Likutei Moharan, Part II 8:2/ליקוטי מוהר"ן·תנינא ח׳:ב׳

12. The only way to attain this aforementioned voice is through prayer. The essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty (as explained in Avot 2:13). And compassion depends mainly upon daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), as it is written, “They will do nothing evil or destructive anywhere on My sacred mountain, for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed” (Isaiah 11:9). In the Future, daat will increase. There will then be no destruction or cruelty, for daat will bring to the proliferation of compassion, which depends primarily upon daat.

2But sometimes, when [evil forces of] the Other Side feed on the compassion, they draw it to themselves and thereby diminish our compassion. And even the little compassion which remains is an aspect of cruelty. As a result of their feeding on the compassion, it spoils and turns into cruelty, for “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty” (Proverbs 12:10). Consequently, even the little compassion we retain resembles cruelty, having been spoiled as a result of the Other Side’s feeding on compassion, God forbid.

3{“Even sea-serpents offer ShaD (the teat) to suckle their young; [but] the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches of the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:3) .} This is the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—alluding to the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “like ShoD (disaster) from ShaDai (the Almighty)” (Isaiah 13:6). ShaDai signifies holy compassion, as in “May El Shadai (God Almighty) grant you compassion” (Genesis 43:14). This refers to prayer, which is SiDuD (rearrangement) of the celestial order. But on account of “ShoD from ShaDai”—i.e., the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—“my people has become cruel.” Because they feed on compassion, even the little compassion we retain becomes flawed and turns into cruelty.

4And when compassion spoils and turns into cruelty, daat becomes flawed, as in: Whoever gets angry, his wisdom leaves him (Pesachim 66b). Daat diminishes, and turns into constricted mentalities. Then, the Other Side feeds on the flawed daat, God forbid, as in “Now the Serpent was cunning” (Genesis 3:1). This refers to daat of the Other Side. It feeds on the fallen holy daat, which has become flawed on account of cruelty and anger.

5This, in turn, leads to immoral desire, God forbid. For the mind is a barrier deployed against this desire. Thus, a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him (Sotah 3a) [and flaws his daat, God forbid]. But when the mind and daat are whole, this protects against this desire.

6For there are three mentalities, each one a barrier deployed against this desire. And from these three mentalities three types of compassion are generated. For there are three types of compassion, as alluded to by that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning the verse: “that you will not deal falsely with me, or my children, or my grandchildren” (Genesis 21:23)—thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a child (Bereishit Rabbah 54:2 and Rashi on the verse). These allude to three types of compassion, which are generated from the three mentalities, because the mind of the son derives from the mind of the father (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p. 35a).

7This is also the concept of the three daily prayers. Each of the prayers corresponds to a specific one of the three mentalities. These are the three types of compassion that are dependent upon the mind, because, as mentioned above, the essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty. Therefore, when daat becomes flawed, God forbid, it brings to immoral desire, God forbid.

8And when compassion and daat are flawed, offering prayers in the form of compassion and entreaty is impossible. At such a time, prayer is in the category of judgment. And when prayer is in the category of judgment, the Other Side swallows it, God forbid. This is because the Other Side primarily feeds on strict judgments, i.e., the constricted mentalities, which correspond to Elohim, as is known. Therefore, they grab hold of this prayer in the category of judgment and swallow it, God forbid.