Climbing Up the Ladder of Tefillah

Insights into the Order of the Daily Prayers

BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF

THE REBBEIM OF CHABAD

" " "

Compiled and adapted by Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver

Adapted from the works of the Rebbeim of Chabad

Preface Every day a Jew is obligated to recite so many prayers. At first glance, one may wonder why all these prayers are so necessary. However, in fact every single prayer has profound meaning and relevance, and delving into the vast literature explaining the prayers has the potential to invest tremendous meaning and enthusiasm in what for many has sadly become a perfunctory exercise. This booklet compiles a minute taste of these endlessly rich teachings, drawn from the teachings of the Rebbeim of Chassidus Chabad. The essays I write take a lot of time and effort. If you like this booklet, please contact me to sponsor an essay in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah sheleimah, or the like. May this publication be the final good deed in exile, that will bring Moshiach now! Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver rabbioliver@gmail.com 443 602 1068

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Climbing Up the Ladder of Tefillah Contents

The purpose of Tefillah .......................................................4 Gluing our inner selves to Hashem ...............................4 The conscious, external inner selfthe Bestial Soul ...5 The subconscious, internal inner selfthe Neshamah ..6 Hisbonenusthe key to inner change .................................6 Rising up the rungs ..........................................................7 Revealing the Neshamah in stages ......................................9 The key to ascentbittul ................................................10 The coarse pre-Tefillah state ............................................11 Inner strength for the entire day .....................................14 Rising up from the lowest depths ...................................16 The ladder of Tefillah ........................................................19 Modeh Ani .....................................................................19 Essence facing Essence ................................................19 Modeh Ani: Inviolate and ineffable ................................22 The Morning blessings ...........................................................23 Tefillas HaShachar ............................................................24 Uninternalized commitment ........................................24 Pesukei DeZimrah.............................................................25
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Passionate praise ..........................................................25 Creation yesh meiayin ....................................................26 The shortcoming of reflecting upon yesh meiayin ..........29 Pruning the thorns from the Bestial Soul .....................31 The Shema: Intellectual love ............................................34 Blessings of Shema: Reflecting on the angels .................34 Shema: Love of Hashem ...............................................37 Shemonah Esrei ................................................................39 Self-transcendence .......................................................39 Revealing the source of the Neshamah in the body ........40 Summary Table ..............................................................44

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The purpose of Tefillah

Gluing our inner selves to Hashem1 What is the fundamental purpose of Tefillah, prayer? The word Tefillah is etymologically related to the word tofel, gluing and bonding,2 for the fundamental purpose of Tefillah is to reach hiskashrus, a deep inner bond with G dliness.3 Generally speaking, the inner self consists of intellect and emotions, and so they must both be brought to a profound bond with Gdliness. However, of the two, the intellect is more superficial, while the emotions are deeper and more internal.4 Put simply, although what we understand defines us to a certain extent, what we feel defines us even more. Thus, the focus of is not changing ones intellectthat is the purpose of Torah study. Rather, the inner bonding of Tefillah involves transforming the emotions, and so Tefillah is

Based on Toras Menachem 5712, Vol. 6, p. 137 ff. Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, p. 41. Cf. Sefer HaMaamarim 5668, p. 5 ff. 2 As the Mishnah puts it: Hatofel keli cheresOne who glues together an earthenware vessel (Keilim 3:5). 3 Torah Ohr, Terumah 79d, end. Sefer HaMaamarim 5683, p. 215. 4 Maamarei Admur HaEmtzai, Shemos, Vol. 3, p. 672.
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called the service of the heart,5 for the goal of Tefillah is to transform ones heart to feel love and fear of Hashem. What is the heart, or the inner self, and in what way does Tefillah transform it? Generally speaking, the inner self consists of two parts, and proper Tefillah affects them both, each in its own way. The conscious, external inner selfthe Bestial Soul The6 I, the conscious awareness of ones ego, is in fact an experience of the Bestial Soul. This is our default self; we feel this souls presence naturally, automatically, and effortlessly. It is naturally attracted downward, to indulge in material and coarse desires.7 And yet the purpose of Tefillah is to transform the Bestial Soul so that it be inclined upwardso that it will become excited with love of Hashem and yearn to rise up and surrender to the spiritual and the divine.

Taanis 2a. 6 With the exception of the Tzaddik, whose conscious experience of self is an experience of his Neshamah, for his Bestial Soul has become subsumed in his Neshamah. See Tanya ch. 29. 7 Koheles 3:21. Cf. Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 74c.
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This is an extremely difficult process, and thus we find that Tefillah in particular is referred to as avodahdifficult toil.8 The subconscious, internal inner selfthe

Neshamah
We do not naturally sense the Neshamah, for its presence is concealed by the Bestial Soul and the body. Yes, the Neshamah may manifest itself occasionally on its own perhaps by sending the person thoughts of Teshuvah,9 or some sudden spiritual realization. However, these glimpses of the Neshamah are typically few and far between. The only way for the Neshamah to be revealed on a conscious level in ordinary life is through rigorous toil and preparation, and this is the second purpose of Tefillah.10 Moreover, the first is a prerequisite to the second. Only once one has transformed the Bestial Soul to love and fear of Hashem will the Neshamah itself truly shine.

