Should we wait until December?  Both the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud say no, yet we eschew their logic in favor of minhagh.  Other examples of how Jews sacrifice truth for custom and convenience.

Hear why almost no one in a minyan succeeds in joining geulah with tefilla at Aravith (the evening prayers). Learn the (partial) solution of the Ramban and the Gra and how to avoid a hefsek (break) in your prayer.

Learn why Jews living in Exile say 18 verses after Haskevanu. Hear why the Rambam says to join geulah with tefilla (prayer) at arvith, but then he says you can daven them separately. Understand a frequently made mistake when bringing in Shabbat early.

Source sheet for the shiur on tefilla (prayer).

Learn about a personalized shemonah esray and how you should pray from your heart. Hear why you should change the words you daven every time. Understand why if you read the tefilla (prayer) like a letter, you're not really praying.

The focus of davening with a minyan is not your private prayer; iIt's the repetition of the Amidah. Hear the proof in the writings of the Rambam and the Ari. Learn the guidelines for customizing your shemonah esray.

Hear the debate about whether the mitsvah of tefillin--required for prayer--needs one blessing or two. Learn how Rashi disagrees with Rabbeinu Tam and about the minhag of Babylon versus Erets Yisrael.

Learn how the Talmud HaBavli distorts the mishna to produce the desired halacha (according to the Gra).  Understand how to predict what each Rav will say by learning where he’s from.

Despite local Ashkenazi custom regarding tefilla (prayer), the Gra rules to say boray nephashoth with the name of Hashem, following the Jerusalem Talmud and not the Bavli.

Prayer and blessings aren't just something you say at certain times of day. Learn which blessing you need to say when it rains. The Babylonian Talmud lists three possibilities, while the Jerusalem Talmud only one. Learn why the halakha varies with geography. Understand why people don’t follow the Jerusalem Talmud – and why you should.