The Proper Place to Pray
By Rabbi Shmuel Grunberger
The Gemara in Pesachim (88a) says: "We don't follow Avraham about whom the pasuk says he davened 'on a mountain,' and we don't follow Yitzchak about whom the pasuk says he davened 'in a field.' Rather, we follow Yaakov who called the place he davened in a 'bayis,' a house. As the pasuk says, "Vayikra es shem hamakom hahu Beis Al," "And he called the name of that place the House of the Almighty."
Rav Shimshon Pincus, zt"l explains that there was a fundamental disagreement between the patriarchs as to the ideal place to connect oneself to Hashem through tefilla. They all agreed that in the street or a park was definitely not an option because davening, where one connects intimately with Hashem, needs to be more private and personal. Avraham Avinu felt that high up on a mountain was far from all the mundane matters of the world and therefore would be fitting for a private relationship with the Almighty. Yitzchak Avinu, however, felt that a mountain wasn't enough, because even though there aren't many people found on top of a mountain, it is still a "shetach hefker"- an open property for all to enter. Therefore, Yitzchak decided the more proper setting is a "sadeh"- a private field. Yaakov Avinu felt that even a private field isn't good enough to form one's intimate relationship with Hashem. The ideal place is a "bayis"- a house. No one enters a house without knocking on the door. Even if the door is unlocked, one still knocks knowing it is a private property and that permission is needed to enter.
This is what the Gemara means, "Not like Avraham on a mountain, and not like Yitzchak in a field, but rather like Yaakov - in a house." Yaakov has taught Klal Yisrael a very important lesson. When it comes to the relationship with our Father in heaven, just dveykus (attachment) itself is not enough. It needs to be dveykus in a private place where nothing can distract us. Not on a mountain and not in a field, but rather only in a bayis - a Bais Hamikdash.
The Beis Hamikdash was a place where we lived together with Hakodosh Baruch Hu in holiness and purity. One had to be completely pure and clean from all mundane thoughts and activities to enter the Beis Hamikdash.
Rav Shimshon continues, that because we don't have a Beis Hamikdash nowadays, the need arises for us to strive to become talmidei chachmim and yireishamayim. Talmideichachamim and yireishamayim live intimately with Hashem, not allowing any outside influences to hinder the relationship. The closest we come to a Beis Hamikdash nowadays, is our own bayis/house (which is referred to as "mikdash m'at"), a beishaknesses/shul, and a beismedrash. It is therefore essential to be extremely careful while in such places to remember this Gemara. We have to enter our house, shul or beismedrash holy and pure, and of course maintain the "kedusha and tahara" while inside.
With this new understanding of the pasuk, let us strengthen ourselves and work on removing whatever distractions are weakening our relationship with Hashem. Let us introspect and discover if anything is distancing us from our private and pure dveykus with Hashem. If we keep this in mind, hopefully Hashem will answer our tefillos and bring Mashiach along with the real "Bayis" - the third and final BeisHamikdash!
