ויקרבו כל העדה ויעמדו לפני ד…(שמיני ט:ה)

It is brought down in the name of Ari Hakadosh zt”l that one should try to fulfill the mitzvah of “ואהבת לרעך כמוך” – love one’s friend just like yourself before starting to daven. This is alluded to in the passuk ויקרבו כל העדה – the whole assembly came close to one another – and only then ויעמדו לפני ד’ – they were able to daven to Hashem (as Chazal say: “אין עמידה אלא תפילה” – the word עמידה can also mean davening.