Amud

They stood for prayer. The congregation appoints an elder, who is experienced in leading prayer, to descend before the ark as communal prayer leader. And this prayer leader must have children and must have an empty house, i.e., he must be poor, so that his heart will be fully concentrated on the prayer for the needs of his community.

Once, Rabbi Elazar came to a certain place, and they said to him: "Lead us in the Sh'ma!" He said to them: "I cannot." They said to him: "Lead us in the morning prayers!" He said to them: "I cannot." They said to him: "Is this really the Rabbi Elazar everyone makes such a fuss about? Why does he even merit the title 'Rabbi'?"

His face fell and he went to his teacher Rabbi Akiva. He said to him: "Why do you look unwell?" and he told him what had happened. He said to him, "Will my master consent to learn from me?" He said to him: "Yes," and so he taught him.

Some time later, he returned to the same place. They said to him, "Lead us in the Sh'ma," and he led them. They said to him: "Lead us in the morning prayers," and he led them.

And they said: "Rabbi Elazar is 'itchasam,'" and they called him "Rabbi Elazar, the Solid One."

(1) 3. Know, too, that someone who is capable of making these melodies—i.e., gathering the good points that are to be found in each Jew, even a Jewish sinner, as explained above—he can lead the communal prayers. For one who leads the communal prayers is called the messenger of the people; he must be sent by all the people—i.e., he must gather every good point that is to be found in each of the congregants. All these good points are merged in him, so that when he stands up to pray, it is with all this good. This is the meaning of “messenger of the people.” Thus, he must have within him this exalted aspect, as a result of which all the points are drawn to him and become merged within him.

(2) And someone who can make the aforementioned melodies—i.e., he is capable of judging all people favorably, even the rabble and the wicked, because he persistently searches and seeks to find the good points in all of them, through which melodies are made, as explained above—this tzaddik, since he is on this level, is capable of being the cantor and messenger of the people. That is, he can lead the communal prayers, because he has within him this aspect, which is a necessary requirement to be a truly fitting messenger of the people. For he must possess the aspect whereby all the good points are drawn to him and are merged within him, so that he is capable of gathering all the good points that are to be found in each Jew, even a Jewish sinner, as explained above.