Rabbi Chaim Vital, a prominent Safed kabbalist in the 16th–17th centuries, is best known for recording and editing the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria, better known as the Arizal, a founder of modern Kabbalah. Chaim Vital’s youngest son, Rabbi Samuel Vital, organized a collection of his father’s writings into eight “gates,” each of which “opens” up a particular topic. The sixth of these is Sha’ar HaKavanot (Gate of the Intentions), which delves into the kabbalistic meanings and accompanying intentions of the different prayers recited on weekdays, Shabbat, and holidays, as well as the purpose of prayer as a whole.