The three hundred and seventieth "room" in the palace of daily life.
Thursday, 5th of Kislev, 5704.
Lessons: Chumash, Vayetzei, fifth aliyah, with Rashi's commentary.
Psalms, on the 5th of the month, we say from chapter 29 until chapter 34 inclusive.
Tanya. On this day we continue studying the Kuntres Acharon. We are in the fourth section of the Kuntres Acharon, which is the fifth portion, beginning on page 312 with the words "aval davka," and ending on that same page 312 with the word "sham."
The daily saying refers to a verse from the weekly Torah portion and explains it. The source of the saying is a chassidic discourse by the Rebbe Rayatz, which he delivered in the year 5690, and its opening words are "Mayim Rabim" ("Many waters"). The Rebbe Rayatz delivered this discourse during his first visit to the United States, in Chicago.
The discourse speaks of the greatness of prayer. He brings that the Zohar says the ladder alludes to prayer, and he says a very interesting thing: there are two things that connect the floor to the ceiling — a pillar and a ladder — and what is the difference between them? The pillar indeed connects the floor to the ceiling, but it does not enable one to ascend to the ceiling, since it is smooth and one cannot climb it; whereas the ladder connects the floor to the ceiling, but it has rungs, and it provides the possibility to ascend.
For this reason, prayer is specifically compared to a ladder, for prayer too has rungs, and each rung within it is an advance whose purpose is to bring a person to a state of self-nullification before the Holy One, blessed be He, and each section of the prayer is one more rung and yet another rung in this matter.
In the discourse, the Rebbe Rayatz details all the stages. The first rung is "Modeh Ani," or "Give thanks to G-d for He is good" at the beginning of the prayers — the acknowledgment and initial self-nullification. That is, even though a person does not yet have comprehension, he begins with the first stage and resolves to devote himself to the Holy One, blessed be He. Afterward he proceeds to "Baruch She'amar," to Pesukei DeZimra, to the blessings of the Shema — and all these stages strengthen within a person trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, that He will provide him with his needs in honor and livelihood, and so on, until the Shemoneh Esreh prayer, which is the highest stage of all, in which he stands before the King.
And then he summarizes the matter, and the Rebbe brings here in the daily saying the summary that appears in that discourse. He opens: "And behold, a ladder set up on the earth" — the verse in this week's Torah portion, in which our forefather Jacob sees a ladder in a dream. What is the meaning of the ladder? "Prayer is the ladder of the soul's connection to G-dliness" — the connection of the soul as it is within the body, to bond with the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is hinted at by the ladder.
"Although it is set on the ground" — and what is the emphasis in the verse "set on the ground," when the continuation states "and its top reaches heavenward"? "Set on the ground" refers to the first rung of the ladder, which is located right at the floor, and its meaning is that "the beginning of prayer is in acknowledgment alone." When a person begins to pray, he has not yet grasped anything, nor has he contemplated anything; rather he says "Give thanks to Hashem" — I acknowledge and nullify my own understanding; this is an initial resolve. This is the first rung.
"But its top reaches the heavens" — the top of the ladder, when a person reaches the very highest rungs, up to the Shemoneh Esreh prayer, this is the top that reaches the heavens. What is "the heavens"? "In the aspect of essential nullification" — nullification in essence, and not merely external, technical nullification. The initial nullification is: it is possible that deep within, a person still harbors doubts, yet he agrees to the matters; whereas essential nullification is when the matter has penetrated the entire innermost being of the person, and he truly feels and is connected to the Creator in a way that he is utterly nothing. This is the level of the very highest rung.
"But one arrives at this through the preliminary comprehension and understanding in Pesukei DeZimra, the blessings of Kriat Shema, and Kriat Shema" — and how does one pass from the first rung, from "on the earth," to "the heavens"? There is no swift leap; rather, one attains this through the preliminary comprehension and understanding. In order to reach the uppermost rung, there are stages along the way, in which a person contemplates the greatness of Hashem and Divine providence and so on — and where is this detailed? In Pesukei DeZimra, in the blessings of Kriat Shema, and in Kriat Shema; these are the rungs in the middle. And afterward one arrives at the highest, at the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which reaches the heavens. This is the essence of prayer.