Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl zt'l asked one of his simple chasidim to tell him his seder hayom, what he does throughout the day. The chasid said that he goes to the market early in the morning for his parnassah. When he finishes selling, buying, and conducting his business, he goes to beis medresh to daven Shacharis.
Rebbe Mordechai Chernobyler told him, "Your seder hayom isn't good. You should daven Shacharis first before you go to your work."
The simple man replied, "But Rebbe, most business happens early in the morning. If I daven first, I will lose so much money!"
The Rebbe replied with a mashal:
A poor man was traveling home with a sack of silver and copper coins. It was his salary after many hard months at work, distant from his home. He couldn't reach his home before Shabbos, so erev Shabbos, he went to a hotel. With an anxious heart, he gave over his package of money to the hotelkeeper to hold for him until after Shabbos. He didn't know them, and he was worried that they might steal his money. But what choice did he have? He couldn't keep the money on him, and to leave the money in his bags was certainly too risky.
After Shabbos, the innkeepers returned his package of money. Throughout Shabbos, he was afraid that he had lost all his money, so he was relieved that they returned it to him. However, he was still worried. Perhaps he had kept some of the coins for himself?
He sat down at a table in the dining room and began counting the silver coins. They were all there. Then he began counting the copper coins.
Rebbe Mordechai Chernobyler concluded, “This man was so foolish because he saw that the innkeeper was trustworthy and that he gave back all the silver coins. Why was he worried about the copper coins, which were valueless in comparison?”
Rebbe Mordechai explained to his chassid, “Every night, you give your neshamah to Hashem as a pikadon to watch (as we say, רוחי אפקיד בידו). Your neshamah is your most precious possession because you can’t live without it. When you awaken in the morning and see that Hashem is trustworthy enough to return your precious pikadon, how could you not trust Hashem for small matters such as your parnassah? Therefore, from now on, daven Shacharis first, and then go to work. Trust in Hashem, and He will provide you with parnassah.”
The Gemara says that when we daven with a minyan, it is more likely that our tefillos will be answered. It states (Tehillim 69:14) רצון עת 'ה לך תפלתי ואני, "May my prayer to You, Hashem, be in a desirable time (eis ratzon)." And it states (Yeshayah 49:8) 'ה אמר כה עניתיך רצון בעת , "So said Hashem, 'In a time of favor (eis ratzon) I answered you.'"
The Gemara (Brachos 8.) states, "When is it an eis ratzon (an auspicious time for tefillah, a time when our tefillos are answered)? It is when the community is davening (tefillah b'tzibur). The Gemara confirms this from the pasuk (Iyov 36:5) ימאס ולא כביר ל-א הן, which indicates that Hashem doesn't despise the tefillos of the many, and it states (Tehillim 55:19) בשלום פדה כי לי מקרב נפשי .עמדי היו ברבים, "He redeemed my soul with peace because of the many [people who] were with me."
The Gemara elaborates some more on the great deed of davening with a minyan: "Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, 'Whoever studies Torah and does deeds of kindness and he davens with a minyan, I consider it as if he redeemed me and my children from amidst the nations of the world."
In contrast, the Gemara says, "Whoever has a beis medresh in his city and he doesn't go there to daven, he is called רע שכן, a bad neighbor. And he causes galus for him and his children."
