שוהים שעה אחתThe Hour Before Prayer

shohim sha'ah aḥatIn Gamatria ↗

Wait before you pray, until you know before whom.

Purity comes easily to one who has climbed the earlier rungs. The more he dwells on how low bodily pleasures are, the more easily he purifies his thought in bodily acts, until he does them as one compelled. To purify his thought in service, he studies how false honor is and trains himself to flee it, so his mind turns to God alone. A practical help is preparation. Do not rush into a mitzvah before the mind has settled. Ask what you are about to do and before whom. The early pious waited an hour before praying, clearing away stray thoughts. What spoils purity is ignoring how low pleasure is, chasing honor, and neglecting preparation. The first two lure the heart away like an unfaithful wife. The third leaves the body's dullness in the service.

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