Daily Tanya Chapter 28 Part 2: Disturbing thoughts during prayer is a sign that one is praying properly (Shabbos, 27th Shevat)

3.      Disturbing thoughts during prayer is a sign that one is praying properly:

• The error of the world: The world is mistaken to believe that if one is challenged by foreign thoughts during prayer, then this is a sign that his prayer is worthless, as if he were to be praying properly and correctly, then he would not have any foreign thoughts enter his mind. This would only be true if a Jew contained only a single soul, and it is this single soul which prays to G-d and thinks and contemplates all of the foreign thoughts.
• Man has two souls which battle over control of the mind: However, in truth a Jew contains two souls which are in constant battle with each other within one’s mind. Each soul desires to conquer and control the mind so that the mind is only occupied with its thoughts and ideas alone.
• Torah thoughts from G-dly soul, mundane thoughts from animal soul: All of a person’s thoughts of Torah and fear of heaven derive from the G-dly soul, while all of one’s thoughts of matters relating to the world derive from the animal soul.
• The two souls are forced to work together: Nonetheless, since the G-dly soul is invested within the animal soul, [it therefore ends up that whenever one of the souls contemplates a thought or does a deed both souls are considered to be doing it. Thus, when one thinks of mundane thoughts which comes from the animal soul, the G-dly soul is also forced to think it and when one thinks of Torah thoughts from the G-dly soul, the animal soul is also forced to think it.]

4.      Like a heathen who is disturbing one’s prayer:

• The falling of foreign thoughts into one’s mind is similar to an evil heathen who sees a Jew praying with concentration and purposely talks and speaks to him in order to disturb him from his prayer.

5.      Ignore the heathen and disturbing thought:

• To completely ignore the heathen: Certainly, the correct advice in such a case is for the Jew to completely ignore the heathen and not answer him either for the good or for the bad, and rather he should make himself as if he is deaf and cannot hear. On this it says in Scripture that “one should not respond to a fool in his foolishness lest one likewise become a fool like him.”
• To completely ignore the disturbing thought and remove it from one’s mind: The same advice applies likewise towards how one should respond to the distracting thought that comes to one’s minds from the animal soul during prayer, that he should not respond to it at all, not even to debate or argue with it, as one who fights with a lowlife ends up becoming a lowlife himself. Rather, one should make it as if he does not know or hear the thoughts that have fallen into his mind, and he should completely remove them from his consciousness, and increase his effort of concentration.
• Pray to G-d for help: Now, if it is extremely difficult and challenging to remove the disturbing thought from his mind being that the thought is heavily pressing itself upon him, then he should humble himself before G-d and supplicate to Him in his thoughts that He out of His great compassion show mercy to him, like a father shows compassion to his sons who derive from his brain. So too, will G-d have mercy on his soul, which comes from Him in order to save it from the polluted waters, and He will do so for His sake being that a portion of G-d is literally found within His nation.