Strengthening the Mind through Prayer

MyLife Essay Contest

This essay will address the issue that even if someone knows what the right thing is, it is very difficult to always make the choice to actually to do the right thing. The method presented will be to realize and affirm to oneself that the mind controls the heart and that one can always take charge of the situation; and to strengthen that ability to contemplate Hashem’s greatness during prayer. The concept will based on moach shalit al haleiv as it is explained in Tanya chapter 12.

In Tanya chapter 12 the Alter Rebbe quotes the Zohar that Hashem created man with nature that the mind controls the heart. It is for this reason that anyone can attain self-mastery and be in complete control of their actions. In the end of the chapter he explains that the strength that every person has to exercise this advantage of the mind over the heart is through arousing his love and fear of Hashem in prayer through contemplation of Hashem’s greatness. When his mind overpowers his heart during prayer, this empowers him to control his heart throughout the day. (See also Hemshech Pada Beshalom 5659)

Every person has to make decisions in life, and on a daily basis. There are some decisions that only affect the immediate present, like “What should I wear today?” or “What should I eat for breakfast?” But most of the real decisions that we make have long lasting consequences. For example: If someone is bothering me, I can choose to get angry at the person or to ignore him. If I get angry now, not only will it make problems for both us right now, but it will start a pattern of getting angry at people that will need to get broken. Another example: If I know someone I can help I can choose to ignore them or to help them. If I choose to help them, then not only do we both benefit now, but this starts a pattern of doing good deeds and spreading kindness.

Everyone ultimately wants to make the right decisions and lead a happy fulfilling life. The question is: How can I always have the presence of mind to make the right decisions, despite the many factors pushing me in different directions, and the many pressures of life that make it difficult to stay focused?

To answer this we need to take a deeper look at why we have to make decisions, and how we choose what the right thing to do is:

The fact that we have to make decisions between doing what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s intelligent and what’s foolish, shows that in ourselves we have two opposing tendencies. One tendency is to always be focused on our self and needs, and one tendency is to always be focused on what is the truth regardless of our own ego. In the two examples above: One tendency would be to get angry since he is bothering me and I am offended; and to decide that I don’t have time to spend helping someone else. The other tendency would be to not let myself get offended since it won’t accomplish anything positive; and if this person needs help then I should do whatever I can to help him.

These two tendencies to be both subjective and objective are centered in two parts of the person: The heart and the mind. The heart is the seat of the emotions which are always subjective: I want, I love, I hate, I am angry. The mind is the seat of the intellect, which a true and healthy intellect is objective: What is the truth?

In the setup of the person, the brain and the mind are the highest part of the body. This is so not only anatomically, but in all aspects. The life of all of the parts of the body—including the heart—comes through the brain and the mind. Even a person’s emotions depend on the mind.

For example: A child who only know about candy and toys has emotional attachment to candy and toys, whereas when his mind develops to understand the importance of financial success, then this is where his emotional attachment is. Since the heart is dependent on the mind, the mind controls the heart.

What does this mean?

Even though a person has these two opposing tendencies, subjectivity that comes from emotions and objectivity that comes from the mind, ultimately the mind has the ability to make the final decision on what actually happens. When someone is bothering me, no matter how strongly my emotions motivate me to say something back to him, I can tell myself at that moment that I know that this is not the right thing to do and I refuse to say anything. If I see someone needs help and I am busy, I can tell myself that I know that he needs help so I need to put myself aside for a few minutes to help him.

In other words: The first stage of taking control at all times is to know that the higher you — your mind, is really in control of the lower you — your emotions. For example: A teacher or a parent who never really took it seriously that they are in charge and consider themselves equal to their children or students, will never be able to discipline them and provide good education for them. Only when they know themselves that they are in control, can they provide that necessary discipline. The same is true of every person with their mind and heart. As long as a person thinks that the mind and heart are equal then he will never be able to take control of his decisions to lead a happy life. The first step is that he must realize that the mind controls the heart and he can always tell himself what the right thing to do is.

The problem with this ability for the mind to control the heart is that when the pressure is on, how do I focus my mind?

The answer is that for the mind to truly control the heart there must be set aside specific times for strengthening this mind-control when there is no pressure. These times are called prayer.

What’s the connection?

Prayer means to connect our thoughts to G-d — the Ultimate Truth, in recognizing that He is truly the creator and guiding force behind everything in our lives. Even though our lives seem to be run by many different factors—our jobs, our family, our environment, our government etc., these things are not truly what are determining what will happen. G-d who created the world and re- creates it constantly is in direct control of everything that happens. However, He makes things happen in such a way that they superficially look like they are happening by themselves, until a wise person thinks into things and realizes that there is only One G-d who makes everything happen. This is the idea of prayer—to pick ourselves up from a superficial way of thinking about reality and realize that behind everything in our lives is the One G-d who is truly the determining factor of what will happen. It is for this reason that we ask Him to help us in every aspect of our lives, since we realize that He is the truth behind everything.

This practice of thinking into the truth of reality is the highest form of exercising our ability for the mind to control the heart. The heart and subjectivity feel that what I see right here and now is real and important; what I can physically experience to be to my benefit is what is real and important. The mind and objectivity understand that the Ultimate truth is what is real and important; that there is One G-d behind everything in life and I can rely on Him and want to connect to Him is what is real and important.

When a person practices the activity of prayer on a regular basis, he strengthens his ability for the mind to control the heart in the highest way possible, so that throughout the day when he has to make decisions he can always have the strength and clarity to make the best choice possible.

The practical exercise from this:

• Every day (before prayer or at any other serious time) think over an idea that explains to you the deeper truth of life—that really Hashem is the One behind everything.
• Throughout the day when you want to act out—remember that you are always in charge no matter how much your feelings are pushing, you can always overcome them.

The message from all this is that when we use our minds to see beyond our ego and passions by thinking about Hashem’s presence in our life, we enable ourselves to have the strength and clarity of mind to do what we know is right.