Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah-teaching 84 - Praying with strength

Torah 84: In the Words of Our Rebbe, of Blessed Memory

Know that the primary connection and attachment to Hashem, blessed be He, is through prayer. For prayer is the gate through which one enters to Hashem, blessed be He, and from there one becomes known to Him. For prayer is kingship [Malchut], as it is written (Psalms 109): And I am prayer; and prayer is the language of connection [root: תפל], as it is written (Genesis 30): I have wrestled the wrestlings of G-d, whose translation is the language of connection. And for this reason, usually when a person prays, thoughts of greatness [gadlut] befall him. For prayer, which is the aspect of kingship, the aspect of I [ani], is in exile within the kingship of wickedness, as it is written (Ezekiel 1): And I am in the midst of the exile. And when it seeks to go out, then the kingship of wickedness, which is greatness, clings to it, for greatness is from the kingship of wickedness, which seeks to aggrandize itself and rule. And this is why one prays with strength, for through this, one gives strength to the prayer to be fortified against the kingship of wickedness to go out from exile.

And this is (Psalms 68): Give strength to G-d; over Israel is His pride. When pride, which is the kingship of wickedness, prevails over Israel, the rectification for this is to pray with strength and fortify G-d, which is the aspect of I [ani]. And this is (Deuteronomy 8): And you shall remember Hashem your G-d, for He is the One who gives you strength to make wealth. The meaning is that through strength, you rectify the woman of valor [eshet chayil], the aspect of kingship. And this is the meaning of: to acquire assets [l’miknei nichsin] (which is the translation of “to make wealth” – l’miknei nichsin). The meaning is that when the kingship is in exile, it says: Do not look at me, for I am black (Song of Songs 1), for it is clothed in dark garments, in garments of husks [klipot], and is covered by them. And then: Like a bird wandering from its nest, so is a man who wanders (Proverbs 27), for it is His nest [ken]. And when a person prays with strength and brings it out from exile, from its coverings, it becomes a nest for the Holy One, blessed be He.

And this is the meaning of: to acquire [l’miknei] – the language of nest [ken]; assets [nichsin] – the language of coverings [kissuyin]. And the primary intention should be to rectify the Shechinah in order to unite it with its Husband. And this is the meaning of: In order to establish His bris – the establishment of the bris alludes to union [zivug]. For initially, there must be an arousal from below [it’aruta d’ltata], which is the rectification of the Shechinah. And when the Shechinah is clothed in radiant garments: white, red, green, the aspect of the Patriarchs [Avot], and it is the aspect of an oath [shevu’ah], the aspect of seven [shiv’ah], it becomes as if it is now sworn to the Patriarchs. And this is: Which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day – specifically this day. It follows that through prayer with strength, the oath to the Patriarchs is renewed.

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