647. A Prayer Requires a Deficiency

September 25, 1977

“Rabbi Shimon says… and when you pray, do not make your prayer permanent, but mercy and pleading before the Creator” (Pirkei Avot, Chapter 2, 18). Concerning the Torah, our sages said, “Set times for the Torah.”

We should say that regularity means that although one has no desire or need, he must still learn Torah because the Torah itself brings him Kedusha [holiness], even though he feels no need to learn.

This is the meaning of “Great is the learning that yields action,” meaning that he will be among men of action, since one who has a need for something acts in order to obtain it. Therefore, the learning will bring him the need. This is why it was said “regularity in the Torah.”

However, a prayer means that he is lacking something and he is praying to be given what he is lacking. But if he has no lack, how can he ask when he has nothing to pray that he would be given?

For this reason, Rabbi Shimon said, “Do not make your prayer regular,” since this is not regarded as a prayer. Rather, what is a prayer? “Mercy and pleading before the Creator,” meaning that he is lacking something and asks the Creator to give it to him. By this we can understand what our sages said, “One does not pray unless in great seriousness.”