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Therefore, he must also sit a little while after he has living without difficulty requires knowledge, because it becomes Then recite the words again with longing, and as you say every
prayed, and only then go on his way. much easier when a person knows that only Hashem provides word think about one of your children, and have in mind your
his income. A person who knows Hashem does not grow angry, prayer that Hashem give him or her knowledge and intent so that
The early pietists used to spend an hour before prayer, because he knows that no one is doing anything to him. Everything he or she will attain faith and know the Torah, and so forth.
and an hour after prayer and engage in prayer for an comes only from Hashem. At whom should he be angry—at
hour. Hashem? A person who has knowledge undergoes all tribulations Review the words again and think about your relatives, your
easily, because he looks at everything as being what Hashem wants. friends, and the entire nation of Israel. Pray that they will all attain
And Rabbi Yehudah Halevi states in Hakuzari (3:43): A person who has knowledge finds Hashem at every moment in his all of the above. You may review that intent a number of times and
life. He knows and understands what Hashem wants from him and desire it again and again.
A person should not recite his prayers by rote and what Hashem is showing him. Thus, the entirety of having a good
Whenever your heart is aroused with intent and beseeching,
habit, like a starling or parrot. Instead, he should recite life depends on a person’s knowledge. you must repeat the words at length with that intent. If you have
every word with thought and intent. That period So too the purpose of learning Torah is to know Hashem, because a special need regarding one of the issues mentioned above or
should constitute the heart and fruit of his time, knowing Torah without knowing Hashem is learning Torah in a regarding another issue, repeat your request over and over again.
and his other hours should be like paths that lead to that way that is far from a Jew’s purpose in life. The principal point to For instance, if you are learning a difficult passage in the Torah
period of time. He should look forward to it, because be made here is that a person’s will is knowledge. As the Ramban and you want knowledge and help from heaven to understand it
he is then similar to spiritual beings and unlike animalistic writes, “The word da’at is used in relation to will” (Ramban on Genesis and remember it, when you say, “Graciously give us…,” have that
beings. The fruit of his day and night should be the three 2:9). Certainly, a person who has knowledge wants Hashem alone. in mind. With the desire that heaven will open the wellsprings of
daily times of prayer, and the fruit of the week should Therefore, we must request, “Give us complete knowledge so that wisdom and the gates of remembering, repeat the words over and
be the day of the Sabbath, because it is dedicated to we will only want You.” The purpose of life is to attain knowledge, over again.
clinging to the Divine. and with knowledge we can complete all that we lack in life. The
entire crux of this book, with all of its wonderful light, is that we Draw from the Wellsprings
Rabbi Nachman says that the essential factor is the will. Therefore, must ask Hashem to graciously give us knowledge.
in the essential service of Hashem—which is prayer—the principal One of the most extraordinary Torah leaders of recent generations
factor is the will in prayer. Although we must strengthen ourselves A Personal Relationship was Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Chazon Ish, whose
throughout the day with intent and longing, the time of prayer is awesome mastery of Torah—by means of which he attained the
especially designated to fully express all of our intentions. Therefore, When a person knows all of this, his will is awakened to receive unceasing and inexhaustible wellsprings of wisdom, understanding,
prayer must be the raison d’etre of every seeker of Hashem, of knowledge. This will is the essence of a person’s deep feeling and and knowledge—could clearly be seen. Divine inspiration spoke
every person who is truly bound to that goal. As the Gemara says: heartfelt awareness when he recites the blessing, “He Who graciously from his throat, and he gave advice and counsel in all areas of
“If only a person could pray the entire day!” (Berachot 21a). gives knowledge.” The more a person wants to attain knowledge, life for every Jew and regarding the conduct of the totality of the
the greater is the amount of intent that he invests in reciting this Jewish people. How did he attain all of this?
blessing, the amount of soul and vitality that he places in the words.
Then this prayer rises and its every word becomes a complete vessel His brother, the Torah luminary Rabbi Meir Karelitz, testified
Let Us Make Use of This Opportunity in which to receive knowledge. This is (as stated earlier) because the about the source of the qualities in Torah, knowledge, and so forth,
words are vessels in which to receive abundance, and the wholeness that the Chazon Ish attained. These were quite remarkable, and
As stated earlier, the words of prayer are vessels in which we and quality of the vessels correspond to a person’s will and deep everyone saw that in him the mishnah was fulfilled: “Whoever
receive abundance. Every one of us recites many words of prayer feeling. Therefore, before you begin to recite the blessing of learns Torah for its own sake attains many things, and not only
every day. We can either pray and build vessels, or simply recite “He Who graciously gives knowledge,” remember that you that, but the entire world is worthy of existence for his sake. He
words. What does this depend on? It depends our the will! came to this world for the purpose of gaining knowledge: is called friend, beloved…, and people benefit from his advice,