Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 121

He Strengthened His People

He strengthened his people who accepted before him with a great undertaking, because they are very far from tefillah [prayer] and it is very difficult for them to pray. And he strengthened them and comforted them with many expressions that they should not fall in their minds because of this. And he said: Behold, for a convert who converted, how much merit it is for him when he merits to know the recitation of the words alone until Baruch She’amar! Therefore, a person should comfort himself and gladden himself that at least he merits to say the words of tefillah. And I heard that he was speaking with one simple man about the matter of tefillah, that it is very difficult to pray. And he gave him advice and said to him that he should think in his heart that he only needs to pray until Baruch She’amar, for perhaps he needs in this incarnation to repair only this part of the tefillah. For perhaps in the first incarnation, he already prayed the rest of the parts of tefillah with intention, only this part until Baruch She’amar he needs now in this incarnation to pray with intention. And therefore, he should put all his strength into this little bit to pray with intention until Baruch She’amar. Baruch She’amar he should think: Perhaps he needs to repair this part, for example, from Baruch She’amar until Vayevarech David, and he should pray that part again with intention, and so on further. And the principle is that he should not confuse his mind at the beginning with the entire tefillah, for it will be difficult and heavy for him. Rather, he should strive each time to say a little bit with intention, for a little one can pray with intention, and afterward a little more, etc., as above. Also, it has already been explained that in truth, generally, one cannot pray the entire tefillah with intention, only a little. For each one prays some part of the tefillah according to his aspect, for there are masters of hands and masters of feet, etc., as explained elsewhere.