אות-עו

Prayer of the night and exile - when one is beyond compulsion – just from strong good desires and yearning

Our father Jacob, when he met up with that place (Genesis 28:11, beginning of Torah portion Va'Yaitzay where Jacob leaves his parents to journey to Laban), which was brought about through his taking heart to return to the site of the Temple, and immediately the land sprang to him (the phenomenon of 'kefeetzas haderech'), as our Rabbis o.b.m. said (Sanhedrin 95b), through this he merited to attain the utter virtue of arousal initiated from below (-of one's own accord – issaroosa dillisata), through which immediately help came to him from above, in the aspect of (Sabbath 104a), one who comes to purify himself – he is helped, and therefore he established then the evening prayer (Arvis), which is (prayed) when it is completely dark, because he merited with the great magnitude of his holiness to lower himself to the depth of the falls of all of Israel, in general and in particular, of every single generation until the approaching (-'heels' – ikvussa dimmesheecha) of Messiah, and shines in the heart of Israel that even in the darkness of night, and even utterly (devoid) materialistically and spiritually, it is necessary to strengthen and to arouse in arousal from below (-of one's own accord – issaroosa dillissata) with screaming and prayer to Him blessed, in the aspect of (Jonah 2:3), “from the belly of Scheol I screamed,” and there is no good will that goes lost (Zohar, Shemos 150b), and like our master, leader, and rabbi o.b.m. said in the awesome discourse (see Words of Rabbi Nachman articles 2-3), when he extolled fantastically the greatness of the Creator blessed He, that people no nothing whatsoever (-in reality of G-d's true greatness, even those with great conceptions of G-d, cannot be considered to have any knowledge of G-d whatsoever, see there), and he concluded then with these words: Afeeloo a'yir zach <even your (plural) thing> vee ahin itlichehr iz gifallin <where each one has fallen> abbee meh iz zich nit mi'ya'ish fin shra'yen <the main thing is not to despair from screaming> meh shreyet <one screams> meh bet <one begs> etc.. There is a concept (/scheme) that everything is turned around for the good, for Hashem Yisburach is great, and people know nothing (of this) whatsoever etc., and it is precious and very significant by Hashem Yisburach every single arousing of every person, wherever he is. And immediately when a person arouses in issaroossa dillisata (-arousal from below – on his own accord) in any prayer or devotion whatsoever, immediately there is aroused plentiful issaroossa dillaila (-arousal from above), and through this he has strength to arouse further, and accordingly there will be drawn more issaroossa dillaila (-arousal from above) etc..

And this is the aspect of the prayer of arvis (night) not being obligatory (Brachos 27b), because at times the darkness and absence of mind so much overwhelms a person, to the extent that he is in the aspect of deprived of speech, the aspect of (Psalm 56:1) a mute dove (see Me'oaray Ohr: the Malchus is called a complete (-healthy) dove, and in exile it is called a mute <eellaim> dove, with the letters Yud-Hey of (G-d's Name of five letters – not to be pronounced) Eloa'H'I'm distanced and removed, remaining (just with the three letters that spell) eellaim (mute)), for he is entirely unable to open his mouth to pray, and do hisbodidus, and to express his words as would be proper for him, in the aspect of (Psalms 39:10), “I was rendered inarticulate, I will not open my mouth,” and it says (verse 3), “I was rendered inarticulate, silent etc..” And in reality, if not for the power of the great tzaddikim, they would then completely despair of praying and returning to Hashem. And this is the main rectification of the true tzaddikim, for they are in the aspect of our father Jacob, for they arouse and strengthen us, and instill in the heart of Israel that also in the utter bitterness of the exile, physically and spiritually, which is the aspect of the utter darkness of night, one should pray and return to Hashem, and never despair of screaming and prayer, as mentioned above. And even though he is then in the aspect of deprived of speech, as mentioned above, even still, each one should look upon the point of the stark truth, until each one strengthens, from wherever he is, at any rate, with strong desires and good yearning for Hashem Yisburach, in the aspect of (Psalms 119:55), “I remembered at night Your name Hashem,” and in the aspect of (Song of Songs 3:1), “On my bed in the nights I sought he whom my soul loves etc.;” That also in the utter darkness of the night we will seek and search for Hashem Yisburach with very strong desires, because ultimately what will be the tachlis (end, purpose, destiny) of us? Until through this, on his own accord, he will strengthen to open his mouth with words of prayer, also then, in the aspect of (Psalms 39:3), “I was rendered inarticulate, silent, I was mum (even) from (saying) good, and (-even though) my pain is debilitating.” And afterwards, through this itself, that even still he yearns and longs very much for Hashem Yisburach, and is pained by this, that he is in the aspect of deprived of speech, through this (verse 4), “My heart is feverish inside of me etc. I spoke with my tongue,” that he merits afterwards through this, to speak holy words with great emotion, with holiness, since the words came about through good desires and great yearning for Hashem Yisburach.

