"In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth", and our Sages taught us that "In Ten Utterances was the world created". The tools and the matter He created the world from were the twenty two letters of the holy language. The ability to realize all creation as the construction of a divine source, directly formed and designed on the very spiritual basis that is inherent in the secret language of the Torah is the object of the wisdom of Kabbalah. This enlightened knowledge, and exalted state of being can only be acquired through dedicated self-purity, total humility and tremendous study of the Kabbalistic works of the great luminaries of antiquity, namely Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai of the book "Sefer Hazohar", the Ari-Z"l and their students.
Prayer in its most sublime form is a way of achieving closeness and harmony between The Creator and His creatures. This closeness is G-d's main goal in His creation, as He repeatedly revealed to the prophets. Such prayer opens tremendous avenues of Heavenly goodwill and showers the world with Heavenly benevolence, bringing prosperity and happiness to all mankind.
Those Rabbis of Yeshiva Shaar Hashamaim who after years of study of the Kabbalah, have excelled in their devotion and cling to the holy ways, are trained in the art of "Kavonnes", in order that they may rise still higher in their righteousness, perfection and enlightenment. Kavonnes is a meditational method of prayers, based on understanding the direct effect the holy words of the Siddur prayer book have in sustaining the creation beneficially and in bringing the world to its ultimate harmony, which requires extraordinary concentration and which raises one's being to the most sublime worlds of spirituality and holiness.
The Mekubbalim also have special supplications for individuals who are in distress, among which are a procedure called "Pidyon Nefesh". Pidyon Nefesh is done for serious illnesses whereby the Heavenly decree of the sick person's physical suffering is redeemed by using his possessions to change his Heavenly spiritual condition. Someone marrying a widow would do wisely by having the negative influence such matches can have annulled through a special mystical procedure called "Tikkun Almanah". Those who are familiar with the Evil Eye and intuitively feel they are suffering from it can also have their name included in a special "Lachash" to remove its effect. In the Yeshiva kindness is extended to the dead as well as to the living, rectifying and elevating the deceased through special study sessions and supplications devoted to their memory upon request.
