Prayer Skills: Maasei La’Melech: Prayer & Prophecy

The 25th of Tammuz is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yeshaya Dovid Zilberstein of Veitzen, author of Maasei Lamelech (1930): One who wants to experience the full power of prayer, must first connect with the lesson of the Korbanot, “A fire offering, a pleasant fragrance to God,” which in turn implies that we can act in such a way that is considered by God as a pleasant fragrance that can serve as a Korban, something that will bring us close to Him. Once we understand that He empowers us to draw close to Him, we can begin to appreciate the gift of prophecy; A human being who has drawn so close to God that he achieves the clarity of communication we know as Prophecy, Nevuah, one who has come, as in, va’Yavo. Prayer is not only a reflection of the Korbanot, it is as way to touch the reality of prophecy. (Introduction of Ma’asie la’Melech)