A Gleanings Collection: The Greatness of Prayer (Part 5)
“To Every Person Who Calls Out!”
“It is not only to the great righteous that God responds, and not only in times of great distress — but to every person who calls out in God’s name, as it is written: ‘All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Joel 3:5). From every trouble, even a small one, He will deliver them and lift them up immediately.”
(Mareh HaPanim on the Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhot)
“Let Your Heart Rejoice Within You”
“Rabbi Ivo said: When you stand up to pray, let your heart rejoice within you — for you are about to stand in prayer before God, who is like no other!”
(Midrash Shoher Tov on Psalms, chapter 100)
“As One Person Speaks to a Friend”
“Anyone of thoughtful understanding, with just a little reflection and attention, can firmly grasp in his heart the truth of what is happening: that he is coming to genuinely converse and deal with the blessed God, pleading before Him and asking things of Him — and that the blessed God listens and attends to his words, as one person speaks to a friend, and the friend hears and listens.”
(Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim, chapter 19)
“Let Him Cleave to the Book of Psalms”
“One whose soul longs to cleave to God through His praises — let him cleave to the Book of Psalms. Fortunate is the person who recites Psalms with song and melody, with attentiveness and wholehearted intention.”
(The Shelah HaKadosh — Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz — Tractate Tamid, Ner Mitzvah)
“The Evil Inclination’s Primary Battle Is Over Prayer”
“Let our people also know this: the primary battle of the yetzer hara (the evil inclination) is waged over prayer. For even if a person greatly increases his Torah study and his observance of the commandments, his acts of kindness with his body and his wealth, his support of the poor and the destitute — against all of these the evil inclination does not bring the full force of its warfare. That force is reserved for prayer alone!”
(Maor VaShemesh, on the Torah portion Ki Tetze)
“When They Stand and Multiply Their Supplications — I Turn to Them!”
The Holy One, blessed be He, said: “When I see people who have no distinction of Torah learning or good deeds to their credit — neither through their own actions nor through the deeds of their ancestors — yet they stand before Me and multiply their supplications: I turn to them!”
(Tanna DeVei Eliyahu)
“Fortunate Is One Who Prays with Tears”
“Fortunate is one who prays with tears and a broken and crushed heart — for he will not return empty-handed! On what can we rely, and what will shield us, if not prayer and heartfelt petition from the depths of the heart!”
(Ya’arot Devash)
“Be Diligent and Pray in Advance!”
Rabbi Elazar said: “Do not be contemptuous of prayer during times of ease, thinking you have no need of it. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Just as I must bring down rains and dews and cause plants to grow in order to sustain living creatures — so too must you pray before Me and bless Me in accordance with My works. Do not say, ‘I am comfortable — why should I pray?’ and only come to pray when trouble arrives. Before trouble comes to you — be diligent and pray in advance!”
(Midrash Tanchuma, Miketz 10)