Our Gemara on Amud Beis teaches the proper structure of prayer:
“Rabbi Simlai taught: A person should always set forth praise of God and only then pray for his own needs.”
This is learned from Moshe Rabbeinu, who first praises Hashem in Devarim 3:24 before asking to enter Eretz Yisrael in the following verse.
At first glance, this seems to mirror royal etiquette: You don’t barge in asking for favors—you first offer honor. But that can’t be the whole story. When we relate to Hashem, we are not merely replicating courtly manners; rather, we are engaging in a spiritual process with ontological truths behind it.
Scientific thought often asks, What is this? while religious thought also asks, Why is this? If God ordained a particular sequence, there must be meaning within it.
Rav Kook, in Olas Re’iyah (Introduction, Hadrachas Tefillah), teaches that prayer is an encounter with the Infinite. In order for tefillah to have effect, the person must properly apprehend and connect to the Divine essence. If the concept of God is flawed, the prayer is “misdialed”—sent to the wrong address.
According to Rav Kook, praising God is not for His sake, but for ours. It is a preparatory act of contemplative meditation that aligns our minds and souls to become vessels for Divine influence. Only once one has entered that elevated state of awe and presence can prayer truly pierce the physical veil and affect reality.
Tzidkas HaTzaddik (§223) notes that when Yaakov Avinu declared (Bereishis 48:22) that he acquired land with his “sword and bow,” Onkelos interprets this as prayer and supplication. The Netziv and Meshech Chochmah expand on this imagery: The sword represents close-range action—praise that initiates the approach. The bow, aimed from afar, is the supplication that follows—now guided and refined.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com