Part 2 Chapter 3 Why G-d needs our Actions

During the Six Days of Creation, G-d illuminated independently and on His own and contracted His light to enclothe in the Ten Sephirot. And this continues now in the secret of the  Basic energy of the Universe that does not require any action on our behalf. But this illumination is limited. And the main part of the Light today is drawn down through our actions in the secret of Addition...Through our praising His enclothing in Wisdom or Harmony...and the intentionality of the Name [belonging to this Attribute]... we cause the Infinite Light to garment itself even more in that Attribute.

Our actions impact and cause a response from Above. One time the Rebbe of Kotzk told one of his chassidim, a Rav, that in the merit of one of his mitzvos he is going to have a very special child. This child was an incredible prodigy and eventually became the son-in-law of the Rebbe of Kotzk and one of the leading Torah Sages of his generation. The Rebbe told the chassid that this child was being given to him in the merit of his learning Torah on Purim. At all times Torah must be studied to keep the world in existence and it happened one Purim that all the Jews were busy either with sending of food packages one to another or the Purim feast and no one was learning in the world except for this Jew and so the whole existence of the world in these moments was in his merit. And for this he was being rewarded with this prodigal child.

Since the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, we are partners with G-d in the Creation and are entrusted with bringing down light to the world. Our prayer is one way in which we carry out our duty of supplying the world with the Light and Energy necessary to function. The praise and intentionality of the particular Name helps the Infinite Light to garment itself more actively, more "enthusiastically" in the Attribute that channels more of it down to the world.

(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. Pictures courtesy of Moshe Schlass.)