6628 —עצות להתבוננות בתפלה ולביטול הדאגות: חלוקת פירוש התפלה לימים ולימוד תניא פרק מא בעל פה

B"H, 6 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 2 Teves^[1], in which you write about your prayer and your state of mind connected with it, and how this brings about a constriction of your livelihood, etc.

Now, we heard several times a story from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[2], that it was the custom of the early Chassidim to divide the prayer into several parts. That is^[3], each time they would, of course, pray the entire prayer, but the contemplation of its themes and of the meaning of the words, or their explanation, they would divide over several days, so that in the course of about a week or two weeks they would complete the meaning of the words once, and then begin again^[4]. You too should therefore do in this manner, and in your situation arrange that on weekdays your morning prayer take about two hours from beginning to end.

Regarding what you write, that you sometimes repeat a word twice: the advice for this is to pray from inside the siddur. In any case^[5] this is right, and it is good advice for several matters.

I hope that every weekday before the morning prayer you set aside some coins for tzedakah^[6]; and also that after prayer, and on Shabbos^[7] and Yom Tov too, you keep to saying the monthly portion of Tehillim – as Tehillim is divided by the days of the month^[8]. It is also proper to have your tefillin checked, and likewise the mezuzos in your home, that they all be kosher according to the law^[9].

It is likewise proper that you learn by heart, in the holy book of the Tanya, from the beginning of chapter 41 until page b, the word "the King"^[10]. When you contemplate the content of the matter – that "G‑d stands over him"^[11], and He is the very essence of good, and He has promised that "one who comes to purify himself is helped"^[12], and that when a person sanctifies himself a little below he is sanctified much from Above^[13] – the worries will surely lessen and diminish until they disappear altogether. And we have been commanded to serve G‑d^[14] specifically with joy and gladness of heart, as explained in many^[15] places.

Since you write to me, my hope is that you have fixed times^[16] also for the study of the teachings of Chassidus, which brings vitality and joy also into the study of the revealed part of the Torah and into the observance of the mitzvos.

With blessing for good news^[17] in all the above.

Publisher's notes

They would divide over several days (מחלקים לכמה ימים): See also below, letter 6654.

Notes

1. 2 Teves (ב' טבת): The seventh day of Chanukah.

2. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

3. That is (ז.א.): ז.א. = זאת אומרת.

4. They would divide over several days (היו מחלקים לכמה ימים): The whole prayer is said every day, but the contemplation of the meaning of the words is divided: each day one contemplates a different part of it, and over a week or two one goes through the whole prayer, and then starts again. The Rebbe gives the same advice in letter 6654 (21 Teves 5719): that at least one matter or one verse be contemplated each day, "so that in the course of time the contemplation will cover all the sections and parts of the prayer" (as the publisher's note below points out).

5. In any case (ובלא"ה): ובלא"ה = ובלאו הכי, "even without this", i.e. even apart from this reason.

6. Some coins for tzedakah (איזו פרוטות לצדקה): Based on Bava Basra 10a: "Rabbi Elazar would give a coin to a poor man and then pray; he said: as it is written, 'I, in righteousness [tzedakah], will behold Your face'" (Tehillim 17:15) – giving tzedakah comes before prayer.

7. Shabbos (ש"ק): ש"ק = שבת קודש.

8. The monthly portion of Tehillim (השיעור תהלים חדשי): Saying Tehillim as it is divided over the thirty days of the month, which the Previous Rebbe instituted to be said every day after the morning prayer.

9. Have your tefillin checked… and the mezuzos (יבדקו את התפילין שלו וכן את המזוזות): Advice the Rebbe gave many times to people who wrote of worries, fears or low spirits; see for example letters 6481 ("Regarding what you write about fears: it is proper that your tefillin be checked, and that you learn by heart chapter 41 of the Tanya") and 3248.

10. From the beginning of chapter 41 until page b, the word "the King" (מהתחלת פרק מ"א עד לעמוד ב' תיבת המלך): From the start of Tanya ch. 41 until the words "as one standing before the King" on the second side of the leaf in the printed Tanya (folio 56b). There: "…he too accepts His kingship upon himself, that He be King over him, and to serve Him and do His will in all kinds of service of a servant. 'And behold, G‑d stands over him', and 'the whole earth is full of His glory', and He looks upon him and searches his reins and heart, whether he serves Him as is fitting. Therefore he must serve before Him with awe and fear, as one standing before the King." The Rebbe gave this advice – to learn this passage by heart and repeat it – to many; see letters 3668, 6264, 6623.

11. G‑d stands over him (ה' נצב עליו): The wording of the Tanya there, from the verse in Yaakov's dream, Bereishis 28:13: "And behold, G‑d stood over him."

12. One who comes to purify himself is helped (הבא לטהר מסייעין אותו): Yoma 38b: "One who comes to defile himself, it is opened for him; one who comes to purify himself is helped."

13. Sanctifies himself a little below (מקדש עצמו מעט למטה מקדשין אותו הרבה מלמעלה): Yoma 39a: "A person sanctifies himself a little, he is sanctified much; [he sanctifies himself] below, he is sanctified from Above." The Rebbe combines the two clauses of the baraisa into one: "a little below – much from Above".

14. We have been commanded to serve G‑d… with joy and gladness of heart (נצטווינו לעבוד השי"ת בשמחה ובטוב לבב): השי"ת = השם יתברך. From the verses Tehillim 100:2: "Serve G‑d with joy", and Devarim 28:47: "Because you did not serve G‑d your G‑d with joy and with gladness of heart." See Tanya ch. 26: the evil inclination cannot be overcome "with laziness and heaviness that come from sadness… but only with alacrity that comes from joy".

15. Many (כו"כ): כו"כ = כמה וכמה.

16. Fixed times (קביעות עתים): After the wording of Shabbos 31a: "When a person is brought to judgment, he is asked… Did you set fixed times for Torah?"

17. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

Summary

To a man whose distress over his prayer was weighing on his spirits and, he felt, on his livelihood, the Rebbe relays the early Chassidim's practice of spreading the contemplation of the prayer's meaning over a week or two, advises praying from a siddur, tzedakah before prayer, the monthly Tehillim, checking tefillin and mezuzos, and learning by heart the opening of Tanya ch. 41. Contemplating that G‑d stands over him and helps one who seeks purity will dispel his worries, for G‑d is to be served with joy.