תּוֹרָה ב - אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים

Torah 404

The primary weapon [k'lay zayin] of the Jewish person is prayer. All the battles that a person must conquer — whether battles against the Evil Inclination, or other battles with those who obstruct and oppose him — all of them are fought through prayer, and from prayer comes all his vitality [chiyus]. Therefore, whoever wishes to truly attain the holiness of Israel [kedushas Yisrael] must multiply prayers, supplications, and personal conversations between himself and his Maker [sichos baino l'vayn Kono] — for this is the primary weapon with which to prevail in the battle. [See the Jerusalem Talmud, Berachos (34): "One does not say to a person: 'Stand and pray' — but rather: 'Come and draw near, wage our battles.'"]

Whoever guards the holy bris [covenant of purity] merits prayer — and conversely, one who blemishes the bris has his prayer taken from him. [As stated in the Tikkkunim [Tikkunay Zohar] (29, p. 2b): "Whoever slays the serpent" — which at its root refers to licentiousness [arayos], as explained within — "is given the daughter of the King, which is prayer." And this is what is written after the verse ""Gird your sword upon your thigh"" [Psalms 45:4] — explained within — ""Daughters of kings..."" [ibid. v.10], ""All glorious is the king's daughter within"" [ibid. v.14].]

One must set aside charity [tzedakah] before prayer — and through this, his prayer flows fluently from his mouth. Furthermore, through charity one is saved from alien thoughts [machshavos zaros] during prayer, and can pray properly — neither turning aside to the right nor to the left — but rather weighing all his words with judgment [mishpat].

It is impossible to attain complete prayer except through complete guarding of the bris. Therefore every person must bind his prayer to the true Tzadikim of the generation — for they know how to elevate each and every prayer to the place where it belongs, and they build from the prayers the full stature of the Shechinah [Divine Presence]. Through this, the coming of Mashiach is brought nearer.

Torah and prayer strengthen one another and illuminate one another — therefore one must engage in both specifically. And every letter of Torah that a person studies in order to observe and to do [lishmor v'la'asos] — all those letters are sparks of souls [nitzotzay neshamos], and they clothe themselves within the prayer and are renewed there in the manner of ibbur [spiritual gestation] — and through this, the light of prayer is further completed. However, the ultimate completion is through connecting and bringing the prayer to the Tzadik of the generation.

If a person multiplies prayer and hisbodidus [personal secluded conversation with G-d] for many days and years — and yet he sees in himself that he is still very far from Hashem Yisborach, and it seems to him as though Hashem Yisborach is, G-d forbid, hiding His face from him — let him not err, G-d forbid, to think that Hashem Yisborach is not hearing his prayers and conversations at all. Rather, let him believe with complete faith that Hashem Yisborach hears, listens, and attends to every single word of every prayer, supplication, and conversation — and no word is lost, G-d forbid. Rather, every single word makes a small impression on High and each time arouses His mercy, may He be blessed. It is only that the spiritual edifice [binyan d'kedushah] into which he needs to enter has not yet been completed. But as the days and years multiply — if he does not become dulled and does not fall in spirit in any way whatsoever, and instead strengthens and encourages and exerts himself further and further in prayer — then through the abundance of prayers His mercy, may He be blessed, will be stirred; until Hashem Yisborach turns toward him and illuminates His face to him and fulfils his desire and will, through the power of the true Tzadikim — and draws him close with great mercy and compassion.

It is not fitting to think about receiving reward for anything — for all our good deeds and all our prayers are entirely from Him, may He be blessed. Therefore, even if a person sometimes merits some measure of salvation and a degree of closeness, let him not think that he earned this through his Torah, his prayer, and his good deeds — for everything is from Him, may He be blessed, as above. Were it not for His great lovingkindness, he would long since have been drowned, G-d forbid, in that in which one drowns — may the Merciful One spare us.

The primary root of the Evil Inclination is in the domain of licentiousness [arayos] — and this is the primary domain of impurity [tum'ah]. Therefore one must know that the primary trial of every person in this world is in this desire. Fortunate is the one who merits to prevail in this battle.

The true Tzadik of the generation is in the aspect of the great luminary [ma'or ha-gadol] — and he shines upon and illuminates prayer, which is in the aspect of the small luminary [ma'or ha-katon]. [Allusion to Genesis 1:16 — "the great luminary to rule the day and the small luminary to rule the night." The Tzadik is the sun; prayer is the moon, which has no independent light but shines with reflected light from the Tzadik.]