And in truth this is always the main perfection of the prayer, and this is the essential aitza (advice, remedy) for prayer, and conversing, and hisbodidus, that the matter should not be upon him as an obligation, like he needs to fulfill his obligation, which is the aspect of (Ethics of Our Fathers 2:18), “Do not make your prayer routine, rather (pray) compassionately and entreatingly,” that first he should arouse his heart with very good desires and yearning for Hashem Yisburach, for then he will pray and beseech afterwards truthfully, from the walls of his heart, of his own volition and good will, not as a perfunctory ordeal and out of obligation alone. And this is the aspect of 'the prayer of arvis (night) is not obligatory', that is, as mentioned above. Just that even still our Rabbis o.b.m. established for us an obligatory prayer (at night) for the masses, because otherwise they wouldn't pray at all. But the main perfection of these prayers themselves – (is) to pray them compassionately and entreatingly not in a routine fashion. And therefore the prayers of the day; Shacharis (-morning) and Mincha (-afternoon) which are in the daytime, that is, when the intellect (/higher consciousness) still shines, therefore they are in the aspect of mandatory. And Jacob established the prayer of arvis (night), namely to pray also in the utter darkness of night, when the intellect (/higher consciousness) has completely departed, at which time it is impossible to establish a mandatory prayer, that is to place upon him an obligation to pray then, since he is then in the aspect of absence of mind and deprived of speech, and is utterly unable to open his mouth. And therefore, then the essential establishment of prayer is by means of the aspect of 'the prayer of arvis (night) is not obligatory', that our father Jacob r.i.p. established, to draw upon himself, also then, the illumination of the truth from the light of the countenance of the true tzaddikim whom are in the aspect of Jacob, which is the aspect of (Micah 7:20), “Give truth to Jacob,” and he merited to the light of the countenance, the aspect of which our Rabbis o.b.m. said (Bava Metziah 84a), the exquisiteness of Jacob etc.. And the light of the countenance mentioned above is the aspect of desire, as brought down in his words o.b.m. (Likutay Moharan vol. 2, 4:8), as it is written (Psalms 44:4), “and the light of Your countenance for You have desired them.” And through this he will merit to strengthen himself at any rate with good desires and yearning, and then of its own accord his mouth will open with holy words, and he will pour out his heart like water before Hashem as a result of the strong force of the good desire and yearning, which is always the essential perfection of the prayer. And this is the aspect of (Genesis 28:11), “And he stayed the night there because the sun had set,” which alludes to the darkness of the exile, of body and soul, as is brought in the words of our Rabbis o.b.m. (Biraishis Rabba 68:19), and then (first words of the verse), “And he met up with (-arrived at) the place,” and he merited then to attain the utter height of issaroossa dillissata (-arousal from below – of one's own accord), and established the prayer of arvis (night), exactly as explained above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Prayer of Mincha, law 7).