LADDER

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov Renee on your birthday from last week. I am sorry that it slipped past me! But good wishes are never too late. Wishing you a wonderful year with good health, and lots of happy occasions for you and your whole Family.

Mazal Tov to Naomi on your birthday at the end of next week. Wishing you a happy year Naomi with good news. Hopefully some simchos!

Mazal Tov Gavriel on your upcoming birthday. I hope things are going very well in Longbeach and that you are doing well in School. Wishing you a successful year in both secular and Torah subjects.

In this week's Sedra Vayetzei, Yaakov has a dream about a 'LADDER which was fixed to the ground below with its top reaching up to the Heavens, and there were angels of G-d ascending and descending.'

In the Hayom Yom from this week (5th Kislev) it says that PRAYER is the ladder that connects souls and Hashem. And even though it stands on the ground ie prayer starts with a mere acknowledgement of Hashem (Modeh Ani when we wake up), it's top reaches the Heavens.

Ie by understanding each stage of the Prayers, we can reach this highest level of connection to Hashem.

And last week Tanya was speaking very much about the greatness of PRAYER as follows: - Kuntres Acharon Essay 4

1. Basically, even though Torah study is loftier than Prayer, Prayer has the main task of extracting and refining Holy sparks and elevating them from the world of Tohu to their supreme Source, and even higher, to the Infinite One
2. Torah and Mitzvot draw down light into the world of Atzilut, and this only later comes down with diminished intensity into the lower worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. But Prayer calls forth the Infinite ein sof light into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah directly, and not by mere enclothement.
3. The initiation below from the heart of man (and woman) expressing a boundless love to G-d in Prayer, each one with his own 'might - meodecha', causes an arousal from the Divine state of Infinity, and brings down assistance in even temporal things as needed in health, peace, and livelihood.

The drawing down of this Infinite light into the lower worlds, is impossible without the prior initiation from below.

The Alte Rebbe discusses all this in much more detail.

Gut Shabbos, and may all our Prayers for good, be answered.