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Song of the Soul
A column exploring deeper insights of prayer
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An ongoing series focusing on women's prayers throughout the ages, and what we can learn from women about the impact of prayer.
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I learned that if I needed life-saving dialysis, I would make time for it. And that is how I want to relate to you. Not like a chore. And not like a luxury. But like life-saving oxygen.
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The G‑dly soul intuitively feels the excitement and wants to sing with joy. What about the animal soul?
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Our feelings are generated as a direct result of our thoughts.
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We may have knowledge of G‑d’s existence, a general theoretical awareness of it, but if the light is not on, we can stumble.
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How can we be free from our deep enmeshment with physicality and its trappings, and the “highs” we experience from it?
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It takes the human experience, where there is a void of G‑d’s absolute truth, to appreciate and recognize the absolute truth.
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The spiritual rooster above knows not only the difference between darkness and light but between goodness and bad, revelation and concealment.
We could all use some of that discernment in our lives.
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While G‑d’s light might be “hidden” in a tent-like fashion, He has given us an exact prescription for access to His great love by doing actual good deeds.
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The soul is not here for itself, but to refine and elevate the animal soul.
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During the days of the First Temple, no formal prayer was needed.
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After praying with such fervor, the soul feels able and determined to return to its daily tasks.
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No matter your industry, generating an income entails work. Is that compatible with deep spirituality?
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What do you do with this powerful love and desire for G‑d, awakened during prayer as a result of our challenges?
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It is not enough to live a good life because our intellect or hierarchy dictates so; we need to take that self and transcend it.
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Prayer is called a war. We don’t actively fight the bad; instead, we engrave the truth of G-d’s Oneness into our psyche and the fact that everything in our life is being recreated by G-d at every moment.
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You’re setting a cycle of love in motion.
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We pray to G‑d to help us experience Him and feel Him in a way that relates to our experience.
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Only darkness can be the catalyst for the greatest love of G‑d.
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What can we provide that an infinite G‑d would possibly need?
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Let’s take a deeper look at the function of prayer.
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G‑dly light is spiritual, and it needs physical vessels to be drawn into.
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It’s hard to wake up in the morning feeling spiritual. We need to get ourselves into the mode.
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Through prayer, we draw down G‑d’s essence, unleashing the great light and establishing the reflection in the relationship.
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There is another purpose to daily prayer that is relevant to everyone.
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When the animal soul’s true essence is revealed, it can disengage from physical pleasures and pine after spirituality.
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Prayer is about developing this relationship with G‑d, and experiencing real emotions of the G‑dly soul.
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While the prayers preceding the Shema are important, it is the Shema prayer itself that transforms the animal soul into loving G‑d.
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There is a battle of connection versus disconnection, selflessness versus selfishness. There is a desire to transcend, to be holy and altruistic, along with a tug to enjoy corporal pleasure and be short-sighted.
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