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The more that a person increases his knowledge, because every salvation that we need is referred to in one place or others, and jealousy, hatred and competition cease, as well as all
understanding and intelligence, the more liable he grows another in the siddur at least once. When you take note of these arguments, disputes and wars. But if there is no knowledge, then
to gain an exaggerated sense of independence. He makes places and invest a little extra time in them, you will engage in great there is no peace. Thus, when Hashem blesses us with peace, He
use of the intellect that Hashem gave him to develop an amounts of prayer, and you will bring about salvations. is blessing us in a roundabout fashion: He blesses us with complete
excess of independence. That is because a person and Rabbi Nachman once made a wonderful statement. Hearing a knowledge, which will bring us peace.
his knowledge are one. Accordingly, since he thinks that person who was reciting the evening prayer quickly say the words, Peace increases knowledge. As Rabbi Nachman teaches, “As a
he understands so well with his own mind, he is liable to “Rectify us with good counsel before You” (as, sadly, most people result of the peace that exists between people, when they explore
disconnect himself, heaven forbid, from Hashem, Who recite the entire prayer), Rabbi Nachman told a student standing [spiritual matters] and explain the truth to each other, each person
is the One Who graciously grants knowledge—precisely next to him: “Do you see how he quickly says the words, ‘Rectify will cast away the falsehood of his silver gods, and draw close to
because he received that knowledge from Hashem. [This us quickly with good counsel …’? We need to say these words the truth.”
corresponds to our sages’ description of people who with great inspiration and very deep feeling from the depth
knew their Creator and rebelled against Him.] Therefore, of the heart. It is a very precious prayer, because we deeply In summation, every prayer, whether it expresses a request or
the Men of the Great Assembly, [who composed the need to beseech Hashem, may He be blessed, for His thanks, revolves around knowledge and faith, because knowledge
Shemoneh Esrei], saw that it would be proper to begin compassion so that Hashem, may He be blessed, will give and faith are the purpose of our lives. Therefore, whatever a
person’s intent, whatever he is going through, he can insert it into
[the supplicatory section] with the proclamation that us good counsel and we will know how to act…” (Sichot Haran the blessing, “You Who graciously give knowledge,” and ask for
238).
“You graciously grant man knowledge and teach human everything he needs. This may be derived from Rabbi Nachman’s
beings understanding” before we begin [the requests of One of my students told me that he was deeply inspired by statement that every expression of prayer is an entire world. And
the Shemoneh Esrei]. This blessing requests knowledge this advice. Now, every time he is uncertain and seeks counsel, when is a person’s speech complete? When he looks at the purpose
in order to implant in us the awareness that we are not he goes to a place where there are many congregations one after of existence (Likutei Moharan 65). Rabbi Nachman explains that such
the masters of that knowledge. the other (such as shtieblech or the Kotel). He begins ma’ariv a person does not leave behind any word in his prayer. As a result,
with one of the congregations, and at the words, “Rectify us with he makes his prayer a unity:
See what the gaon, Rabbi Meir Karelitz, told about good counsel before You,” he goes off to the side and recites it at
his brother, the master, the Chazon Ish. The family was length—from a few minutes to an hour or more, in accordance with A person must make the entire prayer a unity. Each
not at all surprised that he became the great leader of the amount of time he has and the urgency of the topic. When this word that he says will be found to contain all of the
the generation and that he reached incredible peaks in time comes to an end, he easily finds another congregation with words of prayer. From beginning to end, his prayer will
Torah and in developing new paths in in-depth study. which to recite the Shemoneh Esrei. This is a wonderful idea that be entirely one. Even when he stands at the last word of
That is because when he prayed the Shemoneh Esrei he can help everyone earn hours of intentions and prayers. Instead of the prayer, he will still be standing at the first word of
squandering and losing precious words and precious requests in the
made sure to pray at length, and he spent an especially flow of prayer, everyone can spend an extra few minutes and build the prayer. In this way, he can recite the entire prayer
long time on the term “from Yourself” in the blessing of himself a savings account of tens of thousands of prayers. entirely, yet nevertheless not be separated even from the
“You graciously grant.” This is in contrast to others who first letter of the prayer.
beseech Hashem, who are used to spending more time
requesting “knowledge, understanding and intelligence” You have seen above how the entire world may be included in
(or, in an alternative text of the Shemoneh Esrei, a single expression of prayer. And we may say that the meaning
of making the entirety of prayer into a unity is that the entire
“wisdom, understanding and knowledge”). A discerning prayer refers only to the revelation of knowledge, for “on that day
person will realize how truly awesome this attainment is. Hashem will be one and His name one” (as was explained earlier).
At that time, people will know Hashem completely. They will live