That place wherein we can best pray to God is His house; as it is written:—­

“To listen to the praises and prayers which Thy servant prays before Thee.”  Alluding to the service in the house of God.

Said Rabin, the son of Ada, “Whence do we derive the tradition, that when ten men are praying in the house of God the Divine Presence rests among them?

“It is written, ‘God stands in the assembly of the mighty.’  That an assembly or congregation consists of not less than ten, we learn from God’s words to Moses in regard to the spies who were sent out to view the land of Canaan.  ‘How long,’ said he, ’shall indulgence be given to this evil congregation?’ Now the spies numbered twelve men; but Joshua and Caleb being true and faithful, there remained but ten to form the ‘evil congregation.’”

“Whence do we derive the tradition that when even one studies the law, the Divine Presence rests with him?”

“It is written, ’In every place where I shall permit my name to be mentioned, I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.’”

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Four biblical characters offered up their prayers in a careless, unthinking manner; three of them God prospered; the other met with sorrow.  They were, Eleazer, the servant of Abraham; Caleb, the son of Ye Phunneh; Saul, the son of Kish; and Jephtah the Giladite.

Eleazer prayed, “Let it come to pass that the maiden to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink’; and she shall say, ‘Drink, and to thy camels also will I give drink’; shall be the one Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac.”

Suppose a slave had appeared and answered all the requirement which Eleazer proposed, would Abraham and Isaac have been satisfied?  But God prospered his mission, and “Rebecca came out.”

Caleb said, “He that will smite Kiryath-sepher, and capture it, to him will I give Achsah, my daughter, for wife.”

Would he have given his daughter to a slave or a heathen?

But God prospered him, and “Othniel, the son of Keuaz, Caleb’s younger brother, conquered it, and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, for wife.”

Saul said, “And it shall be that the man who killeth him (Goliath) will the king enrich with great riches, and his daughter will he give him.”

He ran the same risk as Caleb, and God was good to him also; and David, the son of Jesse, accomplished that for which he had prayed.

Jephtah expressed himself thus:  “If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Amon into my hand, then shall it be that whatsoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Amon, shall belong to the Lord, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.”

Supposing an ass, or a dog, or a cat, had first met him upon his return, would he have sacrificed it for a burnt-offering?  God did not prosper this risk, and the Bible says, “And Jephtah came to Mizpah unto his house, and behold his daughter came out to meet him.”