh – “Let our prayer go up.”  And after it goes up, Viyavo – “Let it come into You.” After it comes into You, v’yagiah – “May our prayer meet You.”  V’yeraeh – “And may You see our prayer,” v’yeratzeh – “and may you desire it.”  Do you realize how powerful your prayer has to be, and how beautiful, that God should see it and desire it.  And then, Ve’yishama – “and hear our prayer, va’yipaked – “and respond to it.”  But look at what you have to go through for God to ‘desire’ your prayer.  This is what we want God to do. We want God to desire our prayer.  Actually, we are reminding ourselves.  How many tefillot do we say that are beautiful enough?  How may of us can say that?