Hasidic prayers are often accompanied by loud shouts and exclamations. However, Rebbe Pinchas of Korets prayed very quietly. He remained motionless, and his voice never rose above a whisper. Trying to understand the way of prayer of their rebbe, the older students asked him what explained this behavior.
—What is the essence of prayer? - he asked in response.
“Dweikus,” answered the students. - Unity with the One.
“That’s right,” said Rabbi Pinchas, “and the essence of dweikus is Hispashtus ha-hashimius (leaving the bonds of matter), that is, the cessation of perceiving oneself as a separate “I”, mind and body. The same thing naturally happens when a person dies. Our sages said: “For some, death is like trying to pull a ship's rope through a narrow hole: you have to tug and pull with all your might; the rope wriggles furiously and seems to writhe in agony.” For other people, death is like a kiss - everything happens so easily and unnoticed, as if someone were removing an accidentally fallen hair from the surface of milk.
“The same goes for prayer,” the rebbe finished. —For some, the temporary death of self in prayer is like pulling a thick rope through a narrow hole. The man strains, grinds his teeth, his body writhes and squirms. And for others, prayer is like God’s kiss, when the body and mind disappear quietly and imperceptibly, by themselves. You, my friends, must be strong ropes. And I'm just a hair.
Commentary by Rami Shapiro Who are you: rope or hair?
In the early stages of spiritual practice, we are ropes. We subject ourselves to discipline, we demand humility from ourselves, we try our best to control our thoughts, words and actions so that they conform to the strict patterns established by teachers and sages. Over time, you get used to self-discipline, it comes much easier, but you should not take this as a sign that the rope is turning into hair.
A person cannot turn into hair gradually, he simply ceases to be a rope at a certain moment. We stop being ropes when we realize that our efforts lead nowhere; when the truth is revealed that there is no “somewhere” to which to strive. God is always present here and now. And we are eternally in unity with Him, for He is everything. You just need to realize it.
Such awareness does not require the slightest effort. Trying to remember a forgotten name or solve some problem, you are trying to mobilize your mind. Frowning and wincing, you rub your forehead, move your eyebrows to the bridge of your nose, bite your lips - but this fails to stir up your thinking. On the contrary, thoughts become even more viscous and heavy. But as soon as you relax and stop thinking about the problem, a ready-made solution comes naturally. You didn't do anything to make it come to you, you just stopped stopping it from coming. The rope is always tight. The hair will break even with the slightest tension.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru