6654 —חיזוק התפלה: התבוננות לפני התפלה, צדקה וטבילת עזרא

B"H, 21st of Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of Sunday^[1].

I was pleased to read in it that you took part in the farbrengen of the auspicious day of Yud-Tes Kislev, the Rosh Hashanah of the teachings of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus^[2]. May it be G‑d's will that the purpose of every farbrengen be fulfilled in you too, that is^[3], that it have an effect and that its impression be felt throughout the days, weeks and months that follow, down to actual deed, as it is written, "Fear G‑d and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man"^[4].

As to what you write — how one can strengthen prayer:

It has already been ruled in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, siman 98, seif 2, and in the Rema^[5], that before every prayer, that is, three times a day, there should be contemplation of the greatness of G‑d and also of the lowliness of man [though it is understood that the nature of the contemplation is not the same before the morning prayer, which comes at the beginning of the day and is long, as before Minchah and Maariv; for this is also why Pesukei deZimrah were instituted at length in the morning, etc.]; likewise, to pray from the siddur^[6]. And if the schedule of the yeshivah does not allow for contemplating the meaning of the words every single day, it is right and good that at least^[7] you contemplate one matter or one verse every day — different verses, of course, on different days — so that in the course of time the contemplation will cover all the sections and parts of the prayer^[8]. Further, our Sages instructed us to set aside something for tzedakah before prayer^[9], as it is written, "I, through tzedakah — then — shall behold Your face"^[10].

As explained in several books, care about Ezra's immersion^[11] is very much connected with, and has a great effect on, the manner and the level of prayer — so much so that although by strict law Ezra's immersion was annulled^[12], the view of Rav Hai Gaon (last of the Geonim and first in stature) is that this applies only to Torah, to words of Torah, and not to prayer (see Rabbeinu Yonah on the Rif, Berachos ch. 3^[13]; and he concludes there that although the law does not strictly require it, etc., all agree^[14] that prayer is more acceptable with the immersion; and this has already been discussed at length in works of Kabbalah and Chassidus, and of mussar as well).

Surely you know and keep the three shiurim of Chitas (Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya)^[15]; at any rate, keep them from now on. May it be G‑d's will that you give good news in all the above.

With blessing.

Publisher's notes

In all the sections and parts of the prayer (בכל פרקים וחלקי התפלה): See also above, letter 6628.

Notes

1. Sunday (יום א'): יום א' = יום ראשון, the first day of the week.

2. The Rosh Hashanah of the teachings of Chassidus (ראש השנה לתורת חסידות): Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev, from a letter of the Rebbe Rashab: "Yud-Tes Kislev... the festival on which our soul was redeemed in peace and the light and life of our soul were given to us; this day is the Rosh Hashanah of the words of the living G‑d (Chassidus)." The day of the Alter Rebbe's release from imprisonment in 5559, on which the inspiration to study Chassidus and follow its ways is renewed every year.

3. That is (ז.א.): ז.א. = זאת אומרת.

4. Fear G‑d and keep His commandments (את האלקים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור): Koheles 12:13: "The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear G‑d and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man"; Rashi: "for it is for this that every man was created". The purpose of a farbrengen is that it lead to actual deed.

5. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, siman 98... and in the Rema (שו"ע או"ח סי' צ"ח... וברמ"א): The Rema (R. Moshe Isserles) glosses there: "Before prayer one should think of the exaltedness of G‑d and the lowliness of man, and remove all human pleasures from his heart", from Rabbeinu Yonah. The Alter Rebbe rules likewise (Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 98): "Before prayer one should think of the exaltedness of G‑d, blessed be He, and the lowliness of man, and remove all human pleasures from his heart."

6. To pray from the siddur (להתפלל מתוך הסידור): Not by heart. See above, letter 6628 (6 Teves 5719): "The advice for this is to pray from inside the siddur; this is right in any case, and is advice for many things."

7. At least (עכ"פ): עכ"פ = על כל פנים.

8. All the sections and parts of the prayer (בכל פרקים וחלקי התפלה): Each day you should contemplate the meaning of one matter or one verse, a different verse each day, until in time you cover the whole prayer. In letter 6628 mentioned above, the Rebbe cites the custom of the early Chassidim, which he heard from the Previous Rebbe: "the contemplation of the matters and of the meaning of the words, or the explanation of them, they would divide over several days, so that in about a week or two they would complete the meaning of the words once, and then begin again" (as the publisher's note below also points out).

9. To set aside something for tzedakah before prayer (להפריש לצדקה לפני התפלה): Bava Basra 10a: "R. Elazar would give a coin to a poor man and then pray. He said: For it is written, 'I, through tzedakah, shall behold Your face.'"

10. I, through tzedakah — then — shall behold Your face (אני בצדק - אזי - אחזה פניך): Tehillim 17:15: "I, through tzedakah, shall behold Your face; I shall be sated, when I awake, with Your image." The Rebbe stresses "then": first tzedakah, and afterwards "I shall behold Your face", prayer; as Rashi explains in Bava Basra there: "I through tzedakah — first; and afterwards I shall behold Your face — in prayer".

11. Ezra's immersion (טבילת עזרא): The immersion that Ezra instituted for one who has had a seminal emission; in the words of Rabbeinu Yonah (Berachos ch. 3): "Ezra instituted immersion for those who have had an emission."

12. Ezra's immersion was annulled (בטלו לטבילותא דעזרא): Berachos 22a: "When Ze'iri came, he said: They annulled the immersion"; Rashi: "the immersion of those who have had an emission".

13. Rabbeinu Yonah on the Rif, Berachos ch. 3 (ר"י לרי"ף פ"ג דברכות): ר"י = Rabbeinu Yonah; רי"ף = R. Yitzchak Alfasi. There: "Rabbeinu Hai Gaon wrote that 'they annulled the immersion' was said only regarding the Shema, but for prayer one does not pray until one has washed... and if he has no water... he still does not forgo prayer because of this; for although prayer is certainly more acceptable with immersion, according to all opinions, he should not forgo his prayer on account of it."

14. All agree (לד"ה): לד"ה = לדברי הכל.

15. The three shiurim of Chitas (שלשת שיעורי חת"ת): Chitas, the initials of Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya: the daily portions instituted by the Previous Rebbe. See above, letter 6652 (20 Teves 5719), which also urges keeping them, and the note there.

Summary

Answering how to strengthen prayer, the Rebbe points to the ruling that one contemplate G‑d's greatness and man's lowliness before praying, to praying from a siddur and contemplating one verse a day so as to cover the whole prayer over time, and to giving tzedakah first. He adds the special effect of Ezra's immersion on prayer, and the daily study of Chitas.