In order to understand a tiny portion of the concept of Prayer, we must precede with what is known in the Pri Etz Haim [fundamental text of Lurianic Kabbala] the distinction between the Sh'ma prayer [Hear O Israel the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4)] and Prayer itself [what is called the "Standing Prayer" consisting of 18-19 benedictions, repeated by a Jew thrice daily]. That through the Sh'ma prayer is brought about the unification of Father and Mother [Wisdom and Understanding] and through [Standing] Prayer is brought about the unification of the Small Face [Emotions] and its female counterpart [the Divine Presence]...to strip away from these ideas their physicality...
The Kabbalistic texts work by providing us with the basic formulas underlying the revealed aspects of Jewish life. Kabbalistic wisdom resides in a world of pure G-dliness - when we hear and try to understand the language of the Kabbalistic masters, it is as if we are attempting to bridge between two distant worlds. And so even though they speak in terms of objects that we can relate to - Mother, Father, Wisdom, Understanding, etc., these are merely metaphors for their more universal origins in the Higher Worlds.
As mentioned previously, one of the main ideas behind Prayer is that of bringing about Unifications. But before I can relate to the idea of Unifications, I must cleanse myself of my own preconceived notions regarding this topic, and also this word. This is called "abstracting" and is the first step towards understanding and relating to Mystical Wisdom or Kabbala. I must leave behind my limited conception of Father, and even my more expanded relationship with the concept of Wisdom, or Unification, and open myself to the idea that as much as I have thrown these words around my whole life, I don't understand or relate to them in their absolute sense.
A small child can also be taught complicated formulas but will have no grasp of the meaning of the words or the application of the underlying concepts. For instance, one may open up an Economics textbook and find there the description of diffrent formulas and curves. There he learns, superficially, that when the curve shifts in a certain direction, overall wealth increases. He may then conclude that in order to solve the world's economic issues, all he needs to do is draw a graph with the curve shifted outwards. But that is completely missing the point.
The Kabbalistic formulas are coming to bring simplicity and order to a complex reality, but these formulas are only graphs. In order to understand their significance I must learn to relate to them as I do to any other concept or theory, and not rush to understand them on the grossest level of interpretation.
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