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Prayer
He Who Hears PrayerGod is called “He who hears prayer.” The Sages explain several ways in which this characterization is manifest.
“The one who hears prayer, all flesh comes to You” (Psalms 65:3). What is the meaning of: “The one who hears prayer”? Rabbi Pinhas said in the name of Rabbi Meir, and Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba: When Israel prays, you do not find that they all pray as one. Rather, each and every assembly prays by itself; first this assembly, and afterward that assembly….
After all the assemblies have completed all the prayers, the angel appointed over the prayers takes all the prayers that were prayed in all the assemblies and fashions them into crowns, which he places on the head of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: “All flesh comes to You [adekha],” and adekha means nothing other than a crown, as it is stated: “As you will don all of them like jewelry [ka’adi]” (Isaiah 49:18). And it likewise says: “Israel, in whom I glory” (Isaiah 49:3), which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, adorns Himself with the prayers of Israel….
Alternatively: “The one who hears prayer”:…you find that flesh and blood cannot hear the conversation of two people simultaneously, but regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not so. Rather, everyone prays before Him simultaneously, and He hears and accepts all their prayers.
Alternatively: “The one who hears prayer”: Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: With regard to flesh and blood, if a pauper comes to say something to him, he does not listen to him, but with regard to the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not so. Rather, everyone is equal before Him: women, slaves, the poor, and the wealthy.