28^th of Cheshvan, November 15, 2009

Rav Soloveitchik writes that prayer is an attitude, a state of mind.  To truly pray, one must adapt the posture of a child.  An adult, who knows his own self-worth and is confident, is not admitted to the palace of prayer.  Prayer requires self-negation and demands that one surrender himself and completely trust in Hashem.  Prayer is for the one who says of himself: “my heart was not proud, and my eyes were not haughty…my soul is like that of a weaned child (Psalm 131:1-2).”   A child instinctively feels the loving embrace of his parents and trusts that they will do right by him.  It is those feelings of love and trust that are the very essence of prayer.

Copyright, 2009 Rachel Lerner