וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה
סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה
וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃
He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and messengers of God were going up and down on it.
התפילה הוא סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה
(מגיד דבריו ליעקב, צו)
Maggid of Mezritch (Hasidic Teacher, 1704-1772)
Prayer is a ladder set on the ground and its top reaches to the sky.
(Maggid Devarav Le-ya'akov, § 96)
פעמים מתפלל בקטנות,
ואחר כך, ברגע אחד,
מאיר אור נשמתו,
ועולה לעולם העליון,
כמו אדם העולה בסולם,
כמו שכתוב:
שְׁלַח־אוֹרְךָ֣ וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ הֵ֣מָּה יַנְח֑וּנִי
יְבִיא֥וּנִי אֶל־הַֽר־קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ וְאֶל־מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ,
(תה' מג ג)
(ליקוטים יקרים ג)
Maggid of Mezritch
There are times when you are praying in an ordinary state of mind, and you feel that you cannot get near to God. But then suddenly your soul lights up, and you go up to the highest levels. You feel like you have been given a ladder, as it is written in the Book of Psalms (43:3): "Send forth Your light and Your truth; they will lead me; they will bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling-place"
(Likutim Yekarim p. 3d).
האיש הוא תפילה
(רבקה מרים)
Rivka Miriam, (Israeli Poet, 1952-)
The human being is a prayer