Chapter 17 Going to the Store vs. Home Delivery

But the question of the Rivash why it's necessary to do all this [to direct G-d's blessing to a particular Sephira] - this is a serious query...


When I'm dealing with a complex structure such as a government bureaucracy or even a department store so there are many different departments, each one stands on its own. If I want a half kilo of nails I can't go to a pharmacy. Even if I go to a department store they'll tell me "we have nails and medicine, but you need to go up yourself two floors up to the appropriate department."

So when I'm talking about G-d and He's above all these divisions - why do I need to get into specifics? If I'm truly beloved to someone - to the manager of the department store for instance. So I can come to him and tell him I want half a kilo of tomatoes, aspirin, two needles and a Phillips screwdriver. When I go by myself I won't find all these in one place. I can go to the owner and ask him for all these things. I can turn to G-d and say that I don't know how to find all these things, and He can send them according to His understanding.

This is the question of the Rivash, and in order to answer it, we need to understand the concept behind Hallel or the praise and thankfulness parts of the daily prayer.

Here we get to the crux of what the Sages meant that the Jewish people are not answered in their prayers since they do not have the proper intentions in G-d's Name. Name vowelization means to think about how G-d is garmenting Himself in a particular garment to give me what I need. But this is also another aspect of the praise and thankfulness we shower upon G-d in our prayers - and why indeed must we do all this? In order to prepare ourselves, and hone our sensitivity to appreciate G-d's presence in our life, and if we do this properly then our prayers are answered and we have Him with us and feel Him with us throughout the day.

(The text in italics are the words of Derech Mitzvosecha by the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek. The bolded words are Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary as heard on his shiurim on hashefa.co.il. The rest is my commentary. All rights reserved to Rabbi Steinsaltz. Picture courtesy of Moshe Schlass.)