Bnei Machshava Tova, Daily Instructions 4/בני מחשבה טובה·סדר הדרכה וכללים ד׳

1Focus and Passion in PrayerWhen you pray, stand in one place, facing the wall or with your eyes closed. And pray aloud—not merely to raise your voice, but with intent and with the hope that this will rouse your spirit from its sleep, so that it will emerge from its hiding place to greet its King and Maker, Who stands before it.

2Be very careful to think of the meaning of the words.

3This can be interpreted in various ways. For instance: “Sing to Hashem from the heavens” (Psalms 148:1). A person might just translate the words in his mind: “Sing to” means “praise”; “Hashem” refers to the Holy One, blessed be He; “from the heavens” means the angels in heaven; and so forth. But this kind of understanding will do nothing to inspire him.

4The main focus of understanding the words is that when you say “Sing to Hashem,” you see yourself right then speaking to the entire world and commanding it to sing to God. Although you are merely a being scratched out of physicality, because you are a Jew you are a prince of the world, able to proclaim and to command the entire world, angels as well as this-worldly beings, from the highest spirits to the insects and the grass, “Sing to Hashem from the heavens . . . and sing to Him, all bright stars!”

5Have this idea in mind in all your words of prayer. And then you will be inspired to a fiery enthusiasm.