Hisbonenusthe key to inner change

How can one influence, and ultimately, with the help of Hashem, transform the emotions of the Bestial Soul? One accomplishes this through in-depth study of Hashems
Cf. Avos 1:2. 9 Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6c. 10 See Hayom Yom, 20 Tammuz.
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greatness followed by hisbonenus, intense contemplation of these concepts. This is the meaning of the verse, Know [da ] the Gd of your father, and serve Him with a complete heart.11 The word da alludes to Daas, awareness of Gdliness that permeates the person, which can only be achieved through hisbonenus.12 This verse is telling us that only by reflecting upon Hashems greatness according to ones ability can one come to serve Him with a complete heart and perform the service of the heart by becoming inspired to love and fear of Hashem. In particular, there exist different kinds of hisbonenus, each one designed to transform the inner self in a different way, by evoking a different emotion. Thus we find that each section of Tefillah has its own individual hisbonenus, and these are arranged in a specific order, as will be explained below. Rising up the rungs13 The sections within Tefillahand the specific hisbonenus that accompanies each oneare alluded to in the verse concerning Yaakov: And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder
I Divrei HaYomim 28:9. 12 Cf. Tanya ch. 3, end. Sefer HaMaamarim 5708, pp. 80-81.
11
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was fixed in the earth, and its head reached the heavens.14 This alludes to Tefillah, which is called a ladder.15 The Jew starts at the lowest rung of the ladder of Tefillah the earthand rises ever higher, until he can reach the most sublime spiritual heightsthe heavens. This16 implies a fixed order: Just as in the case of a physical ascent, one can only rise to a higher rung after having reached the lower rung, so can one only rise to a higher level of connection with Hashem in Tefillah after completing the task required while at the lower level. In particular, the ladder of Tefillah has four rungsthe four sections of Shacharis, the Morning Prayer: Tefillas HaShachar; Pesukei DeZimrah; the Blessings of the Shema and the Shema itself; and Shemonah Esrei. These rungs facilitate a two-way connection: They connect our physical world with Hashems Essence, as it were, and they enable the light and blessing from Hashems Essence to become elicited in all the worlds, from the higher

Bereshis 28:12. 15 Zohar 1:266b, 3:306b. 16 Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, p. 41.

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spiritual worlds, until it reaches and affects our physical world.17 Revealing the Neshamah in stages As mentioned, Tefillah reveals the Gdliness of the Neshamah in ones inner self, such that the Neshamah permeates the Jews entire being. One accomplishes this by revealing ever-higher levels of the Neshamah, which are also compared to a ladder.18 There are four levels of the Neshamah:19 Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, and Chaya, and each is alluded to in the liturgy:20 It is pure refers to Chaya; You created it to Neshamah; You formed it to Ruach; and You made it to Nefesh.21 Each level of the Neshamah is revealed through engaging in the hisbonenus connected with the corresponding section of the liturgy.

Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. 3, p. 994. 18 Zohar 1:149b. Shaloh 37a. Sefer HaMaamarim 5672, Vol. 1, p. 416. 19 There is also a fifth level, Yechidah, which we will explain below is also related to the revelation of the level of Chaya in Shemoneh Esrei. 20 In the Elokai Neshamah prayer, recited in the Morning Blessings: My Gd, the Neshamah that you gave in me is pure; You created it, You formed it, You made it. 21 Sefer HaMaamarim 5663, Vol. 2, p. 68.
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Likewise, through each successive section of Tefillah, one rises up to connect ones soul to a progressively higher spiritual world, of which there are four. The key to ascentbittul Every22 spiritual ascent, in any context, is attained through bittul, self-nullification. In order for the Jew to ascend to a higher level, he must nullify himself to Hashem in the way expected of him while on his current level. In general, there is no option of skipping a level.23 In the context of Tefillah, the first level of bittul is attained by reflecting upon the nature of the spiritual energy of the lowest world, Asiyah. This hisbonenus connects him with that spiritual energy only, and reveals only the lowest level of his Neshamah, that of Nefesh. Only once he has completed his task on the first level can he rise to the next level, to engage in the hisbonenus that connects his soul with the spiritual energy of the world of Yetzirah, and thereby reveal the soul-level of Ruach within. Then the soul can rise still further ... and so on.

22

23

Sefer HaMaamarim 5708, p. 81. Cf. Hayom Yom, 20 Tammuz.

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The coarse pre-Tefillah state During24 sleep, the higher faculties of intellect and emotions25 fall dormant, and only the more inferior faculties, such as the respiratory and digestive systems, remain functioning actively. A parallel process occurs within the Neshamah: During sleep, the faculties of the Neshamah withdraw and become hidden, and the Bestial Soul, the coarse, animalistic side of the person, seizes control. And so before the Jew begins to pray in the morning, he is in a coarse, lowly, selfish state. Of26 this state we are told:27 Anyone who greets his fellow before he has prayed, it is as if he made him a bamah [a sacrificial altar for idolatry, may Gd save us], as it is written, Stay away from a man whose soul is in his nose,

Sefer HaMaamarim 5714, p. 156. In Chassidic parlance, the kochos pnimiyim. 26 Cf. Toras Menachem 5718, Vol. 22, pp. 89-90. Preface to Likkutei Torah lGimmel Parshiyos. Also printed in Ohr HaTorah, Bereshis, Vol. 6, 1020a ff. 27 Berachos 14a.
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for what [bameh] is he worth?28 The Talmud explains: The word bameh can also be read bamah.29 Granted,30 every morning the Jew becomes a new creature.31 This means that Hashem restores his Neshamah to him renewed and refreshed,32 for which the Jew thanks Hashem in Modeh Ani for returning my Neshamah within me. However, although upon waking, the Neshamah exists within in a refreshed state, as mentioned, before Tefillah the Neshamah is said to be only in his nose.33 This alludes to the Neshamah as it exists in a makif (encompassing) state.

