The Prayer of the Poor

Translated by Jacob Immanuel Schochet

The  Zohar (III:195a) states that one's will is to be like that of a pauper. Thus consider yourself like a pauper and always speak with soft and beseeching words like a pauper.

" When a person always makes his will as that of a pauper, his prayer ascends..."

Which is the most excellent of all [prayers]? It is the prayer of the poor - it takes precedence to all prayers of the world. This is because he is broken-hearted, and it is written, "G-d is near to the broken-hearted". (Psalms 34:19) Thus, when praying, a person should make himself "poor". When a person always makes his will as that of a pauper, his prayer ascends and will be received favorably before the Holy King."

Your thought should always be secluded with the  Shechina, thinking only of your continuous love for Her that She may be attached to you. Say constantly in your mind, "When will I merit that the light of the Shechina abide with me?"

When beset by mundane desires, remove them from your mind. Scorn the desire to the point of it becoming hated and despised by you. Incite the yetzer tov against the yetzer hara and your desire, and thus you will subdue them.

" The yetzer hara is not to be destroyed but conquered..."

See Berachot 5a: "Man should always incite the yetzer tov (good impulse in man) against the yetzer hara (evil impulse in man) [i.e., to wage battle against the yetzer hara;  Rashi], as it is written "Tremble (incite) and sin not (or: and you will not sin)' (Psalms 4:5)." To do so, helps subdue the personal yetzer hara and the power of evil (that is concentrated in worldly pleasures) in general, as explained below.

Note that the term "subdues" accords with the  Baal Shem Tov's interpretation of "Who is strong? He who conquers (subdues) his [evil] impulse" (Avot 4:1): the yetzer hara is not to be destroyed but conquered, i.e., to harness its energy for good, to utilize it for matters of holiness. (Cf. Shenei Luchot Habrit,  Bet David (cur. Ed. P. 16b; also ibid, p.36b.)

Do not be depressed at all from not having mundane desires. On the contrary, rejoice exceedingly for meriting to subdue your passion for the sake of the Creator's glory, may He be blessed. Our sages said of this, "rejoicing in the suffering". (Shabbat 88b)

When you are not drawn after your desire, even in thought, and scorn it, you subdue the kelipot very much, as it is said in the Zohar (I:100b): "'A pure heart' (Psalms 24:4) is the one that will not let his will and heart be drawn after the Sitra Achara.

[From "Tzava'at Harivash, The Testament of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov", Sections 7-9/Kehot Publication Society]

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