Prayer

1. A person should yearn and long for the general good, even though it will draw for himself alone, a loss.

2. One who prays in a synagogue, it is as if he brings a pure meal offering (mincha).

3. The Holy One, Blessed be He, is found in the synagogue.

4. Due to adulation, one's prayer is not heard.

5. Through engaging in Torah whilst under duress, one's prayer is heard.

6. One who prays for his friend, and he [himself] needs the thing [he is praying for], he is answered first.

7. One who has a humble opinion of himself, his prayer is not despised.

8. A person should always preempt prayer before trouble.

9. Anyone who exerts himself in prayer below, enemies are not able to oppose him above.

10. A person should always beseech mercy, that everyone strengthen him, and that the ministering angels assist him in requesting mercy, and that they (there) should not oppose him from above.

11. The prayer of another is more effective than one's own prayer, and even a Tzaddik needs the prayers of others.

12. It is permissible to pray regarding a habitual slanderer, that he should die, and that his Torah be forgotten, and that he should not have a portion in the World to Come, and that he should not have wise children.

13. Anyone who engages in Torah, the Holy One, Blessed be He, fulfills his needs.

14. Crying out is good for a person, whether before the decree or after the decree.

15. A person should not beseech excessively for anything.

16. On a rainy day, salvation flourishes in the world, and advocates of merit enter before Him [G-d].

17. The prayer of an individual is not heard unless he concentrates in his heart, but the prayer of a congregation is heard, even though all of them do not [pray with] a full heart.

18. One should not pray for two things [at once].

19. It is forbidden to burden Hashem to change nature.

20. One who is forbearing, his prayer is heard.

21. One who excessively relates the praises of the Omnipresent One is uprooted from the world.

22. A synagogue in which financial calculations are made -- in the end, the body of a Met Mitzvah (an anonymous corpse whose duty of burial falls on the congregation at large) will repose there.

23. Every matter of holiness requires preparation and invitation.

24. In requesting one's needs, one should not be so bold (lit. raise one's head) as to ask for a huge request. However, in matters of Torah and fear of Heaven, one should request all that he desires.

25. It is a Mitzvah for one to have respectable clothing at the time of prayer.

26. They instituted blessings [to G-d] in This World, so that [people] should become accustomed [to saying them] in the World to Come.

27. A person should ask for mercy, that he not come to poverty.

28. Through prayer, one can change the fortunes (set by the constellations).

29. Speaking in a loud voice brings feeling and movement to all the limbs.

30. One who is moved in his spirit to plead before Hashem, may He be Blessed, through this he finds grace in the eyes of Hashem, may He be Blessed.

31. Through having trust, the Holy One, Blessed be He, hears one's prayers.

32. Do not pray in a house built by a conflict monger.

33. Before the prayer, give charity, and bind yourself to the Tzaddikim of the generation.

34. A person receives abundance and G-dly power according to the place where he prays.

35. When a congregation prays, it is a time of [Divine] favor.

36. One who has [access to] a synagogue, and does not enter there to pray, causes his children to be exiled.

37. For everything -- whether for something big, or for something small -- you should pray.

38. Come early and stay late in the synagogue, for this is how you will lengthen your life.

39. One who has the ability to beseech mercy for his friend, and does not beseech, is called a sinner.

40. One who relieves himself, washes his hands, dons Tefillin, recites the Shema, and prays, it is as if he built an altar and offered a sacrifice on it, and it is as if he ritually immersed.

41. One who is careful not to say words of holiness in a filthy house (a place where due to the filth Jewish law forbids speaking holy words) will merit length of days.

42. Prayer is greater than good deeds and sacrifices.

43. Torah, good deeds, prayer, and good manners require encouragement.

44. Only pray in a house that has windows.

45. Through giving charity with two hands, one's prayer is heard.

46. During prayer, one should spread out one's hands (palms), as if he is receiving something.

47. Due to stealing, or embarrassing one's fellow man, one's prayer is not heard.

48. Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh (the first of the Jewish month) are more conducive (segulah) to bring up the prayer.

49. When a person is constipated, this is a sign that his prayer is not accepted.

50. Through the longing that a person longs at night for Hashem, may He be Blessed, through this it is easy for him to pray in the morning.

51. Prayer which is tearful, it is accepted.

52. When you pray for something, you should mention ancestral merit.

53. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, punishes an evildoer that He knows will not ever repent, and the Tzaddik prays too much for him, through this the Tzaddik is punished.

54. When someone praying falls into small-mindedness, this is a sign that his prayer will not be accepted [the original text has a noted mistake: confused].

