Rav Aharon added that one should also imagine that he is already in the World of Truth and he is being judged for everything he did during his lifetime. All of his sins are shown to him and he is facing a difficult verdict. At this dire time, an angel comes to him and says that he can return to earth and daven to Hashem one more time and to beg Him to save his soul. This one tefillah can rectify all of the aveiros he committed throughout his life.
Obviously, he would daven like he never davened before. He would cry out to Hashem from the depths of his heart and beg for compassion.
This is how tzadikim daven every day. They look at each tefillah as if it is their last chance to save themselves and to obtain Hashem’s mercy. It is related that the Rebbe of Strelisk zy”a would daven this way. Every day before davening, he would take leave of his family, as he feared that he might use up all of his energy on the tefillah and his soul would leave his body.
Never Give Up:
My ancestor, Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Kretchnifer zy”a (Sefer Toras Chaim V’emunah) explains this pasuk by quoting the Gemara (Brachos 32B) that states: “Four things need strengthening: Torah, good deeds, tefillah and derech eretz... If one sees that he is praying and not being answered, he should pray again, as is stated (Tehillim 27:14): ‘Hope to Hashem. Strengthen and fortify your heart and hope to Hashem.’” Rashi explains: “Hope and strengthen yourself and do not stop. Rather, hope again.”
This does not only apply to tefillah. The same is true for every aspect of avodas Hashem. If one sees that he is not being successful in properly serving Him, he should strengthen his heart and try again. In His infinite kindness, Hashem allows us to always start again and to keep trying until we are able to break through all barriers and serve Him properly.
This is hinted to from the words “and he took from the stones of the place.” If one feels like a stone is covering his heart and obstructing him from serving Hashem, he should not despair. Rather, he should strengthen his resolve and “put it by his head”, meaning that he should try again to get it right.
Part of this involves looking back at one’s past actions and determining what is obstructing one’s avodas Hashem from being effective. Once one rectifies the blemish of the past, the stone will melt away and will no longer obstruct his heart.
Ascending Above:
The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 68:12) says that the angels were dancing on the ladder. The Chidushei Harim zy”a writes that we can learn from this that a Yid’s actions in this world can have such a tremendous effect even in the Upper Worlds, to the extent that even the Heavenly angels dance with joy when the Jewish people engage in good deeds and avodas Hashem.
