Attention spans and deficits

ירושלמי ברכות פרק ב סוף הל' ד

א"ר חייא רובא אנא מן יומי לא כוונית אלא חד זמן בעי מכוונה והרהרית בלבי ואמרית מאן עליל קומי מלכא קדמי ארקבסה אי ריש גלותא.   

שמואל אמר אנא מנית אפרוחיא   

רבי בון בר חייא אמר אנא מנית דימוסיא   

א"ר מתניה אנא מחזק טיבו לראשי דכד הוה מטי מודים הוא כרע מגרמיה 

 Yerushalmi Berachot 2:4

Ribbi Hiya said, "I never got a chance to remain attentive during my prayers. One time, I really tried to focus. Instead, however, all I could do is wonder who walks into the king's office first when they go to visit him: the prime minister or the head of the Jewish community (Resh Galuta)."

Shemuel said, "I would absentmindedly count the birds fluttering around during my tefila."

Ribbi Bon bar Hiya said, "I would absentmindedly count the rows of brick in the nearest wall."

Ribbi Matnia said, "I am ever so grateful to my head, for when I reach Modim in my tefila, it bows on my behalf."

A"A would emphasize from here that maintaining focus during tefila is not an easy task at all. It is something that even the amoraim would struggle with at times. However, according to Halacha, it is absolutely necessary to at the very least say the first beracha of amida with proper attention and focus.
May HB"H grant us the ability to remain attentive for all our tefilot in the merit of the limmud Torah we just accomplished by learning this Yerushalmi. 

Good wine, nice beaches, and Limmud Torah

שבת קמז:

רבי אלעזר בן ערך איקלע להתם (עיר שהיה שם יין טוב וים יפה, ויכול להיות שהתכוונו על מיאמי) אימשיך בתרייהו איעקר תלמודיה כי הדר אתא קם למיקרי בספרא בעא למיקרא (שמות יב) "החדש הזה לכם." אמר "החרש היה לבם" בעו רבנן רחמי עליה והדר תלמודיה והיינו דתנן ר' נהוראי אומר הוי גולה למקום תורה ואל תאמר שהיא תבא אחריך שחבריך יקיימוה בידך ואל בינתך אל תשען

Shabbat 147b (Loosely translated)

Ribbi Elazar b. Arach traveled to a city known for its good wine and beautiful beaches, but which had no Torah. He was drawn after these pleasures, and as a result, forgot all of his limmud. When he returned from his vacation, they called him up to the sefer Torah for an aliya. His pasuk started off, "hachodesh haze lachem", but he could no longer differentiate between letters like כ and ב or ד and ר and read instead, "hacheresh haya libam".  His peers prayed that God might have mercy on him, and he regained his Torah. 

This is why R. Nehorai taught in a mishnah: It is preferable for someone to exile himself to a place of Torah than to sit around and wait for the Torah to find him. A person cannot assume that having friends that are knowledgeable or that being bright will save him from ignorance. 

When A"A shares this gemara, he emphasizes the fact that Ribbi Elazar b. Arach wasn't just some nobody- he was one of the tana'im. Nevertheless, by focusing his attention on the pleasures of life, even if they are within the realms of halacha, like good wine and nice beaches, he neglected his Torah to such an extreme that he forgot how to read. How much more so must we be cautious that the focus of our attention always remains Torah, and that we take an active role in educating ourselves. A passive attitude will not only restrict our growth, but will reduce us to ignorance. 

Talmudic Pharmaceuticals

שבת דף קח:

שלח ליה רבי ינאי למר עוקבא: לישדר לן מר מהנך קילורין דמר שמואל! - שלח ליה: שדורי משדרנא לך, דלא תימא צר עין אנא. אלא הכי אמר שמואל: טובה טיפת צונן שחרית, ורחיצת ידים ורגלים בחמין ערבית, מכל קילורין שבעולם

Shabbat 108b

Rav Yanai once sent a letter to Mar Ukva requesting some Kilurin, a medicinal plant from the times of the Talmud, which was made popular by Shemuel.
He responded, "Attached, please find several grams of Kilurin. However, I only sent them so that you won't think that I'm a cheap jerk. Shemuel already told us, 'Good hygiene does more for one's health than all the Kilurin in the world!'"

Please, on behalf of all of humanity, and at least out of respect for Shemuel, wash your hands after you use the restroom!