Rav Kook explains the significance of the three terms used for davening with regards to the Avos, עמידה, שיחה, פגיעה, standing, conversing and meeting.
He explains that the fundamental principles that a person acquires of respect for God and morality, are easily lost due to the daily tribulations of life. The purpose of tefila is to instill these principles with a person so that they are not forgotten. This is most important in the morning so that a person should prepare himself before he begins to focus on his daily needs in order to acquire for himself a firm moral grounding so that he does not falter in the face of the vicissitudes of time and can withstand the challenges. It is called standing because it helps the person stand up to the challenges and is associated with Avraham who withstood ten trials.
שיחה, conversing, is also a word that means grass, as it refers to the mind's growth into new capabilities. This is most appropriate towards evening, the time of Mincha, when a person is ready to remove from himself his temporal concerns and his soul can rise. The holy feelings that are latent within him can start to grow until they develop into a large tree.
Night time is when a person can rest and contemplate. People can have holy visions as they are sleeping, which cannot occur when they are attached to their physical selves and their senses. This is called פגיעה, a sudden meeting, as they are above a person's intellect and do not come through a natural progression but suddenly.
He explains that the fundamental principles that a person acquires of respect for God and morality, are easily lost due to the daily tribulations of life. The purpose of tefila is to instill these principles with a person so that they are not forgotten. This is most important in the morning so that a person should prepare himself before he begins to focus on his daily needs in order to acquire for himself a firm moral grounding so that he does not falter in the face of the vicissitudes of time and can withstand the challenges. It is called standing because it helps the person stand up to the challenges and is associated with Avraham who withstood ten trials.שיחה, conversing, is also a word that means grass, as it refers to the mind's growth into new capabilities. This is most appropriate towards evening, the time of Mincha, when a person is ready to remove from himself his temporal concerns and his soul can rise. The holy feelings that are latent within him can start to grow until they develop into a large tree.
Night time is when a person can rest and contemplate. People can have holy visions as they are sleeping, which cannot occur when they are attached to their physical selves and their senses. This is called פגיעה, a sudden meeting, as they are above a person's intellect and do not come through a natural progression but suddenly.
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