Prayer in the Kabbalah
takes on whole new meanings. Rather than an outpouring of the soul, it is a
daunting journey through the spiritual universe, with tasks to accomplish, and
dangerous missions to face.It should be noted that this is not what every
Kabbalistically inclined Jew actually does, but is the province of the
accomplished mystic alone. However, the ideas here inspire many, and are
accomplished even by the unadept on some level. The Zohar, as well as the ARI,
posit four heavenly worlds between us and the essence of G-d, known as Ein Sof
(the Infinite). These are the worlds of Emanation, Creation, Formation, and
Action. I have discussed these in my series on Kabbalah. Every word in the
prayer book relates to different aspects of these worlds. This is why mystics
often debate particular wordings, which would, on the surface, seem not to
matter. In the prayer book, the parts of the prayer until amidah also number
four. First there are the passages relating to sacrifice. Then there is the
section of Psalms and other praises. This is followed by the Shema' and its
blessings, finally culminating in the amidah. Each section parallels one of the
four worlds, with the amidah bringing us as close as is possible to G-d
Himself. This serves three purposes; to "fix" whatever has become
damaged or blocked in these worlds, to fix what is damaged or blocked within
our own souls, on levels corresponding to the supernal worlds (as Man is in the
Image of G-d, we contain all of these), and gathering the energies of each
level. There are mystical prayer books that contain lengthy meditations on each
level, often on each word. I have one in my possession that takes five pages
for the first line of the Shema' alone. I have prayed in synagogues where these
things are actually done. A weekday evening service, which usually takes ten to
fifteen minutes to recite, can take and hour and a half! At the morning and
afternoon services, the amidah is followed by supplications, called "Tachanun".
At this point, one falls on one's face (done today by simply putting one's head
down on one's arm, but originally meant falling to the floor, in a stance
identical to Muslim prayer). In the amidah, we reached the pinnacle of
connection with G-d. That "energy" is now used to jump into the
depths of negativity (Hell, if you will), in order to rescue the souls that are
trapped there. This is a most perilous endeavor, as one may become trapped
there himself. The ARI lists several people to whom this actually happened. As
a result of this danger, many Hasidim say Tachanun rarely, while many
Sepharadim do not "fall on their faces", but simply sit in their
chairs and intend to supplicate, minus the intent of the dangerous descent. The
parts following the amidah, especially in Sepharadic and Hasidic prayerbooks,
have the identical journey in reverse. We bring down the ultimate light through
the three lower worlds, nourishing them with the Power of G-d, and bringing
light and sustenance to those levels of our own souls. We return
"home", carrying great treasures, with a Universe that now has a
totally different, "fixed" nature. You may now understand why I
consider the standard, fixed prayers as being significant, although I see the
individual, spontaneous prayer as more meaningful. Each has its own function
and significance. A Kabbalist praying in the minyan of the Maggid of Mezrich
(the successor of the Baal Shem Tov, and the real founder of what we call "Hasidism" today) once asked the Maggid why he takes three
hours to pray, while the man asking only takes an hour. The Maggid asked the man "how
much time do you invest in prayer and study throughout the year?" The man
replied "Ten months. The other two, I must go to fairs, and earn my living
for the year". The Maggid said "Two months?!?! Why not just sit home
and imagine you are on your trips to the fair? You could accomplish that in a
few minutes!" The man replied "Rabbi, it doesn't work that way ! One
needs to actually go!". The Maggid said "THAT is the difference
between your prayer and mine. You imagined you were on a journey. I actually
went!".
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