Yeshaya 2:22. 29 This is a deeper explanation. The simple meaning of this law, as Rashi explains ibid., is that one should not engage in conversation with someone who has not yet prayed Shacharis, because the duty to honor Hashem in prayer takes precedence over the duty to honor ones fellowman. Hence, the Maharsha explains that honoring ones fellowman first is like sacrificing on a bamah, a personal altar outside the Beis HaMikdash, where it is forbidden to offer a sacrifice. 30 Sefer HaMaamarim 5724, pp. 176-177. 31 Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim, #702. 32 Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZaken, Orach Chaim, Mahadura Kama, 4:1. Cf. 6:1, 46:6. 33 Yeshaya ibid. Cf. Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 79d. Maamarei Admur HaEmtzai, Vayikra, Vol. 2, p. 757. Maamarei Admur HaEmtzai, Hanachos 5577, p. 15.
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In this context, the concept of makif refers to something that is present but hidden, not affecting the person on a conscious level. So although the Jew always possesses a Neshamah,34 when he first awakens, it is yet to have an impact on his conscious self. However, proper Tefillah reveals the Neshamahi.e., it brings one to be consciously connected with and sensitive to his Neshamah. Moreover,35 through Tefillah one can overcome not only the coarseness brought on by sleep, but even the natural coarseness of the body and Bestial Soul. To explain,36 before birth, while the Neshamah is in heaven, it knows only spiritual realities. But when it descends to this world and becomes vested in a body and Bestial Soul, its perception of Hashem is vastly diminished. Its conscious intellect is coarsened, making it relate directly to the physical, and connect with the spiritual only via the physical. To be specific, the soul-levels vested in the body are Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. These levels also lie dormant before
Even the most wicked Jew still possesses a Neshamahsee Tanya ch. 11, end. 35 Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, p. 40. 36 Ibid., p. 24.
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Tefillah,37 and one reveals them through the first three sections of Tefillah, respectively. Then in Shemonah Esrei one manifests the souls essential faculties (which surely lie dormant before Tefillah), as they existed before the Neshamah descended into a body. Generally speaking, this means revealing the level of Chaya, which is the supernal root of the Neshamah, within the body. This is the ultimate goal of Tefillah. Inner strength for the entire day This inner revelation of the Neshamah enables the Jew to turn aside from evil,38 for when he senses the reality of Hashem during prayer, he will also feel that he is standing in Hashems presence throughout the dayalbeit with lesser intensityand this prevents him from falling in sin.39 Likewise, this inner revelation inspires the Jew to do good,40 for now that the Neshamah is fully revealed, it is able to shine in the surrounding world. The Jew is imbued with the power to bring sensitivity to Hashem into all of his

Sefer HaMaamarim 5672, Vol. 2, p. 809. 38 Tehillim 34:15. 39 Cf. Tanya chs. 12, 41, beg. 40 Tehillim, ibid.
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or her interactions with the mundane world throughout the day. In other words, revealing Gdliness within, which creates a personal redemption, enables one to reveal Gdliness in the outside world, thereby redeeming the section of the world that Hashem assigned him to elevate, known as his portion in the world.41 Moreover,42 this inner revelation enables the Jew to perform all his mundane affairs throughout the day for the sake of Heaven,43 with the intention of making A dwelling place in the lowly realms [this physical world],44 thus refining the world and preparing it for the revelation of Moshiach. The inner redemption paves the way for a collective redemption.45 Conversely, 46 one starts to decline spiritually when one neglects to exert effort in prayer. Since he fails to reveal his Neshamah within his conscious self, his natural selfishness
Tanya ch. 37. Sefer HaMaamarim 5724, p. 179. 43 Avos 2:12. 44 Midrash Tanchuma, Naso 16. Tanya ch. 36. 45 See sicha of Pinchas, 5751, at length. 46 Hayom Yom, 23 Iyar.
41 42

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and wicked or inappropriate character traits remain dominant throughout the day. Whats more, everything becomes dry and cold, and even performing Mitzvos in a perfunctory manner becomes difficult. He rushes, loses his enjoyment in Torah study, and his atmosphere becomes spiritually coarse. Obviously, he is completely incapable of influencing others to grow spiritually. In this feeble spiritual state, the Jew is in a highly vulnerable position. The evil inclination has the upper hand, and so it can much more easily overtake him and pull him down into sin, Gd forbid, especially when his work environment is fraught with temptation. Rising up from the lowest depths47 As mentioned, Tefillah is called A ladder fixed in the earth whose head reaches the heavens. The verse employs the word artzah for earth, although it is usually spelled aretz. Artzah, with an additional hei, alludes to the very lowest level in the earth.

