לפני חילוA Soldier's Prayer

lifnei ḥeiloIn Gamatria ↗

Set your own needs aside and pray for the pain above.

From "God utters His voice before His army" (Joel 2:11) the author learns that the human voice below awakens the voice above. A soldier sets aside his own needs for the king's honor; so too one should pray only to add strength to holiness. Asking just to be rid of suffering is like begging a doctor to withhold the bitter remedy. Pray instead for the pain above. A father grieves far more when his son falls than at his cries during treatment, and in the same way the grief above at the sin outweighs any grief at the punishment. So "whoever joins Heaven's name to his distress" has his sustenance doubled (Berakhot 63a).

Hover the image to look closer.Tap the image to look closer.