A Prayer of Many
When one evokes self-pity, he is engaged in receiving for himself. The more he prays, not only does he not prepare a vessel of equivalence, on the contrary, sparks of reception are thus nurtured in him. It follows that he is going the opposite way, meaning he should prepare a vessel of bestowal, but he has prepared a vessel of reception.
Thus, when he prays for the collective, by that prayer, he engages in bestowal. And the more he prays, to that extent he molds a vessel for bestowal, upon which the Light of bestowal, called “merciful,” can be revealed.
And by receiving the Light of mercy, the quality of “compassionate” can be revealed. ...This means that by having received the Light of mercy, he is qualified to receive the Light of love.
Rabash, Steps of the Ladder, “Flee, My Beloved”
One should not ask the Creator to draw him near Him, since that is insolent of the person, for in what way is he more important than others? Whereas when he prays for the society—which is Malchut, called “the assembly of Israel”, the entirety of the souls—that Divinity is in the dust, and prays for Her to ascend, meaning that the Creator will illuminate the darkness within her, then the whole of Israel will ascend in degrees, including the entreating individual, for he is part of the society as well.
Rabash, Steps of the Ladder, “The Ruin of Sanctity”
That worker of the Creator who does not feel the sorrow of the public, but feels only his own lack, his receptacle for receiving abundance is no larger, too. For this reason, he will not be able to receive the general revelation of Divinity as the consolation of the public, since he has not prepared a receptacle from this general aspect, but only his individual aspect.
But one who feels the sorrow of the public and senses the society’s distress as his own personal distress is rewarded with seeing the complete revelation of Divinity, meaning the consolations of the whole of Israel, for his lack is a general lack. Hence, the Divine Abundance is general as well.
Baal HaSulam, A Sages Fruit, Vol. 3,
“All Who Feel the Sorrow of the Public”
It is a prevailing law that man himself is called “a creature,” meaning he alone. Other than him it is already the Holy Divinity. It follows that when he is praying for his contemporaries, it is considered that he is praying for the Holy Divinity, who is in exile and in need of all the salvations. That is the meaning of eternality, and particularly so can the Light of Mercy be revealed.
Rabash, Steps of the Ladder, “Flee, My Beloved”
“He hears the prayer.” The world asks why “prayer” is in the singular form, since the Creator hears prayers, as it is written, “For You hear the prayer of every mouth of Your people, Israel, with mercy.” It should be interpreted that there is only one prayer we need not pray—to raise Divinity from the dust, by which all salvation will take place.
Rabash, Steps of the Ladder, “He Hears the Prayer”
Our sages said, “Anyone who is saddened for the public is rewarded and sees the comfort of the public.” The public is called “The Holy Shechina (Divinity),” since public means a collective, meaning the assembly of Israel, since Malchut is the collection of all the souls.
Baal HaSulam, Shamati[I Heard], Article no. 35,
“Concerning the Vitality of Kedusha”