Sefer HaMaamarim MelukatimNissan, pp. 181-182. Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, pp. 40-41.
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This alludes to the situation of a Jew struggling not only with the standard natural state of animalistic selfishness that one feels upon waking, but with sins that have caused him to sink to a nadir of spiritual degeneracy, may Gd save us. He may even have reached the point in which he is completely sunken in evil; he knows very well that his behavior is sinful, and yet he is addicted and trapped. Even when he witnesses palpably how his sins bring upon him sickness and suffering, he cannot bring himself to stop, may Gd save us. Nevertheless, Tefillahwhich involves begging and pleading Hashem to have mercy on ones Neshamahenables him to escape from his lowly state and ascend to the most sublime spiritual level. Yet Tefillah can only raise the person up if he is inspired to invest the effort that Tefillah requires. But if he is on a low level, how can he reach the state of yearning for Gdliness that will inspire him to climb up the rungs of Tefillah? The solution is for one to reflect upon this very factthat he is on a very low level, both with regard to his thought, speech, and action, and with regard to his intellect and
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emotions. In fact, even the essence of his soul may be trapped in the forces of impurity, may Gd save us. This realization transforms him into a vessel for change, inspiring him with a yearning to rise out of the depths by investing the effort necessary to climb up the ladder of Tefillah.

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The ladder of Tefillah

Modeh Ani 48 Essence facing Essence
The very first thing a Jew does in his day is recite Modeh Ani: I gratefully thank You, living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassionabundant is Your faithfulness! Although the word modeh can mean to thank, it can also mean to acknowledge. When a Jew recites Modeh Ani, he declares: Hashem, I acknowledge You! At first glance, this acknowledgment lacks any depth. After all, the Jew has only just woken up; hes still shaking the sleep out of his eyes and coming to his wits; he has not yet had the chance to reflect, understand, feel, and internalize anything at all. When a Jew recites Modeh Ani, his lack of development and comprehension is akin to that of a newborn child. This begs the question: Of what value is an acknowledgment when submitted in such a lowly state?
Based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5714-5716, pp. 337-338. Sefer HaMaamarim 5711-5712, pp. 355-356 ff. Sefer HaMaamarim 5724, p. 177.
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However, Chassidus explains that the opposite is the case: Because it does not involve intellectual comprehension, in a sense, Modeh Ani is the highest prayer of all. There are two levels to the Jews soul: its essence, and its manifestations. Corresponding to this, there are two levels of acknowledgment of Hashem: One that stems from the souls very essence, and another that stems from its manifestations. There is a principle in Chassidus that the manifestations hide the essence.49 When you see the superficial aspect of a thing, you lose sight of its very core. For example, when reading words on a pagethe manifestationsone can come to forget that one is actually staring at inkthe essence. Likewise, as soon as the Jew has reached a certain level of understanding, he can no longer submit to Hashem (at least, not on a conscious level) from the very essence of his soul; his submission must stem from his understanding. He no longer submits naturally, because of the essential bond between a Jew and Hashems very Essence. Rather, he submits because he understands that he should. He
49

Cf. Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 9, p. 75.

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understands Hashem to a certain degree, and yet he also understands that certain things are beyond his comprehension, and so he acknowledges them. This is the difference between the acknowledgement of Modeh Ani and of Hodu laHavayeh, which is the start of Shacharis, the Morning Prayer. In Modeh Ani, the essence of the soul, ani, submits lefonecho, before Youbefore Hashems very Essence. Because the Jew doesnt understand anything, his mind and heart do not get in the way of the revelation of the souls essence. And since the souls very essence is manifest, as it were, it connects the Jew with Hashems very essence You. In contrast, at the beginning of Shacharis, we recite, Acknowledge Havayeh, and call out in His name.50 His name refers to the level of Gdliness that enters nature (which stems from the divine names of Ad-nai and Elokim). We must call, i.e. summon down into our world this level of Gdliness, and in so doing, we enable it to constantly recreate the world.

50

I Divrei HaYomim 16:1.

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In contrast, since the name of Havayeh refers to a level that transcends time and space and is therefore completely beyond us, we must approach it with simple acknowledgement and acceptance, without understanding. Yet although one acknowledges, since this acknowledgement actually stems from his understanding his understanding of the limits of his intellectit does not permeate his entire being, and so it only connects him with supernal levels that transcend intellect, but not with Hashems very Essence, as when one recites Modeh Ani. Modeh Ani: Inviolate and ineffable As mentioned, in Modeh Ani, the Neshamahs essence anibecomes manifest. This is the soul-level of Yechidah, the Pinteleh Yid, the essential Jewishness within every Jew. This level of the Neshamah is so transcendent that it cannot become blemished or defiled, Gd forbid. This also explains why Modeh Ani is said before we wash our hands with neggel vasser, when they are still ritually impure, for as the Previous Rebbe stated, All the impurities in the world cannot contaminate the Modeh Ani of a Jew. He may

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be lacking in one area or another, but his Modeh Ani remains whole.51 In the recital of Modeh Ani, the Yechidah is manifest, elevating the Jew above all the worlds temptations and sorrows. This52 is the reason that no divine names are mentioned in Modeh Ani. It is not because Modeh Ani is lower than other prayers, as one might have thought. On the contrary, in Modeh Ani we acknowledge and connect with Hashems very Essence, which is so sublime that it utterly transcends all limitations and cannot be grasped and revealed to us through any name.53

The Morning blessings As mentioned, Tefillah is a ladder was fixed in the earth. In addition to the above explanation, this also implies that one starts by acknowledging very basic blessings, such as the fact that one was not born a gentile, and so on.

