Prayer Skills-Vaeira-Solitude

We merit reabsorption into our spiritual roots, once again becoming part of the Unity of God, Whose existence is necessary, only by means of self annihilation. It is impossible to attain self nullification without solitude. Only in solitary talk with our Creator can we abolish all our lives and the evil traits to the point that we completely negate our material existence and are reabsorbed into our roots.

The best time for such solitude is at night, when the world is free of worldly occupations. Daytime, the time of worldly pursuits, is distracting and confusing, preventing us from becoming attached and reunited with God. Even if you are not personally occupied with the material and corporeal, it is hard to achieve self nullification when the rest of the world is busy pursuing this worldly vanities.

The solitude should take place in a secluded area, outside the city limits, where there are no people milling about. A place where there is usually traffic during the day, with people pursuing their worldly affairs, is not conducive to solitude and reabsorption in God, even if there is no one around at the moment. Therefore, both nighttime and a lonely road or place are needed.

During the solitary sessions, empty your head and mind of all worldly interests, negating everything until you truly attain self annihilation. In your loneliness at night in a secluded area, begin by reciting prayers and conversing frequently with God until you have succeeded in abolishing one or another lust or bad habit. Then continue your solitude into another of your passions and evil traits is voided. And continue in the same way for a longer time, until you have rid yourself of all of them, until there is nothing left of you.

And only then, when you have attained true self annihilation, does your soul rejoin its roots, namely, Him Whose existence is necessary. Then all the world is included with your soul as it is reabsorbed in its Divine root, whose existence is necessary, for everything depends upon Him. Thus is the whole transformed into necessary existence. (Likkutei Moharan 1:52)

“When I leave this city I shall spread out my hands to God (Exodus 9:29).” We have already offered other reasons why Moses had to leave the city in order to pray. Perhaps we can add another reason: Moshe needed solitude to achieve the necessary level of nullification so that all his prayers would be rooted in the Divine.

Although it is difficult for us to find such a secluded area, we can find private rooms, or places, even our bed at nighttime, to achieve this sense of solitude with God. By practicing this solitude we empower all our prayers throughout the day.