Prayer Skills-Tetzaveh-Garments-No Barriers

The concept of prayer is somewhat difficult to understand. It is written, “The whole earth is filled with His glory (Isaiah 6:3),” and we are similarly taught that, “there is no place empty of Him.” Wherever a man is, God’s glory exists.

It is therefore difficult to understand why prayer is accepted through angels. Why do angels bring our prayers from one chamber on high to another (Zohar 2:245b)?

God ordained this so man should realize how far he is from God. He can then try very hard to come closer.

Before the sounding of the Shofar, the Baal Shem Tov gave the following example:

A very wise king once wanted to test his subjects’ loyalty and devotion. Making use of optical illusions, he made barriers, walls, towers and gates, and ordered that large sums of money being deposited near each gate. He then commanded that his subjects come to him through these gates and towers. There were some people who went through one gate, found the money, took it, and went home immediately. Others went through 2 or 3 gates, but they, too, were eventually tempted by the treasures, so they did not go all the way into the king either.

The king’s beloved son, however, strove very hard to come to his father, and would not be satisfied with anything less. When he finally arrived in the king’s chambers, he saw that there was really no barrier, and that it was just an optical illusion.

The parallel is obvious. God hides Himself with many Garments, behind many barriers. But it is known that, “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” and that every thought and movement comes from Him. Every Angel, every chamber, and everything that exists to the extent that we can express it, is made of God’s own Essence. It is like the case of a snail, “who is contained both in, and consists of, his garment.” There is therefore really no barrier separating man from God.

When a person realizes this, “All the workers of iniquity crumble away (Psalms 92:10).” [Ben Porat Yosef 70c]