Sefer HaSichos 5703, p. 7. Hayom Yom 11 Shevat. 52 See also Kuntres Inyanah Shel Toras HaChassidus, sec. 11, fn. 78. 53 Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 80b. Cf. Zohar 3:257b.
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Tefillas HaShachar Uninternalized commitment As54 mentioned, we begin Tefillah with the declaration, Acknowledge Hashem. This is the purpose of the first section of Tefillah: A general, all-encompassing submission (hodaah) to Hashem that is yet to be fully understood and integrated within ones personality.
However, this hodaah is different from that of Modeh Ani. 55 As mentioned, since Modeh Ani is recited when one first wakes up in the morning, the person has not engaged in any reflection at all. He is akin to one who simply recognizes the very existence of an entity, yet totally lacks comprehension of it. He sees that Hashem has restored his Neshamah to him, so he offers thanks to Hashem on the most basic level for being alive, despite his total lack of understanding at that point. In contrast, Tefillas HaShachar is akin to one who acknowledges something that he has begun to understand, albeit on a very superficial level. This minimal understanding stems from the previously-recited Morning
The following section draws from Sefer HaMaamarim 5711-5712, pp. 355-356 ff. 55 Sefer HaMaamarim 5691, p. 207.
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Blessings, in which one reflects upon divine kindness on a basic level. Here one connects the Neshamah with the spiritual energy of the world of Asiyah, the world of action. This reveals the lowest level of the Neshamah, that of Nefesh, which drives the Jew to bring his thought, speech, and action to conform to the will of Hashem. This is the most basic level of divine service. This represents the concept that divine service begins with obedience, with declaring we will do before we will hear [understand].56 At this point true inspiration and enthusiasm are lacking, for by definition, a total beginner cannot yet have invested the necessary effort to reach such a feeling, for that is a more advanced stagethe next level of Tefillah, Pesukei DeZimrah.

Pesukei DeZimrah Passionate praise In57 this section the Jew declares Hashems praises58 with the goal of inspiring and exciting himself with an intense
This was the declaration with which the Jewish people committed themselves to follow the Torah. See Shemos 24:7; Shabbos 88a. 57 The following explanation is based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5691, pp. 207-208.
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awareness of Hashems awesome greatness. This reveals the Neshamahs emotions, which manifests the soul-level of Ruach. Likewise, here the Jew connects his Neshamah to the spiritual energy of the world of Yetzirah, where the angels sing Hashems praises with intense emotional excitement.

Creation yesh meiayin In particular, in Pesukei DeZimrah we are to reflect upon how all the creations come to exist through the process of creation yesh meiayin, something from nothing,59 and how they all eagerly submit to the divine energy that sustains them.
The60 first level of this reflection involves reflecting upon the lowly creations in our physical world, such as mineral and plant life, and considering that every creation has an individual divine life-force that creates it and enables it to develop in whatever way it does.
Cf. Berachos 32a. Avoda Zara 7b. 59 It should be noted that according to Chassidus, yesh meiayin does not mean that the world was literally created from nothingness. Rather, the world was created from a level of Gdliness that is like nothing in comparison to our world, for it exists on a plane of existence so vastly superior to ours that we cannot relate to it at all; thus, from our perspective, it is as if it is non-existent. 60 The following explanation is based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, p. 42 ff.
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This is the meaning of our sages statement: No blade of grass exists below without a mazal above that strikes it, and tells it, grow!61 The mazal refers to the divine energy that sustains that being, without which it could not function as it does. It is called mazal because it descends into our world via the mazalos, the celestial constellations. Since the body of the physical entity is entirely dependent upon the spiritual energy that sustains it, that body is secondary and subordinate to the spiritual energy within. This is akin to the relationship of body and soul within the person: Since the body cannot live at all without the soul, the body is completely subordinate to it. This dependence enables the soul to control the body, and so as long as one is healthy, the body immediately obeys the souls every command, and not vice versa. Likewise, all the creations in the universeand not only in our physical world, which is the lowest of the low,62 but also in the higher spiritual worldsexist and live by virtue of their bittul, their subordination to the divine energy that sustains them.
61 62

Bereshis Rabbah, 10:6. Zohar 1:251a. Cf. Tanya ch. 36.

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Each level of creation praises Hashem for the sustenance that it receives from the level above it. As mentioned, the creations in our physical world praise Hashem for the sustenance that they receive through the mazalos, which is the level above them. In turn, the mazalos praise Hashem for the sustenance that they receive from the angels called Ofanim,63 who receive their sustenance from the angels called Chayos, and so on, ever higher and higher. This is the structure of the hierarchy of Hashems creation, all the way until the source of the three spiritual worlds of Asiyah, Yetzirah, and Beriyah (or bya for short)Malchus of Atzilus, which is the word of Hashem that creates and sustains all the lower levels. Thus, when our sages say that The world was created with ten utterances,64 this refers to the ongoing creation of bya with the holy letters of the lashon hakodesh, the Holy Tongue, that stem from the Ten Utterances in the Torah.65

Concerning the Ofanim, see the section on the blessings of Shema below. 64 Avos 5:1. 65 See Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah ch. 1.
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This is the deeper meaning of the Psalm we recite in Pesukei DeZimrah: You made the heavens,66 referring to the world of Beriyah; the earth and all that is on it, referring to the world of Asiyah; and the seas and everything that is in them, referring to the world of Yetzirah. Then the verse concludes: And You [veatah] vivify them all, which refers to Malchus of Atzilus. As mentioned, Malchus of Atzilus is the divine word. Thus, the alef and taf of veatah allude to the letters of the Alef beis from alef to taf, which combine to create all the manifold beings of bya.67 It is this bittul to the divine energy within that motivates each and every creation to sing songs of praise to Hashem,68 and so here we join them in singing praise; thus, Pesukei DeZimrah means literally verses of song.

