In this week’s parsha, the Torah commands us to love our fellow Jew like ourselves. The Shaar Hakavannot says that one should accept upon themselves to love their fellow Jew specifically before praying. Why is this so important?
Every Jew has a different need which he emphasizes in his prayer. Some are lacking Parnassa, so they concentrate more intently in ‘Barcheinu.’ Some have a loved one who is not well, so they concentrate more intently in ‘Refa’einu.’ Some have a child who has gone off the path, so their main focus is bracha of ‘Hashiveinu.’
Hashem gathers all these prayers which people concentrated and combines them into one powerful prayer. The rest of the prayers which didn’t have the proper concentration are able to be elevated thru this one powerful tefilla. But there is one prerequisite for this . We must love out fellow Jew like ourselves. In this way, we are able to be part of this collective prayer.
Never forget that this mitzvah is the foundation of our nation.
This mitzvah is equal to the rest of the mitzvot combined.