To “take the name of the Lord in vain” means engaging in various actions that are unrelated to building connection between us, while expecting them somehow to bring us into contact with the Creator, i.e., the upper force of love and bestowal. In other words, if we direct our efforts at anything other than positive human connection, our actions will ultimately be in vain.
Taking the name of the Lord in vain also means misunderstanding the concept of prayer. True prayer is the work of the heart. It is the effort to direct our hearts at connection with everyone and to cultivate love for all people. When we strive to do this and discover that we are incapable of it, a deficiency is formed within us, i.e., a gap between what we wish for and what we are actually able to achieve.
From this deficiency arises a genuine request: the desire to become capable of bestowal and love, the plea to acquire a “second nature” above our original egoistic nature.
Based on “New Life 159 – The Ten Commandments, Part 2” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.