Likutei Moharan, Part II
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
לְעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה.
On the topic of extraneous thoughts during prayer:
וּכְבָר יָדוּעַ, שֶׁכָּל מַחֲשָׁבָה וּמַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא. וְאָמַר שֶׁכְּשֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵינוֹ מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא מְנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם וּמַעֲבִירָם מִמֶּנּוּ (וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִין לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, רַק לֵילֵךְ כְּסֵדֶר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וְלִבְלִי לְהַבִּיט לְאַחֲרָיו כְּלָל, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מִמֵּילָא יִסְתַּלְּקוּ), אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה בִּשְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים.
It is already known that each thought is a complete structure, as is brought. The Rebbe said: When a person stands and prays in ordered fashion, paying no attention to extraneous thoughts, he vanquishes them and removes them from himself. {This is as explained elsewhere, that a person ought not focus on them in the least, but instead proceed in ordered fashion with his prayer without looking over his shoulder at all, as a result of which the extraneous thoughts automatically depart.} Consequently, as he proceeds with his prayer he defeats them, cutting off the hand of one and the foot of another, and so too the other limbs.
פֵּרוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ לְמָשָׁל בְּעִנְיַן מִלְחָמָה, כְּשֶׁצָּרִיךְ לֵילֵךְ וְלַעֲבֹר בֵּין הַרְבֵּה רוֹצְחִים וְאוֹרְבִים, וּכְשֶׁהוּא גִּבּוֹר וְעֹבֵר בֵּינֵיהֶם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ הוּא מַפִּיל אוֹתָם, כִּי לָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ יָד בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ וּמַפִּילוֹ, וְלָזֶה חוֹתֵךְ רֶגֶל וְכוּ', וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה;
This can be illustrated with the example from war, when a person has to proceed and infiltrate many killers and ambushers. When he is mighty and passes through them, on the way he defeats them. As he proceeds he cuts off this one’s hand and defeats him, and that one’s foot…, and so on.
כֵּן הוּא מַמָּשׁ בְּעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה, שֶׁכְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין כְּסֵדֶר וְאֵין מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת וְדוֹחִין אוֹתָם וּמַפִּילָם, אֲזַי בְּדֶרֶךְ הִלּוּכוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הוּא חוֹתֵךְ לָזֶה יָד וְלָזֶה רֶגֶל וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי כָל מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה הוּא קְלִפָּה, וְהִיא קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, כַּמּוּבָא, וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כְּסֵדֶר וְלִבְלִי לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם, אֲזַי הוֹרֵג אוֹתָם אוֹ חוֹתֵךְ מֵהֶם אֵיבָרִים אֵיבָרִים כַּנַּ"ל:
It is exactly the same with regard to prayer. When one’s praying is ordered, with no attention paid to extraneous thoughts, so that he rejects and defeats them, then as he proceeds in his prayer he cuts off this one’s hand and that one’s foot, etc. This is because each extraneous thought is an evil force and a complete structure, as is brought. Thus, when a person strengthens himself to pray in an ordered fashion and to ignore extraneous thoughts, he kills them or cuts off their various limbs.