Prayer is Israel’s only weapon, a weapon inherited from its fathers, a weapon proved in a thousand battles.  Even when the gates of prayer are shut in heaven, those of tears are open.

We read that in the contest with Amalek, when Moses lifted up his arms Israel prevailed.  Did Moses’s hands affect the war, to make it or to break it?  No; but while the ones of Israel look upward with humble heart to the Great Father in Heaven, no evil can prevail against them.

“And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived.”

Had the brazen serpent the power of killing or of giving life?  No; but while Israel looks upward to the Great Father in Heaven, He will grant life.

“Has God pleasure in the meat and blood of sacrifices?” ask the prophets.

No.  He has not so much ordained as permitted them.  “It is for yourselves,” He says; “not for me, that ye offer.”

A king had a son whom he daily discovered carousing with dissolute companions, eating and drinking.  “Eat at my table,” said the king; “eat and drink, my son, even as pleaseth thee; but let it be at my table, and not with dissolute companions.”

The people loved sacrificing, and they made offerings to strange gods; therefore, God said to them:  “If ye will sacrifice, bring your offerings at least to me.”

Scripture ordains that the Hebrew slave who loves his bondage shall have his ears pierced against the doorpost.  Why?

Because that ear heard from Sinai’s heights these words:  “They are my servants; they shall not be sold as bondsmen.”  My servants, and not lay servant’s servants; therefore, pierce the ear of the one who loves his bondage and rejects the freedom offered him.

He who sacrifices a whole offering shall be rewarded for a whole offering; he who offers a burnt-offering shall have the reward of a burnt-offering; but he who offers humility to God and man shall receive as great a reward as though he had offered all the sacrifices in the world.

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The God of Abraham will help the one who appoints a certain place to pray to the Lord.

Rabbi Henah said, “When such a man dies they will say of him, ’A pious man, a meek man, hath died; he followed the example of our father Abraham.’”

How do we know that Abraham appointed a certain place to pray?

“Abraham rose early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the Lord.”

Rabbi Chelboh said, “We should not hurry when we leave a place of worship.”

“This,” said Abayyeh, “is in reference to leaving a place of worship; but we should certainly hasten on our way thither, as it is written, ‘Let us know and hasten to serve the Lord.’”

Rabbi Zabid said, “When I used to see the Rabbis hurrying to a lecture in their desire to obtain good seats, I thought to myself, ’they are violating the Sabbath.’  When, however, I heard Rabbi Tarphon say, ’One should always hasten to perform a commandment even on the Sabbath,’ as it is written, ’They shall follow after the Lord when He roareth like a lion,’ I hurried also, in order to be early in attendance.”