It is as our sages wrote (Berachot 32), “Rabbi Shamlai said, ‘One should always praise the Creator, and then pray.’ Where did we get that? From Moses, as it is written, ‘And I besought the Lord at that time.’ It is also written, ‘O Lord God, Thou hast begun,’ and it is written, ‘Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land.’”

And the reason we need to begin with praising the Creator is that it is natural that there are two conditions when one asks for something of another:

1. That he has what I ask of him, such as wealth, power, and repute as being wealthy and affluent.
2. That he will have a kind heart, meaning a desire to do good to others

(Rabash, Article 17, “The Agenda of the Assembly”).

Question: Why must one first give praise to the Creator?

Answer: Because I want to feel nothing else in life or in the world besides the greatness of the Creator. I need nothing more.

This dictates all my thoughts, desires, actions, and my view of the world. It shapes my worldview and creates a correct picture of reality. The greatness of the Creator is above everything.

If some inconsistency, problem, or threat arises, the greatness of the Creator covers everything. I understand that it is He Himself who places this before me so that I may further exalt Him in my eyes. That is the only thing I must work on.

I need the greatness of the Creator in order to bestow upon Him, to act for His sake, and not to think about myself so that His importance will overshadow my egoism.

Question: And does the Creator help in this?

Answer: He is ready to help me if I ask Him. But each time, it becomes harder for me to ask and to convince Him that I must feel His greatness; otherwise, I will not be able to remain constantly directed toward Him.

Question: Does this happen because the Creator desires that I continually turn to Him?

Answer: The Creator certainly wants us to turn to Him, but He never pulls us toward Himself so as not to deprive us of freewill.

Question: And is this why we need the environment (the ten, the group, the teacher), to strike at this single point?

Answer: Yes, only in order to reveal the greatness of the Creator. Alone, I cannot reveal it. I must work with others. The Creator is revealed to me only through the ten. The ten is the prism through which He acts upon me.

Question: What, in this case, is the prayer for the friends?

Answer: Here, there are no friends and no “me.” There is the entire creation, everything created by the Creator, myself and Him. I want to become a conduit of the Creator’s light to all of creation. That is what it means to become a servant of the Creator.
[238314]
From KabTV’s Program “The Last Generation” 6/6/18

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The Lord On High Is Mighty
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