lord accept my prayers like the finest head spice

finally a little bit back from rainbow-- a fuller report is forthcoming, so we're just going to tide the children over with this quick little bit, sent over by R Shmuel Munkis, care of Reverend Mordechai Avraham, a.k.a. mincha, may this piece merit him a healing for all his troubles.

Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev and R Shneur Zalman of Liadi
despite being good friends
had very different approaches to prayer,
particularly the morning prayers, different ways of preparing and relating to their prayers,

So,
Shmuel Munkis,
one of R Shneur Zalman's closest disciples
came to R Shneur Zalman one morning, as he was finishing his prayers,

Said early, specifically on time, with all the ritual observances specifically followed,

and asked his master
What's wrong with you?
Why do you do all these things, so early, so careful
when Levi Yitzchak across town hasn't even had his morning coffee yet?

R Shneur Zalman responded,
if only I was on the level of Levi Yitzchak!
He's like the friend of the king
who can open the doors of heaven at anytime
while a litvak like me has to get to the gates at the hours when they're open to just anybody.

R Shmuel took it in,
and then went across town to R Levi Yitzchak
who, true to form, was just finishing his morning coffee
(it was like noon)
and was about to prepare for his prayers with a fat bowl of his favorite Turkish Tobbacco.

R Shmuel comes in and asks
Levitzchak !
What do you need to smoke a pipe to daven for
when R Shneur Zalman across town is already finished davening,
needing nothing but his G-d to prepare him for prayer?

If only I was on the level of R Shneur Zalman!
Levi Yitzchak smiled and exclaimed
What he can do off the top of the morning
I need some pipe weed and coffee just to come close to starting!