The Ba’al Shem Tov HaKadosh teaches that prayer celebrates our special relationship with Hashem. We should strive to use this time to express to Hashem how grateful we are for the little and big things in life.
Words are garments for thoughts. As we utter words of praise and thankfulness for the gifts in life we should envision ‘clothing’ Hashem with royal garb, so to speak, and others for that matter. We choose the type of material, thread and design in accordance to the level of simcha and joy that we put into the words. Imagine what amazing Heavenly clothes we can design by simply speaking and expressing ourselves joyfully.
The letters of the words in lashon Hakodesh, the holy tongue form a spiritual aura that light up our world and the Heavens above. Joy infuses the words with such delight that we are able to bond to the Oneness of Hashem and create spiritual mountains. The kavannah, intention should be to see our soul in the words we speak, thus attaching to the Shechinah. As a result the Shechina, feminine manifestation of Hashem, will talk back to us through our words, forming a soul-union.
Why is simcha so vital in tefillah, thought and action? Joy breaks the confines of this world and allows us to attach ourselves to the ‘intention’ of Hashem’s doing, as it were. It breaks through the veils of concealment and allows us to connect everything back to its original source in Heaven. The beauty of all happenings sprouts forth and we are enveloped with Hashem’s love, light and emuna.