אות-מב

Encouragement to pray strongly even when one seemingly has reason to be disheartened

He said: Even if a person is the way he is, even still he should strengthen and embolden his heart to pray to Hashem Yisburach. And he said, that one should think in his heart, “Behold, if in my eyes I am so distant from Hashem Yisburach due to my plethora of sins, in that case, on the contrary, the main completion of the prayer – is specifically through me, for behold our rabbis o.b.m. said (Kreesus 6:), every prayer that doesn't include in it, (something) from the prayers of the iniquitous of Israel, is not (considered) prayer, and we learn this from the Incense (Kitoaress), which contained chelbinnu (galbanum). So if this is the case, if I am like the iniquitous of Israel Heaven forbid, if so, on the contrary, the entire completion of the prayer is specifically through me, as mentioned above, so certainly I need to strengthen (myself) all the more so, to pray to Hashem Yisburach, and be confident in Hashem's kindness, that He will listen and receive my prayer as well, for on the contrary, specifically through me there is the main completion of the prayer, for it is impossible to burn the Kitoaress without chelbinnu, hence chelbinnu is also the completion of the Kitoaress. And so too regarding prayer, as mentioned above, without my measly prayer which joins the prayer of Israel, the prayer would not have completion.” (Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 295). And see additional strong encouragement regarding prayer in Words of Rabbi Nachman (article 283) what he said regarding the youth, who are usually perturbed in their prayers due to their not having merited to sanctify themselves properly in the holiness of conjugation, and therefore when they stand afterwards to pray, it is very difficult for them to pray. And he o.b.m. warned of this many times, not to fall in resolve from this whatsoever, and what was, was, and during the prayer it is necessary to forget everything completely, and rally to always pray with joy as is befitting, whatever state he is in, and to trust in Hashem Yisburach that in the very end he will merit through the prayer to win the battle, and to sanctify himself as is befitting. And he said, that regarding this Abba Binyumin took pains (Brachos 5b) that his prayer should be close to his bed; “bed“ is a term for conjugation, and this is the meaning of “on my prayer, that it should be close to my bed,” namely, that I should be able to pray afterwards, immediately following, and this matter should not disconcert my prayer whatsoever.