The shortcoming of reflecting upon yesh meiayin Although69 in relating Hashems praises one does comprehend His greatness to a certain degree, this comprehension is lacking, and the main focus here is on arousing a feeling of excitement.
Nechemya 9:6. 67 See Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah ch. 2. 68 See Perek Shirah, which describes each creations song of praise. 69 The following explanation is based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5711-5712, p. 356 ff.
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This intellectual element is lacking because, as mentioned, in Pesukei DeZimrah we reflect upon how wondrous is Hashems creation yesh meiayin, and this process is fundamentally beyond human comprehension. But why cant we comprehend it? Comprehension implies internalizing the subject, and if we would truly understand how our existence stems from a level of Gdliness so far beyond us, we would become so overwhelmed that we would lose our sense of independent existence, and become subsumed within that transcendent Gdliness. Yet despite our deficient comprehension, reflecting upon the yesh meiayin process can and should inspire us with wonder and excitement. However, our lack of comprehension means that this excitement only refines our emotions on an external level;70 however, it paves the way for one to rise to the next level of inner change. Thus, as mentioned, Pesukei DeZimrah means literally verses of song, for song represents arousing superficial excitement.

In the original, one makes a chakikah kelalis, an overall engraving.

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Pruning the thorns from the Bestial Soul This71 also ties in with the second meaning of Pesukei DeZimrah, to prune, referring to the pruning of the thorns72 from the Bestial Soul.73 Just as a vineyard has thorns, which suck the moisture from the ground and ruin the vineyard, so is it with the Jewish people, who are compared to a vineyard.
In the persons default state, before he has praised Hashem in Pesukei DeZimrah, his body and Bestial Soul are dominant. He is immersed in his selfish, physical worldly needs and desires, and so his inner, conscious self is distant from the spiritual. He is completely incapable of rising up to Hashem.74 In order to attune the person to the spiritual and Gdly, we must prune the inner thornsseparate this evil from within the Bestial Soul, and pull it out of the filth. This explains the natural crassness that must be pruned. However, the task of pruning this crassness is all the more demanding if the person has brought additional negative
Based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5711-5712, pp. 356-357. 72 Cf. Yeshaya 25:1. Zohar 3:284a. 73 Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 47d. Ibid., Nitzavim 51d. 74 Sefer HaMaamarim 5666, pp. 61-62.
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energies upon himself through inappropriate thought, speech, and action. To explain, further inner thorns that obstruct the Neshamah from ascending to the greatest heights include speech spoken without any intent of serving Hashem, such as words of idle chatter and mockery. Moreover, such speech stains the Neshamah even when spoken without pleasure. This is counterintuitive, for one would have thought that the soul is only harmed when one derives conscious enjoyment from sin, for then one feels tangibly how the pleasure strengthens the Bestial Soul and thereby conceals the Neshamah. And yet even without pleasure, the action is harmful.75 Likewise, forbidden thoughts contaminate the person; in fact, in a sense they are even more detrimental than wicked speech and actions,76 for the faculty of thought is more refined than those of speech and action.77 Likewise, gazing
This is perhaps similar to the distinction between an intentional and unintentional sin. The former is more severe, because one derives conscious pleasure from sin, which is not so in the case of the latter. Nevertheless, we are required to atone for unintentional sins as well. Cf. Ben Yohoyada on Yoma 29a, s.v. umah shekosuv. 76 Yoma 29a. 77 Cf. Tanya, Igeres HaKodesh, ch. 22, end.
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at forbidden sights or listening to forbidden speech, even when one does so without pleasure, creates these inner thorns. All these behaviors contaminate the Bestial Soul, thereby preventing it from feeling and grasping a Gdly concept, and so also prevent the Neshamah from rising up to connect with the levels of Gdliness to which it could otherwise have connected. Fixing the damage caused by these behaviors is therefore a crucial part of Tefillah, whose purpose is that Gdliness permeate the Jews inner self, including his Bestial Soul.78 This is the purpose of Pesukei DeZimrahto excite the Jew over Gdliness and thereby rid him of the negative energies within. This shakes up his Bestial Soul, so that if only for a limited time, one embrace the general mindset that G dliness is good. This is also comparable to a block of wood, which is of no use in its original state. First it must be cut on the outside, and then it must be cut on the inside, which transforms it into a useful receptacle. The same is true of the person, who

78

Cf. Sefer HaMaamarim 5689, pp. 84-85.

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is compared to a tree of the field.79 The external cutting corresponds to the pruning of the thorns in Pesukei DeZimrah, while the inner engraving is accomplished through the blessings on the Shema, as will be explained below.

