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“normal.” Many people suffer nervousness, depression, emptiness, is the equivalent of “want.” And the Aramaic word ba’ei means
self-deprecation and self-blame. Their healing regimen is to engage both “beseech” and “need.” This is because a person beseeches
at length in the blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” to Hashem to attain what he needs. A person who needs something
repeat it over and over again, and to have in mind that they wish wants it and seeks it. Therefore, it is much easier for a person to
to know that there is no other than He, and that a human being is have intent when he recites the blessing asking for health than when
no entity at all. he recites the blessing asking for the return of our judges, because
we all need and want healing, but unfortunately we do not feel as
A person who is aware of his own nothingness does not blame strongly that we need to be judged by righteousness men and that
himself for his failures, because he knows that they all come from we need to live under the reign of Hashem. As a result, we do not
Hashem for his own good. He must pray to truly know that he must truly want that, and so we only read that blessing without will.
use his free choice to rejoice in his portion in the past and present, And that is not called beseeching and prayer, because beseeching
and to strengthen himself with positive intentions for the future. He requires will.
must be happy despite his failures and descents, accepting them as
his portion, and he must set aside time to ask Hashem to help him When we beseech Hashem to grant us matters that are close
from this moment onward. to our hearts—such as health and a decent income—we have a
strong will, because who does not want to be healed and to receive
Many people are consumed by unhealthy amounts of hatred income and blessing? However, even then our will is lacking in
and jealousy. Their healing regimen must be to engage at length in our recital of the blessings. It is true that we all want health and
reciting the blessing, “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” bearing income. But where is this will at the time that we are praying? Do
in mind that they wish to know Hashem and to know that Hashem we actually want this at the time that we say the words? If not, our
is only good, does good, supervises a person and gives him exactly will is one thing and our recital of the words another. We allow
what he needs. As you engage at length in the blessing of “He Who our natural desire for health to remain in our hearts as we make
graciously gives knowledge,” have in mind that you wish to possess our requests in prayer only with our mouths, so that there is no
the knowledge that you receive everything you need from Hashem. connection between our will and the words that we speak. That is
not called prayer but reading.
To Receive Gifts
As stated earlier, words of prayer are vessels with which to

Many people suffer greatly from the sense that they are an object receive abundance. Each word constitutes a vessel, and many words
of universal scorn. It goes without saying that they cannot accept constitute many vessels. Abundance descends from above without
criticism. Any critique tears them apart. They will brood on it for cease, and the more vessels a person has, the more abundance he
hours on end, feeling stabbed in the heart. These hypersensitive receives. But when is a word a vessel? Only when it is a word of
people suffer enormously. For days, even weeks and months, they prayer—not when it is a word of reading. Rabbi Yehudah Halevi
are hurt and wounded, and they cannot free themselves of these calls prayer without intent “the chirping of the starling.” That is
feelings. Many times, they are stung by something insignificant, or not prayer. It is only sounds, only chirping. Such words do not
they only imagine that people insulted them or maltreated them. constitute a vessel to receive abundance. A vessel means that a
Often, they understand intellectually that no one intended to person wants something. When he wants something, heaven will
disrespect them or that there was some sort of misunderstanding, give it to him. If a person speaks without wanting, that is a sign that
yet they still cannot free themselves from feeling abused. he does not want, and therefore that he does not need.

Thus, a person’s prayer and beseeching mean that he binds

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