One of our group told me that, as was his way, he was discussing serving God with Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory. The Rebbe understood that he was concentrating on some kavanot (Kabbalistic meditations) while praying. The Rebbe was very firm with him and told him not to continue the practice. He was not to pray with Kabbalistic meditations, but rather to concentrate on the straightforward meaning of the words. {Although it was at Rebbe Nachman’s behest that this individual studied the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, the Rebbe did not want him to pray with kavanot at all.}

Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, also said to him that when one who is not fit to pray with kavanot does so, it is like sorcery. Of the black arts it is said: “you shall not learn to do” (Deuteronomy 18:9). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: “You shall not learn [in order] to do,” but you may learn [in order] to understand and rule (Shabbat 75a). The same applies to the Kabbalistic meditations, l’ havdil. The only reason to learn them is to understand and issue rulings, but not to use them—i.e., to concentrate on them while praying if one is not fit to do so.

The Rebbe also said: The essence of prayer is attachment to God. It would thus be better to pray in one’s native tongue. When a person prays in his native tongue, the heart is very close and bound to the words of prayer, and he can better attach himself to God. However, the men of the Great Assembly have already established the prayer liturgy for us {because not everyone is able to format the prayer liturgy on his own, as is brought}. We are therefore obligated to pray in the Holy Tongue, as they formatted the liturgy for us. Yet the main thing is to concentrate on the straightforward meaning of the words. For this is the essence of prayer: We pray to God for each and every thing, and through this we draw closer to God and become attached to Him.

Now, whoever always converses in the Holy Tongue, such as a Jerusalemite, is not required to think about the meaning of the words. Instead, he should pay attention to what he is saying, and this is the focus of his concentration while praying.

And for the spiritually advanced true tzaddikim, all the kavanot of the Ari, of blessed memory, etc., are the meaning of the words. That is, the way they mean the words includes all the Kabbalistic meditations.