The Shema: Intellectual love Here80 the focus is on becoming inspired to serve Hashem out of a profound intellectual comprehension of His greatness, as it is revealed in the higher spiritual worlds. This reveals the specific soul-level of Neshamah, which refers to the intellect of the Neshamah as a whole. Likewise, this section of Tefillah corresponds to the world of Beriyah, where the angels sing Hashems praises out of a profound intellectual comprehension of Hashems greatness. Blessings of Shema: Reflecting on the angels The blessings of Shema discuss the angels, which are the origin of the Jews Bestial Soul.81 This involves an abstract but solid intellectual comprehension. This consists of reflecting upon two general levels of angels: The Ofanim (sing. Ofan) and the Serafim (sing. Saraf):
Devarim 20:19. 80 Based on Sefer HaMaamarim 5711-5712, pp. 357-358. 81 Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 2b.
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Ofanim: These angels do not comprehend their source directly; they only comprehend that their source transcends them in a wondrous way. Hence, they declare, Blessed be the glory of Hashem from its place.82 Since they cannot locate their source, they can only say from its place, without explaining which place. Yet they do sense that their source transcends the boundaries between the higher and lower levels, and so they request that it be blessed, which implies that it ought to come down below.83 o Personal application: A person may sense that his existence stems from a higher source that is far beyond him, and yet have no comprehension of this source whatsoever. Serafim: These angels comprehend their source, the divine name of Adnai, and this comprehension brings them to realize that there is a level even higher than their source. This realization overwhelms them so much that they become consumed with an intense yearning to become subsumed in that level of G
82 83

Yechezkel 3:12. Cf. Tanya 69b.

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dliness that transcends their source, to the point that they burn up and cease to exist. Hence, the word Saraf means burnt up. This is the meaning of The Serafim stand above it84that they yearn for the level above the divine name of Adnai. o Personal application: When we thoroughly understand one concept, we can come to realize that there exists a still higher level that transcends our current understanding; in fact, it may transcend comprehension altogether. Reflecting upon the bittul of the angels brings the Jews Bestial Soul to bittul, for he reminds himself that the angels are the source of his Bestial Soul.85 The angels are discussed in the first blessing on the Shema, but then one rises to the next level, the second blessing on Shema, Ahavas Olam. This discusses Jewish souls, which are even higher than angels.86

Yeshaya 6:2. 85 Torah Ohr, Vayeshev, 30b, end. Likkutei Torah, Naso 28c, end ff. Ibid., Teitzei 34d. Sefer HaMaamarim 5639, Vol. 2, p. 386. 86 Maamarei Admur HaEmtzai, Derushei Chasunah, Vol. 2, p. 615.
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Shema: Love of Hashem As mentioned, in the blessings of Shema, we reflect upon the supernal root of the Bestial Soul; however, in the Shema itself, we reflect upon the infinitely loftier root of the Divine Soul. We declare, Hear, Yisrael:87 Heari.e., reflect88 upon Yisraelthe supernal root of the Divine Soul.
However, since this process involves intellect, and intellect always involves a certain sense of ones own existence, the level of bittul to Hashem aroused through intellect is merely bittul hayesh, where the person continues to feel his own existence even as he nullifies himself. The89 main purpose of Tefillah is to come to love of Hashem.90 Thus, the purpose of the first two rungs of TefillahTefillas HaShachar and Pesukei DeZimrah, and then the Blessings of the Shema, is all a preparation so that when one reaches Shema, one will become excited with an intense love of Hashem.

Devarim 6:4. 88 Torah Ohr, Bereshis 1a. Likkutei Torah, Naso 20d. 89 Sefer HaMaamarim 5643, p. 107. 90 Kuntres HoAvodah, p. 1.
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So in the Shema, we declare, You shall love Hashem bechol levavchawith all your heart.91 Although normally translated in the singular, the literal meaning of bechol levavcha is with all your hearts, in the plural. What is the significance of this unusual expression? Our sages explain92 that this alludes to the two inclinations withinthe good inclination and the evil inclination. The Jew should come to love Hashem not only with the good inclination, but even with the evil inclination. This is the goal of this part of Tefillah. To explain, in the terminology of Chassidus, the good inclination is the Divine Soul, while the evil inclination is the Bestial Soul. In Shema we must arouse not only the Divine Soul to love of Hashem, but even the Bestial Soul. Thus, our sages say that the prayers compensate for the sacrifices.93 Just as we would offer a physical animal up on the altar, so are we charged with offering up our inner animal, our Bestial Soul, to Hashem in Tefillah. This offering takes place in Shema, and is effected when we

Devarim 6:5. 92 Berachos 26a-b. 93 Ibid. 26b.

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reach the goal of Tefillahexciting the Bestial Soul with love of Hashem.

Shemonah Esrei Self-transcendence This is the highest rung of Tefillah, alluded to in the verse, And its head reached the heavens.
The prayers in Shemonah Esrei bring Hashem to grant us material blessings in the physical world; likewise, the inner change that Shemonah Esrei brings about is tangible, for it changes the Jews very being. Thus, in Shemonah Esrei the Jew stands like a servant before his master94 and declares, My Master, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.95 He asks Hashem to open his lips, and he will merely repeat Hashems words.96 This is bittul bimetzius, a state of total nullification before Hashem that transforms the Jews entire being.

