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were saying, “We thank You for the fact that we know that You are Counsel and Encouragement for Prayer own will. And corresponding to the extent of the arousal of
the strength of our lives and our saving shield, and for the miracles our own will below, Hashem’s will above is aroused to pour
that You do for us every day in giving us the knowledge to know forth an abundance of good onto the people of Israel.
You.” We know that Hashem is good and compassionate, and that Since I have discussed practical guidance for prayer, I will present
His compassion and kindness never end. a few practical ideas for engaging in prayer with deep intent. There “And the Prayer of the Upright Is His Desire”
is a principle in prayer that a person must think about the
We must thank Hashem for both the good and the bad. That is words before he says them. If he says the words without thinking The prayers in the siddur are filled with wonderful requests
the wholeness of knowledge that will be revealed in the future. We about them first, they will lack deep intent. Rabbi Nachman writes for the revelation of Hashem’s sovereignty, the rectification of
are fortunate that the righteous already teach us this wonderful this explicitly, and when a person studies his wonderful words, his the world, the salvation of Israel and the salvation of the entire
knowledge, and we request of Hashem that the entire nation of entire relationship with prayer will change (Likutei Moharan I 76): universe. But the lifeforce and soul of these prayers depends solely
Israel will know that everything is good and that there is no evil in
the world, so that we will always give thanks to Hashem for both A person whose mind is clear can pray or learn without on the intention and longing of the person reciting them. When
we recite kaddish and say, “May [Hashem’s name] be enlarged
the good and the evil. study. But there is a person who needs to think before
he speaks. Should he speak before he thinks, his and sanctified,” if we do not think about and desire what we are
Then “And all the living will thank You, selah”: all those who speech will lack thought. asking for, what good do our words accomplish? What will happen
come into the world will praise Hashem without cease. “And they then to the kaddish and all of its fine phrases? Its words recited 12
will praise and bless Your great name”: we pray that the name This short sentence can greatly help everyone who wants to pray without deep feeling—i.e., intent, yearning and longing—will fall to
of Hashem will be enhanced, so that “Hashem is one and His with deep feeling. It is clear and self-evident that only a very few the ground. Therefore, you must think in your mind and internalize
name is one.” And the sages explained that this means that people are among those “whose mind is clear.” People like us, on the other into your heart that you truly want the honor of Hashem to be
will recite the blessing, “He Who is good and Who does good” hand, must think about something before we say it. That is the enlarged and sanctified, the sovereignty of Hashem to be revealed,
regarding every type of occurrence (Pesachim 50a). That is called level we are on. At any rate, it is clear that a person who prays in and everyone in the world to praise and glorify Him. If no one in
Hashem’s “great name,” regarding which we pray, “May His great a rush does not have time to invest any thought, and so clearly his the congregation is praying with such intention and yearning, if no
name be blessed.” The blessing continues, “In truth”: we will thank prayer is not prayer at all. Proper prayer demands concentration one answers amen as his heart is completely filled with the true
Hashem in truth with all our heart and not only with our lips. and attention. Therefore, Rabbi Nachman says that a person has to desire that these words will soon be realized, everything remains
“Forever”: for both the good and the evil. “Because it is good”: pray with all his might (Likutei Moharan I 9). As written above, that below. Regarding this, the prophet cried out, “Hashem said: …
because everything is good and there is no evil in the world, since is the meaning of the verse, “To serve Him with all your heart and This nation has approached with its mouth and with its lips honored
there is no other than Hashem, and He is entirely good. Thus, there with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 30:6). The central effort of our Me, but its heart is far from Me and its fear of Me is a rote human
is no evil in the world at all. prayer and the power of our prayer lies in our thoughts. As the commandment” (Isaiah 29:13).
Nefesh Hachaim writes (Gate 2, Chapter 12):
The nineteenth blessing, “He Who blesses His nation with It All Depends on Me
peace,” also relates to knowledge. Peace depends on knowledge, For us, the work of prayer is a substitute for the service
because a person who has knowledge has peace (as was taught a of the sacrificial offering, which depended entirely on the Therefore, you must be alert and focus on your prayer with all
number of times). This is the loveliest blessing. As we say: “And thought of the officiating cohen, who with his thought your might, because perhaps it will be your intentions and yearnings
may it be good in Your eyes to bless us.” If we ask the Holy One, could render it unfit (pigul). As a result of the holiness that will raise the prayers of the entire congregation. Do not say in
blessed be He, “What is the finest blessing with which You want your heart, “Am I really capable of raising the prayers of the entire
to bless us?” Hashem says, “I bless you to have peace.” This is the of his thought, the offering would rise as a pleasing congregation? I barely manage to recite a single blessing with deep
blessing with which Hashem most wants to bless us, because when fragrance before Him, may His name be blessed. feeling!” Do not say that! Instead, recite whatever prayer you can
there is peace there is everything: amity in the home, love between with deep feeling. Every person in the congregation is inspired by
That is in line with Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s teaching (Likutei
people, and abundance. That is because peace is “a vessel that Moharan I 73) that a person must firmly and strongly connect his deep intentions and feeling at another part of the prayer. Every
contains blessing” (Uktzin 3). Then everyone gives and bestows to