The Light of Judaism

According to the tradition, prayers in which there is no kavanah (concentration or conscious intention) and no devekut (cleaving through faith) do not ascend beyond the lower and upper worlds to enter into the Supernal Abode. In other words they are not effective and are not received by the Holy Shekinah (Divine Presence). Thus, when one prays one must concentrate upon one's prayer, the words that are spoken and their meaning, and one must attach oneself inwardly to the Divine in one's heart through faith. Only in this way does prayer become effective. 

The klippot mentioned here represent negative thoughts and emotions being allowed to enter during prayer - fairly radical forms of negativity actually. Yet they point also to more subtle and sublime levels of negativity, including distractions by mundane thoughts and day-dreams while praying, all of which are breaks in concentration or focused awareness (kavanah). These occurrences lower the vibration of one's consciousness and allow links to admixed and dark spiritual forces to form, thus, in effect, negating one's prayer. Like meditation, prayer requires the development of concentration and the energized enthusiasm (devekut). In this sense the distinction between prayer and meditation often vanishes in practice, and in many forms of spiritual practice in our tradition prayer and meditation occur in the same practice. 

Any experienced Kabbalist can certainly bear witness to the reality of admixed and dark forces that are external to ourselves that seek to prevent the Divine Illumination of our souls; hence that seek to prevent our enlightenment and liberation. Yet, any power such spiritual forces of admixture and darkness might have comes from within us, from our being unfocused and weak in faith, and from unresolved issues in our hearts and minds. When we are focused and strong in our faith, and uplift the vibration of our consciousness, such spiritual forces do not have any power over us, nor can they hinder or obstruct our prayer's ascent. 

Here we are told that prayers need to be completed - hence brought full circle without distraction. The development of altruism and its subsequent application to prayer protects the merit of prayer and other spiritual practices, which is reflected in the extension of the blessings and merit of the prayer to others. It is this that completes any prayer, meditation or other form of spiritual practice - the extension of the blessing and Light to others, and dedication of the merit generated by the practice to all living spirits and souls. 

If one did fall into some distraction or some negativity during one's prayers, because the prayer is for the sake of others, though one might error, for the sake of others the prayer will be uplifted by the Divine Powers. Likewise, if one wasn't distracted, but after one's practices one gave way to a powerful negativity inadvertantly, the positive influence would not be destroyed - dedicated to others the energy and merit would be safeguarded and preserved. Thus, a prayer or other form of spiritual practice completed in this way cannot be prevented from bearing good fruit. 

The idea of a complete prayer alludes to something else as well - the attachment of the prayer to Divine Names. When Divine Names are spoken and intoned in conjunction with a prayer the prayer is uplifted to the corresponding Sefirot and it is imbued with the Light-power of that Name-Sefirot. In effect the prayer is "sealed" with the Divine Name and protected by the Divine Name so that no admixed or dark force can prevents its fruition. Essentially, using the Divine Names that correspond to the nature of one's prayers empowers the prayers and makes them fully effective. 

Along with this visualization is also often used, such as envisioning the letters of the Divine Names in Hebrew, either as formed of jeweled light or formed of fire, or envisioning the divine images of Partzufim (tzaddikim and maggidim). This also serves to seal and complete prayers, and charges them with Light-power. 

All of these methods of mystical prayer tend to facilitate kavanah and devekut quite naturally. Likewise, when we engage in mystical prayer in this way with kavanah and devekut it is a very power spiritual practice - we experience higher states of consciousness and witness wonders transpire through Divine Grace. Basically speaking, when we pray in this way, fully involved and focused in our prayers, we create the conditions for the Holy Spirit to move with, in and through us, and thus experience a flow of Supernal Blessings. 

Through prayer we make ourselves conduits of the Blessing-Power of God, and we cultivate an interior life of communion in God's Presence (the Light) - quite naturally we will experience various degrees of Mochin Gadlut (Illumination). There is very real power in prayer if we learn to cultivate the art of prayer.