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Book Title Bringing Heaven Down to Earth
Based on letters and talks of the Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson
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340. The Tzaddik's Prayer

The enlightened master knows he lacks nothing
and so he prays for his people.

But if he lacks nothing,
then he knows that in truth they also lack nothing,
and if so, for what is he praying?

He prays they should have open eyes to see
and open hearts to know
that in truth they lack nothing.

But how can one who lacks nothing pray?

Because he knows he himself lacks nothing,
but deeper, at his very core,
he is his people
and he prays as one of them.

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Based on letters and talks of the Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson   More articles...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. To order Rabbi Freeman’s book, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, click here.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: June 24, 2009
THE TZADDIK'S PRAYER
The essence is in One. G-d is One.
The tzaddik binds himself to G-d to become one with G-d. So we bind ourselves to the tzaddik to become one with the tzaddik and thereby uniting with G-d. This is the beauty of k'lal Yisrael. As Jews we join together to become one with the tzaddik and G-d.
Posted By Jocelyn Ruth Krieger, boca Raton, Fl

Posted: June 24, 2009
source
This meditation is a synopsis of a concept presented in Tefilla L'Moshe 5769.
Posted By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Posted: June 24, 2009
prayer
There is no soul that lives and doesn't pray, its imposible. People pray without noticing that they have pray. Praying is asking, if you refuse to pray to God directly you will still pray indirectly.
Posted By Rashakeylah Yeazeahn, Casa, morocco

Posted: May 27, 2008
response
Thank you, tzvi, that really really, helped. thank you, and in general, you give me a lot of strength. i think the rebbe means by opening our eyes, that we think that so long as there's still somewhere to get to, in a certain way we are not 'there' yet. but that is no way to connect to God, for God is not in where we should be, He is in where we are now. by opening our eyes to the understanding that even though there’s fixing to do, but for the moment we are in now, like you said, we have everything we need, we have the power to fix. and also that we need not be fixed right now.
from there comes real prayer.
what do you think, r' tzvi?
Posted By Binyomin from brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY

Posted: May 27, 2008
Re: Question (Binyomin in Brooklyn)
The Tzadik is not really part of this world, so worldly acquisitions and achievements are not on the agenda for him. He has a relationship with G_d, his soul is one with G_d, so everything's in place.

We live in a real world. We are meant to be creatures of a real world. Our mission is that this world should be G_dly. So we need to ask for things. That's the mitzvah of prayer: To ask G_d for your needs. We need to report to G_d on what we see is amiss from our perspective down here and ask Him to change it. He made the world in a way that it needs to be fixed, and makes us partners in the job. Prayer is part of that partnership.

So what is the tzadik doing, asking for our eyes to be opened? What will happen to prayer then?

It seems to me that what the Rebbe means is that we will see that we have everything, including the power to change the world. Just like a tzadik, as the sages say, a tzadik decrees and G_d fulfills his decree.
Posted By Tzvi Freeman, Thornhill, Ontario

Posted: May 26, 2008
question
this was great. i have two questions on this, really longstanding, if you could please give me the right outlook.
Number 1 is, what does it mean he lacks nothing? Because God takes care of him and gives him whatever he needs? But isn't there an idea that god has all the influence waiting, but you need prayer to draw it out?

Number 2 is: just to clarify: so all the requests we make during the Amida are really : help us open our eyes to see we already are in the best place as far as this area is concerned?

these ideas always confused me, some clarity would really help me to connect to prayer better. thank you,
Posted By Binyomin, Brooklyn, NY

Posted: May 26, 2008
praying is not just asking for something
the problem that you solve by developing this somewhat complex argument is solved immediately when we realise that prayer means thanking, contemplating etc, which any tzaddik can and does do , on infinitely rising levels, on a personal level, and for his people.
Posted By chana, givat zeev

Posted: May 26, 2008
The Tzaddik's Prayer
A thought to add another perspective to this beautiful wisdom ... Changing the way we see what prayer is can allow us to see the question of why anyone needs prayer in a different light.

We do truly lack nothing because G-d gives us all that we need and want and all we have left to do is thank Him ... and we can do that through prayer. I believe it is taught that prayer is said with belief that G-d answers ALL prayers. So we are not really asking for what we want. We are trusting that we are always given all that we want.

So we can look at prayer as a way of thanking G-d for all that He gives us. Then we see why prayer is needed by one who lacks nothing. G-d is giving us gifts in each moment of each day. Prayer is another gift ... a way of saying thanks for these gifts; for when we remember to thank G-d, we also remember to notice all the gifts that we sometimes take for granted and we remember G-d's presence in our lives. In that is yet another gift.

THANK YOU!
Posted By Smadar



 


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