The Rebbe once lectured us to pray with energy and devotion. He emphasized that we must force ourselves to pray with all our strength (see note 207, p. XX).
“Once I was on a ship and an emergency arose where the anchor had to be lifted immediately. All the passengers were forced to pull the anchor rope with all their might. I went through the motions of pulling with all my strength, but I was really not using any energy at all. I was really only pretending. I was being coerced, so I acted as if I was pulling with all my might.
פַּעַם אֶחָד הוֹכִיחַ אוֹתָנוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּכַוָּנָה וּבְכֹחוֹת, כַּמְבֹאָר בִּסְפָרָיו הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהַכְרִיחַ עַצְמוֹ מְאֹד לִתְפִלָּה וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ.
The Rebbe once lectured us to pray with energy and devotion. He emphasized that we must force ourselves to pray with all our strength (see note 207, p. XX).
וְאָמַר: שֶׁתְּפִלָּה שֶׁלָּכֶם בְּכֹחַ הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּשַׁכְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת הַחֶבֶל עִם הָאַנְקִיר כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי עַל הַסְּפִינָה.
He said, “You put as much energy into your prayers as I did when I was pulling up anchor.
הַיְנוּ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ עַל הַסְּפִינָה הָיָה פַּעַם אֶחָד בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק שֶׁהָיוּ מַכְרִיחִים אֶת כָּל אַנְשֵׁי הַסְּפִינָה שֶׁיִּמְשְׁכוּ בְּכָל כֹּחָם אֶת הַחֶבֶל הַנַּ"ל וְהָיִיתִי מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּכָל כֹּחִי הַחֶבֶל אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא הִכְנַסְתִּי שׁוּם כֹּחַ, רַק הָיָה לְפָנִים. כִּי הֻכְרַחְתִּי לְהַרְאוֹת לִפְנֵיהֶם כְּאִלּוּ אֲנִי מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּכָל כֹּחִי.
“Once I was on a ship and an emergency arose where the anchor had to be lifted immediately. All the passengers were forced to pull the anchor rope with all their might. I went through the motions of pulling with all my strength, but I was really not using any energy at all. I was really only pretending. I was being coerced, so I acted as if I was pulling with all my might.
כָּךְ הוּא הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁלָּכֶם בְּכֹחַ וּבְכַוָּנָה.
“The same is true of the energy and devotion you put into your prayers.”
כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁעֲדַיִן אֵין אָנוּ מַכְנִיסִין כָּל כֹּחֵנוּ בֶּאֱמֶת לְתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה.
The Rebbe was telling us that we were far indeed from actually putting all our energy into our prayer.