Prayers for the Poor

Vall8 · Star Poster Joined: Jun 19, 2007 Posts: 16 Location: USA

Some religious practices ask that you pray for the poor or for the less fortunate. Other prayer, in contrast, deals only with yourself and your correction. Your job is determine what you need in order to be complete. They pray to advance in your completeness.
This does not mean that you do not care about other people, especially those who need extra help. Correction means becoming altruistic instead of egoistic. Therefore, caring for others is "built-in" in the prayer. If you are not praying to become altruistic then you are not praying for correction anyway.
Being poor means being deficient, not having something. But why pray for something instead of working to get it? Because there is one thing that, no matter how hard we work for it, we will never get by ourselves: the Creator's quality of bestowal. So praying for the poor is wanting everyone to have the quality of bestowal because that the only thing they can't find on their one. Those who pray for the poor, for others, are rewarded first.
Your opinions?

OlamHatorah · Star Poster Joined: Jun 16, 2008 Posts: 13

"Those who pray for the poor, for others, are rewarded first."

This is a known segula for having a person's own needs be fulfilled. To pray for someone who is missing or has the same need as you is a way to secure your need to be filled. It's known that those let's say looking to get married should pray for someone else who also is looking to get married.

On another hand, prayers said at the graveside of a Tzadik is also known to be especially helpful. Breslov Institutions of Bnei Brak will pray for you or a loved one in Uman by the grave of Rebbe Nachman as a free service.

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