Prayer Changes Nature – Daily Chizzuk by Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

THERE ARE TIMES IN THE YEAR, AND EVEN IN THE DAY, WHEN THE GATES ARE OPEN, AND A PERSON CAN ACCOMPLISH FAR MORE THAN ON A REGULAR DAY. SUCH A MOMENT OF FAVOR IS A PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE DECREES, TO OPEN CHANNELS OF ABUNDANCE, AND TO INFLUENCE THE ENTIRE COURSE OF THE DAY. RABBEINU WARNED: DON’T BE A SHLEMAZL! WHEN THE MOMENT ARRIVES, BE THERE, AND MAKE FULL USE OF IT. SUNDAY, 23 AV – THE DAILY CHIZZUK BY MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A Everyone must make sure to arrive at prayer on time. Even if one was awake the entire night, it doesn’t matter. Today [at the time of the shiur], sunrise is at 5:50 AM. Even if one traveled to the graves of Tzaddikim and stayed awake all night, it doesn’t matter – you don’t go to sleep before sunrise. Either sleep for an hour and then wake up [in time to pray at sunrise], or just continue through until sunrise. At 5:00 we say “Hodu,” and at 5:50 we stand for the Amidah. It is also possible to begin Hodu at 5:30. Begin Hodu twenty minutes before sunrise, so that at 5:50 one is standing for the Amidah – and then go straight to bed [for someone who was awake all night]. But to sleep before sunrise is forbidden. Because we must pray at sunrise. The prayer must be caught at sunrise – otherwise the prayer is not accepted, it doesn’t work. A prayer after sunrise doesn’t accomplish anything; it is like reciting Tehillim, like reciting Likutei Tefilot [which have no fixed time]. THE SPECIAL POWER OF PRAYER IS THAT IT CHANGES NATURE, IT MOVES THE STARS: “AND ARRANGES THE STARS IN THEIR WATCHES IN THE FIRMAMENT, ACCORDING TO HIS WILL” [FROM BLESSING OF "MA'ARIV ARAVIM"]. WHEN ONE PRAYS MA’ARIV WORD BY WORD, HE MOVES ALL THE STARS, HE MOVES THE SUN. CHIZKIYAHU MOVED THE SUN. https://vimeo.com/1110156534?fl=pl&fe=sh