This refutes a common error. When a foreign thought occurs to some people during prayer, they mistakenly conclude that their prayer is worthless,
וְלֹא כְּטָעוּת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁטּוֹעִים לְהוֹכִיחַ מִנְּפִילַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה – מִכְּלָל שֶׁאֵין תְּפִלָּתָם כְּלוּם,
for if one prayed properly and correctly, so they mistakenly believe, no foreign thoughts would arise in his mind.
שֶׁאִילּוּ הִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי וְנָכוֹן – לֹא הָיוּ נוֹפְלִים לוֹ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת.
They would be correct if there would be but one soul within a person, the same soul that prays being also the one that thinks and ponders on the foreign thoughts.
וְהָאֱמֶת הָיָה כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם, אִם הָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת לְבַדָּהּ, הִיא הַמִּתְפַּלֶּלֶת וְהִיא הַמְחַשֶּׁבֶת וּמְהַרְהֶרֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת.
But in fact, there are two souls, each waging war against the other in the person’s mind.
אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לַאֲמִיתּוֹ, הֵן שְׁתֵּי נְפָשׁוֹת, הַנִּלְחָמוֹת זוֹ עִם זוֹ בְּמוֹחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם,
The mind is thus not only the battleground, but also the prize, the object of the battle between the two souls.
Each of them wishes and desires to rule and pervade the mind exclusively.
כָּל אַחַת חֶפְצָהּ וּרְצוֹנָהּ לִמְשׁוֹל בּוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת הַמּוֹחַ מְמוּלָּא מִמֶּנָּה לְבַדָּהּ,
All thoughts of Torah and the fear of G-d come from the G-dly soul, while all thoughts of worldly matters derive from the animal soul.
וְכָל הִרְהוּרֵי תּוֹרָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם – מִנֶּפֶשׁ הָאֱלֹהִית, וְכָל מִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא – מִנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִית,
Similarly, in our case, thoughts of prayer are from the divine soul, while foreign thoughts stem from the animal soul. Thus, the occurrence of a foreign thought during prayer is no indication of a fault in the prayer. In fact, the opposite may be true, as the Alter Rebbe explained earlier with the analogy of two combatants.
But if there are indeed two separate souls, why should the extraneous thoughts of one interfere with the devotions of the other? They would not interfere, answers the Alter Rebbe,
except that the G-dly soul is clothed within it—within the animal soul.
רַק שֶׁהָאֱלֹהִית מְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בָּהּ.
Therefore, the G-dly soul cannot ignore foreign thoughts rising from the animal soul, and thus, foreign thoughts disturb one’s devotion in prayer.
This is, to use an example, like a person who is praying with devotion, while facing him, there stands a wicked heathen who chats and speaks to him in order to confuse him.
וְהוּא כִּמְשַׁל אָדָם הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּכַוָּונָה, וְעוֹמֵד לְנֶגְדּוֹ עָרֵל רָשָׁע, וּמֵשִׂיחַ וּמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ כְּדֵי לְבַלְבְּלוֹ,
If the other’s intention were not to disturb him but merely, say, to ask him a question, then he could rid himself of the disturbance simply by responding to the questioner. But when the intention is to disturb his prayers, he will gain nothing by responding; if he answers one question, he will promptly be asked another.
Surely, the best advice in this case would be to answer him neither good nor evil but rather to act as though he were deaf, without hearing,
שֶׁזֹּאת עֲצָתוֹ בְּוַדַּאי, שֶׁלֹּא לְהָשִׁיב לוֹ מִטּוֹב וְעַד רָע, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמוֹ כְּחֵרֵשׁ לֹא יִשְׁמַע,
and to comply with the verse, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you too become like him.”2
וּלְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב: "אַל תַּעַן כְּסִיל בְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ, פֶּן תִּשְׁוֶה לוֹ גַּם אָתָּה".
Just as in the analogy of the heathen who disturbs one during prayer, so, too, when foreign thoughts enter one’s mind while praying he should answer nothing at all, nor should he engage in argument against the foreign thought, i.e., he should not occupy himself with mental discussions on the best strategy for countering the foreign thought,
כָּךְ, אַל יָשִׁיב מְאוּמָה וְשׁוּם טַעֲנָה וּמַעֲנֶה נֶגֶד הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה,
for he who wrestles with a filthy person is bound to become soiled himself.
כִּי הַמִּתְאַבֵּק עִם מְנֻוָּול – מִתְנַוֵּול גַּם כֵּן;
Similarly, in the process of fighting the foreign thought, one’s mind becomes filled and tainted by it. He should therefore not seek to grapple with it.
Instead, he should pretend not to know nor hear the foreign thoughts that occurred to him, should dismiss them from his mind,
רַק יַעֲשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּלֹא יוֹדֵעַ וְלֹא שׁוֹמֵעַ הַהִרְהוּרִים שֶׁנָּפְלוּ לוֹ, וִיסִירֵם מִדַּעְתּוֹ,
and strengthen still more the power of his concentration.
וְיוֹסִיף אוֹמֶץ בְּכֹחַ כַּוָּונָתוֹ.
If, however, he finds it difficult to dismiss them because they distract his mind with great intensity,
וְאִם יִקְשֶׁה לוֹ לַהֲסִירָם מִדַּעְתּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁטּוֹרְדִים דַּעְתּוֹ מְאֹד בְּחָזְקָה –
then he should humble his soul before G-d and supplicate Him in his thought to have compassion upon him in His abundant mercies,
אֲזַי, יַשְׁפִּיל נַפְשׁוֹ לַה' וְיִתְחַנֵּן לוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ, לְרַחֵם עָלָיו בְּרַחֲמָיו הַמְרוּבִּים,
like a father who takes pity on his children who stem from his brain—and so should G-d be compassionate on his soul, which derives from [the “mind” of] G-d—the attribute of chochmah, as explained in ch. 2,
כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים הַנִּמְשָׁכִים מִמּוֹחוֹ, וְכָכָה יְרַחֵם ה' עַל נַפְשׁוֹ הַנִּמְשֶׁכֶת מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
to rescue it from the “turbulent waters,”3 i.e., the thoughts which disturb the soul. This He should do for His own sake, since truly, “His people are a part of the L-rd.”4
לְהַצִּילָהּ מִ"מַּיִם הַזֵּדוֹנִים", וּלְמַעֲנוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה, "כִּי חֵלֶק ה'" – מַמָּשׁ – "עַמּוֹ":
In order that one should not incur Divine judgment as to whether he is worthy of G-d’s compassion, the Alter Rebbe advises that one should beseech G-d’s mercies for His own sake. Since the soul is “a part of G-d,” in aiding the soul, he actually helps Himself, so to speak. The question of whether one is deserving of such aid thus becomes irrelevant.
Another interpretation sees the words, “This He should do for His own sake…,” not as part of the worshipper’s plea but as a guarantee: G-d will certainly come to the aid of one who entreats Him and certainly will “rescue his soul from the turbulent waters”; this is for His own sake, for the soul is veritably a part of G-d.
In this case, if the G-dly soul were truly immersed in the prayers, there would be no room within it for foreign thoughts.