Baal Shem Tov Heart of Prayer: Treatise on Chassidic Supplication

The Baal Shem Tov adapted Kabbalistic ideas in his mystical approach to prayer. The true aim of prayer is to penetrate beneath appearances and to see only the Divine vitality which infuses all things. To achieve this ultimate goal requires the annihilation of the self through the contemplation that all is in G-d. In this state, the ego is left behind and the soul soars to the upper worlds. The concept of prayer is a central idea of Torah. The theme of prayer is to know G-d and to recognize His greatness and His glory with a serene mind. Through contemplation, these can be fixed firmly in the mind. The Baal Shem Tov taught that one must reflect on this theme until one cleaves to Him and to His Torah and desires to perform His mitzvahs.