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112 | A New Light 4 Chapter Four:
build the vessels with which to receive abundance. We do not pray
in order to “persuade” Hashem. Hashem wants to give more than
we want to receive. “More than the calf wants to suckle, the cow
wants to nurse” (Pesachim 112a). We pray only in order to construct
vessels in which to receive the Creator’s goodness and kindness.
Therefore, the longer we engage in prayer the more we receive.
“To All Who Call to Him”
This law is stated in the Gemara (Berachot 32a): “Rabbi Chanin
said in the name of Rabbi Chanina: When a person prays at length,
his prayer does not return empty.” We must know that this spiritual
law is not at all different from any other law of nature that is familiar
to us. Just as there is a law of nature that fire burns and heats, and
there is a law of nature that water extinguishes fire, so too is there
a law that when a person prays at length his prayer does not return
empty.
We must read this statement carefully and note that the Gemara
does not say “when a righteous person prays at length,” but
“when a person prays at length,” because it really makes no
difference who is praying. If he prays at length, there is a law that
his prayer is accepted. As the verse in Psalms states, “Hashem is
close to all who call out to Him” (Psalms 145:18), and as we say in
prayer, “He hears the prayer of every mouth” (siddur). Therefore,
every person who prays at length is assured that his prayer will not
return empty. And so the Gemara advises, “If a person sees that he
prayed and was not answered, he should pray again” (ibid.).
In accordance with this, Rabbi Natan teaches us an iron-clad
principle. He states, “Wherever I see a lack, it is either because
people did not pray for something at all, or because they only
prayed a little.” When people lack something, that is because they
did not pray enough.
Another aspect of this is that heaven may have determined that
a person deserves to receive material or spiritual abundance for his
merits, but he does not receive it because he does not pray! Why?
That is because abundance must enter into vessels, and our prayers
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are those vessels. It may be that in consequence of a person’s merits
and good deeds heaven wants want to generously give him a great
amount of holiness and purity, fear of heaven, love of Hashem and
more. But he must have a great amount of vessels. And therefore he
must engage in much prayer. Even if, according to the reckonings
of heaven, he already deserves to receive, if he does not pray, he
will not receive.
Therefore, Rabbeinu Yerucham says (s.v. Bereishit) that although
the holy matriarchs were promised children and they had many
merits, “without prayer, they would not have attained anything.”
And the same applies to the holy patriarchs and to Hashem’s
promise to our forefathers to redeem them. If they did not pray,
they would not have been redeemed!
Rabbeinu Yerucham concludes, “This is the measure: nothing is
given. A person himself is obligated to take them. If he does not set
his mind to pray, he will not attain anything.”
Thus, the Creator implemented a law in Creation that
when we pray we bring down abundance and we receive
all that we want. And so the Thus, the life of every person
proceeds in accordance with his prayers.
Fourth Law: When You Want, You Receive
The holy Gemara in Makkot (10b) teaches that “in the way that
a person wishes to go, he is led.” A person who wants something
is led in that direction. Even if he himself does not have the power
to proceed, if he only wants, heaven leads him. Thus, the power
of the will is the force that determines the totality of a person’s
existence. It is the engine of all life. This is clear, and requires
no proofs and evidence. That which we want we do, without any
restrictions. And the Gemara says that this is a law in accordance
with which Hashem guides the world: a person is led in the way
that he wants to go.