55. When you are not at peace with the world, your prayer is not accepted.

56. You should pray for the peace of the city in which you live.

57. Someone who prays joyfully, the Holy One, Blessed be He, honors him and punishes his oppressors.

58. Through [saying] Tikkun Chatzot (the Midnight Rectification), one reminds the Holy One, Blessed be He, of the favors He promised to do for Israel.

59. One who educes merit of Israel (especially where circumstances would seemingly deem the culpable), through this, he arouses salvation, and the salvation comes through his hand.

60. One who does not pray concerning the suffering of Israel is called a (inadvertent) sinner.

61. A person needs to pray for his offspring, and for all those who will come after him.

62. It is forbidden for a person to be ungrateful, neither to a Jew nor to a Gentile.

63. Someone who prays for the sake of Israel, the Holy One, Blessed be He, atones for all his sins.

64. A sick person who prays for himself with tears, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will certainly heal him and accept his prayers.

65. When you want to uplift your prayer, pray for the sake of Israel.

66. The Holy One, Blessed be He, requests of a person to pray before Him.

67. Someone who saves a poor person from someone who has stronger strength (koach, also often an allusion to it's numerical value 28 – letters of creation, that are incorporated into the prayer) than him, is easily (resonated) in the letters of the prayer.

68. Through having trust (in G-d), a person's prayer is heard.

69. Someone who is humble is able to cry out in his prayer from the heart.

70. Through joy, your prayer will come into the palace (chamber) of the King.

71. One who derives no pleasure from his prayer, should pray with glad song.

72. One who prays with intensity, the Holy One, Blessed be He, hears his prayer.

73. One who took a vow upon himself, his prayer is not accepted until he fulfills his vow.

74. One who does not have faith, his prayer is not heard.

75. One who makes the tzadik happy, his prayer is heard.

76. Before praying, one should attach one's spirit to the Creator, and due to the attachment, the words will emerge from his mouth of their own accord.

77. When you hear yourself being humiliated and you are silent, you merit that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will answer your request.

78. One who prays for his friend, through this the Holy One, Blessed be He, doubles for him the good he [receives].

79. Prayer that is not accepted above is burned.

80. One who prays about the destruction of the Temple, through this, he will merit to pray with heart and body.

81. Pray which is with joy, is pleasing and sweet to Hashem, may He be Blessed.

82. One who has humility - even when he prays [only] in thought, the Holy One, Blessed be He, fulfills his thought.

83. Sometimes, the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not accept the prayer of a Tzaddik when he prays for some person. For the Holy One, Blessed be He, knows that in the course of time, this man will draw the Tzaddik into the some of the sins that he himself commits.

84. Thoughts only follow after one who is serving. (Explanation: One who serves Hashem, thoughts follow and are drawn after him, to confuse him more than other people. And this is: “Thoughts only follow after one who serves”).

1. Due to not asking mercy upon one's friend, one falls into incarceration. The rectification for incarceration – that he should provide for animals.

2. Prayer is paramount [another text: is effective] when one's face is turned upward.

3. One who requests mercy for the members of his generation merits revelation of the Divine Presence.

4. Through songs and praises, one draws down the Divine Presence.

5. The prayer of the leader of the prayer service possesses the aspect of war.

6. One who fulfills [the maxim] "Your fellow man's money should be as dear to you as your own", through this he merits to pray with heartfelt intention.

7. The saying of Tehilim (Psalms) is conducive (segulah) to causing rain to fall. [This is learned from the acronym of the Hebrew letters of the word] TeHiLiM = Li’mtar Hashamayim Tishteh Ma'yim (from the rain of the heavens it will drink water).

8. Anyone who is troubled by the sufferings of Israel and prays for them, even though he slams his words (slightly disrespectfully) towards Heaven, he is not punished.

9. There are prayers that are not accepted Above until one gives the amount of charity equal to the number of letters in the prayer relevant to the matter. For example, when one prays with the words "Give me children", one needs to give charity according to the number (numerical value) of the letters in the words “Give me children”(=592).

10. Through prayer, one can change the marital match proclaimed for him in Heaven.

11. The prayers of the many are heard more when they are gathered together, then to when they are scattered about.

12. Sometimes salvation does not come until several people pray, and the prayer of an individual is not enough.

13. One who has enemies, it is difficult for him to concentrate in prayer.

14. One must be careful when one mentions the Name of G-d, that it be said in holiness and purity. That is, he should sanctify the breath of his mouth to such a degree that it becomes the aspect of the spirit of prophecy. Then, this spirit goes out and casts down those who trust in falsehood and vanity. This is [hinted at in the first letters of the verse (Psalms 20:8)]: B’Shem YKVK Aelokainu Nazkir ("With the Name of the L-rd our G-d we mention") [= NAB’Y (Prophet). And the next verse continues:] "They bowed and fell."