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feeling is not prayer. The entire value of prayer in a congregation thought to his speech, so that his prayer will have focus, soul and to Hashem’s kindness and compassion. Therefore, we ask Hashem,
lies in the fact that the congregation is composed of three types of life. And when a person’s prayer has life, it gives him life. As Rabbi “Have compassion on us with an unearned gift, hear our prayers
people: the righteous, the intermediary and the wicked. In Hebrew, Nachman teaches, “We receive the essence of our lifeforce from and give us knowledge.”
these are called tzaddikim, beinonim and resha’im—the first our prayer” (ibid. 9). Prayer renews a person’s abilities and renews
letters of which form the word tzibur, “congregation.” The prayer his faith. Of course, this refers to prayer, not to mere reading, Incidentally, I asked myself why the blessing ends, “He Who
of the tzaddikim in the congregation has great power because it is because prayer that does not have life does not do anything. hears prayer” and not “He Who accepts prayer.” The reason
recited with mighty intention. When it rises, it raises with it all of Certainly, it does not give a person life. This is explained in Eitzot appears to be that since Hashem wants to give, He accepts every
the prayers of the rest of the congregation. But when no one is Hamevu’arot (Tefillah 15): prayer that He hears. Therefore, our every prayer produces fruit.
praying with intention, when all of those praying are, as described The blessing ends, “He Who hears prayer,” because His hearing
by the Gemara, dismissive of prayer, they only create phantoms. We receive the essence of our lifeforce from our prayer. itself indicates His acceptance. And the opposite is also true. When
Then, even if they pray for days and years, all of their prayers will That is to say, when a person pays proper attention to the Holy One, blessed be He, does not hear, that means that He
remain below, because there is no one present to raise everyone’s the words of [daily] prayer that emerge from his mouth, does not accept. As the verse states: “Even when you increase
prayers. That is not called praying in a congregation, but reading or when he is involved in other types of prayer—i.e., prayer, I do not hear” (Isaiah 1:15).
in a congregation. Such prayer does not rise to heaven. It does not Psalms, techinot, and the like—and he properly heeds
even reach the ceiling but it falls to the floor, from which it does the words of the prayers that he is reciting, he feels a In the seventeenth blessing, “He Who returns His Presence
not have the power to get up. to Zion,” we ask Hashem to want us even though we are still
wonderful aliveness that one does not feel when unworthy. Why are we unworthy? Because we want things other
This is reflected in the phrase, “to assemble and stand up for engaged in any other good deed. than closeness to Hashem. Hashem wants our only goal to be
their souls” (Esther 8:11). “Stand up” refers to prayer. As our sages knowing Him and recognizing Him. If we would want only that,
state, “The word ‘standing’ indicates prayer” (Berachot 6b). “To “Hashem Seeks All Hearts” certainly Hashem would want us and we would not need to ask
assemble” refers to the congregation that assembles for prayer. The Him to want us. But because, unfortunately, we are still far from
connection between a “congregation” and prayer is found in the Since the words of prayer themselves have great power to inspire knowledge, we ask Hashem to nevertheless want us and our service,
phrase: “In congregations, bless God” (Psalms 68:27). Finally, the a person, it is a very good practice to look in the siddur while you and return the service to the Temple.
“souls” refer to a person’s intent, which is the soul of his prayer. In pray, because when you see a word with your eyes and think about
other words, we must arouse the work of the will with all our heart it with your mind, that strengthens your deep feeling. Therefore, Also, in the words, “And may the service of Israel Your nation
and soul in order to pray with true and complete intent. we learn that the Ari took care to pray from a siddur—how much always be willingly accepted,” what is the meaning of “willingly
more, then, should people like us. But if a person prefers to pray accepted”? If we did the work with our will, certainly it would
The time of prayer in a congregation is “a time of willing with his eyes closed, it is a good practice to visualize each word rise to be willingly accepted. But unfortunately, we do this work
acceptance.” As the Gemara says, “What is the meaning of the before saying it. As the Nefesh Hachaim states (ibid., chapter 13): without will. Therefore, we pray that it should nevertheless be
verse, ‘and I, my prayer to You Hashem, at a time of willing willingly accepted, as though we did it with will. And may we see
acceptance’ (Psalms 69:14)? What is ‘a time of willing acceptance’? The main thing in the work of prayer is that when a quickly the return of Hashem to Zion.
That is the time that the congregation prays” (Berachot 8a). This person verbalizes a word of prayer, he should visualize
means that this is a time especially suited for heaven to willingly the word itself and have the intention to use it to increase In the eighteenth blessing, “You Whose name is good, and
accept prayers, because at that time no hostile forces block prayer. the power of holiness, so that the power of holiness will to Whom it is good to give thanks,” the essence of our thanks
But that is only when the congregation is praying, not when the to Hashem is for the fact that we have knowledge. Therefore, this
public is reading. Therefore, the time of prayer in the synagogue is bear fruit in heaven and increase [the words’] holiness blessing begins with the words, “We thank You that You are Hashem
a time to arouse intentions, so that we can build vessels to receive and light…. It is a wonderful practice—one that is tried our God.” We thank Hashem for the fact that we know that He is
the abundance that is sent at that time. Accordingly, “a time of and true—to accustom oneself to do this, in order to “Hashem, our God and the God of our fathers,” and that “forever
willing acceptance” may also be understood as a time to arouse our eradicate and remove all vain thoughts that interfere He is our God.” The phrase, “Our Rock, Rock of our lives,” means
that Hashem is our might and the bulwark of our lives. It is as if we