Tefillah: Rising up from the lowest levels

The verse states concerning Yaakov: “And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was fixed in the earth, and its head reached the heavens.” This alludes to Tefillah, which is called a ladder. The Jew starts at the lowest rung of the ladder of Tefillah—“the earth”—and rises ever higher, until he can reach the most sublime spiritual heights—“the heavens.”


The above-mentioned verse uses the word artzah for earth, although it is usually spelled aretz. Artzah, with an additional hei, alludes to the very lowest level in the earth.


This teaches us that even when the Jew is struggling not only with the standard natural state of animalistic selfishness that most of us feel upon waking, but with sins that have caused him to sink to a nadir of spiritual degeneracy, may G–d save us, Tefillah has the power to pull him out and elevate him to the most sublime spiritual level.


Nevertheless, Tefillah can only raise the person up if he is inspired to invest the effort that Tefillah requires. But if he is on a low level, how can he reach the state of yearning for G–dliness that will inspire him to climb up the rungs of Tefillah?


The solution is for one to reflect upon this very fact—that he is on a low level, both with regard to his thought, speech, and action, and with regard to his intellect and emotions. Even the essence of his soul may be trapped in the forces of impurity. This realization transforms him into a vessel for change, inspiring him with a yearning to invest the effort to rise up the ladder of Tefillah.

Adapted from Sefer HaMa’amarim Melukat—Nissan, pp. 181-182.

Like what you read? The articles I write take a lot of time and effort. Please contact me to sponsor an article for (at least) $36 in honor of the birthday, wedding anniversary, or yarhtzeit of a loved one, or for a refuah shleimah or the like. Also, see here concerning the tremendous merit of supporting the dissemination of Chassidus, and the blessings that one receives for doing so.