Shabbos 10a. 95 Tehillim 51:17. 96 Toras Menachem 5715, Vol. 14, p. 227.
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Thus, in Shemonah Esrei the Jew connects with the Gdliness of the world of Atzilus, a world of sublime purity that exists in a state of bittul bimetzius to Hashem.97

Revealing the source of the Neshamah in the body Only98 a tiny amount of the Neshamah vests itself in the body to vivify it; in fact, this is merely a haara, a ray of the Neshamah. Its higher portion, however, which is its essence and primary aspect, does not become vested in the body; rather, it remains in the higher spiritual worlds.
In99 Shemonah Esrei one brings the Neshamahs root on high to become manifest in the Neshamah as it exists within the body, and this greatly elevates the Neshamah in the body. Why is this elevation necessary? The segment of the Neshamah that becomes vested in the body is dramatically affected by this descent. And when it lowers itself to refine the Bestial Soul, its light is further dimmed. Its light is all the more dimmed when the person neglects to strive for selfNote that this connection to Atzilus is the highest point on the ladder. After Shemoneh Esrei, one begins ones way down from Atzilus to Beriyah, and so on. Cf. Peri Etz Chaim, Shaar HaTefillah, ch. 5 ff. Shaar Kerias HaTorah, ch. 3 ff. Shaar HaKavanos, Derush Tefillas HaShachar, beg. 98 Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16a. Ibid., Haazinu 74d. 99 Sefer HaMaamarim 5672, Vol. 1, p. 415. Ibid., Vol. 2, p. 809.
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improvement, and the Bestial Soul gains the upper hand. Likewise, at the beginning of ones divine service, the Bestial Soul is dominant and the Neshamah is hidden, as mentioned above. In fact, even when one prays correctly and thereby reveals the lower levels of the NeshamahNefesh, Ruach, and Neshamahand thereby refines his Bestial Soul, after prayer, when he becomes preoccupied with the nitty-gritty of all his worldly concerns, the Bestial Soul often takes over again.100 But that is only possible because the lower levels of the Neshamah, as powerful as they are, have been affected by their descent into a body. However, during Shemonah Esrei the untainted source of the Neshamah shines openly in the body, arousing the Jew to an intense yearning for Gdliness that only the source of the Neshamah can feel.101 This elevates the Jew, endowing him with spiritual fortitude so that not only will the light of the Neshamah not become hidden when he enters the mundane world, but he will
Cf. Tanya ch. 12: However, after prayer, when ones higher consciousness of the Infinite Light of Hashem departs, the evil reawakens in the left side, and he desires the pleasures of this world and its indulgences ... as if he had not prayed at all. 101 Sefer HaMaamarim 5666, p. 236.
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behave in a completely different way. He will be inspired to reveal Gdliness in all his mundane activities throughout the day, thereby fulfilling the Torahs directive, In all your ways, know Him.102 This is another interpretation of the verse, A ladder was fixed in the earth, and its head reached the heavens, which refers to the ladder of prayer, as mentioned above. Through Tefillah, the Jew connects the level of his Neshamah that is fixed in the earththe soul in the body, with the heavensthe root of his Neshamah on high.103 This is a deeper interpretation of the connection between Tefillah and the root tofel, connect, because through Tefillah we connect the Neshamah found in the body with the root of the Neshamah.104 The root of the Neshamah, also known as Neshamah liNeshamah,105 is the soul-level of Chaya, which possesses a natural, intense faith in Hashem. This is the heavens within the soul itselfa koach makif, an encompassing

Mishlei 3:6. 103 Sefer HaMaamarim 5633, Vol. 2, p. 329. 104 Sefer HaMaamarim 5656, p. 346. 105 E.g., Peri Etz Chaim, Shaar HaShabbos, ch. 1.
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faculty of the Neshamah, for it does not become vested in the body. This soul-level grants every Jew natural faith in Hashem for which he needs no proofsuprarational faith.106 The Jew connects with this faith during Shemonah Esrei, and this infuses his conscious personality with this level of faith for the entire day.107 Moreover,108 the level of Neshamah liNeshamah can be said to include not only Chaya, but also the even higher soul-level of Yechidahwhich comprise the two encompassing facultiesthe kochos makifim. Thus,109 the Mishnahs statement, Fulfill His will as you would your own will110 refers to serving Hashem with the levels of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. This involves bringing Hashems will to permeate ones conscious personalityones thought, speech, action, emotions, and intellect, to which we devote the first three sections of prayer.
Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, Vol. 6, p. 132. In the original, he brings the makifim shebenefesh into pnimiyus. Sefer HaMaamarim 5692-5693, p. 41. 108 Sefer HaMaamarim 5663, Vol. 2, p. 68. 109 Sefer HaMaamarim ibid. 110 Avos 2:4.
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However, the continuation of the Mishnah, Set aside your will because of His will, represents bittul, self-nullification and mesiras nefesh, self-sacrificesurrendering ones conscious personality to transcendent Gdliness by revealing the makif-faculties, which are the root of the Neshamah. This is the purpose of Shemonah Esrei, and this is the climax of prayer. Appendix: Summary Table
section of Tefillah Modeh Ani Tefillas HaShachar Pesukei DeZimrah Blessings of Shema/Shema Shemonah Esrei level of Neshamah level above divine service kind of koach

Yechidah Nefesh Ruach

Atzmus submission atzmi Asiyah Yetzirah action pnimi emotion intellect faith makif

Neshamah Beriyah Chaya Atzilus

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