This week we will read from two Torah scrolls. From the first scroll we will read the weekly Parsha of Tazria and from the second scroll we will read Parshas Hachodesh. This second Parsha recounts that portion of the Torah where HaShem gives Moshe the first instructions for the people in the land of Egypt. Instead of sticking to the message of these Parshios I would like to focus on an issue that sits upon my mind and takes up much of my attention.
There is a family that is active in Achim who is currently facing a serious illness. Many of their friends are davening (praying), visiting and helping in many different ways. I count myself among those who feel the difficulty of this family. When I daven daily I wonder what does HaShem want from us? I assume that somehow HaShem wants us to daven, He wants to hear from us. But we already daven on daily basis three times a day. Does He want us to daven more times a day? Is HaShem looking for longer prayers to be said or perhaps more tehillim (Psalms) to be said? How do we make our prayers qualitatively better?
Just this afternoon, as I was learning my daily regiment of Torah study I came across an interesting passage in the Talmud. The Talmud teaches us that one who davens in a state of drunkenness his prayer is not accepted because he talks with a sense of arrogance. We do not find that the prayers of people with other negative character traits are not accepted. It seems to be only with the trait of arrogance.
Our Sages teach us that when we begin the Amida, the main prayer which is common in our morning service in our afternoon service and in our evening service, we must prostrate ourselves. Prostration is a demonstration of submission to the one before whom you prostrate. This seems to indicate that a significant component of the prayer is submission. It is therefore natural that an arrogant person’s prayer will not be accepted because they are unable to submit themselves to a higher authority.
Given this insight perhaps we can appreciate the way to make our prayer more meaningful is by increasing our submission before HaShem. In other words, the deeper our sentiment of submission before HaShem is, the more profound our prayer will be.
King David writes in Psalm 51:19 “The proper offering to HaShem is a broken spirit; a broken heart O G.D You will not despise” and in Psalm 34:19 he writes “For HaShem is near to those whose heart is broken and He saves those of a contrite spirit.”
Sarah was destined to bear Yitzchok from whom the Jewish nation would descend, nevertheless, she was barren for her first 90 years of life. Our Sages teach us that HaShem designed it such in order to inspire Avarahum and Sarah to pray for children. HaShem understood that if Sarah was incapable to bearing children their prayers would be more meaningful. Our Sages are making a profound statement; even though Avrahum was so great and drew himself so close to HaShem, nevertheless, his prayers would be more meaningful if his heart was broken. HaShem made him childless all those years so that his prayers would be more meaningful.
Although I still struggle with understanding the ways of HaShem nevertheless, I do understand that we must capture the opportunity of feeling the heartbreak when considering the challenge HaShem is presenting us. our dear family. We must feel their pain and channel that broken heart towards HaShem. And with that broken heart turn to HaShem and pour those bleeding feelings in submission to Him, recognizing that only He is the One Who can help.
If we can succeed in achieving a broken heart and a contrite spirit we can then hope that HaShem will listen to our prayers and bring a salvation to our community and to our people.
This week we will read from two Torah scrolls. From the first scroll we will read the weekly Parsha of Tazria and from the second scroll we will read Parshas Hachodesh. This second Parsha recounts that portion of the Torah where HaShem gives Moshe the first instructions for the people in the land of Egypt. Instead of sticking to the message of these Parshios I would like to focus on an issue that sits upon my mind and takes up much of my attention.
There is a family that is active in Achim who is currently facing a serious illness. Many of their friends are davening (praying), visiting and helping in many different ways. I count myself among those who feel the difficulty of this family. When I daven daily I wonder what does HaShem want from us? I assume that somehow HaShem wants us to daven, He wants to hear from us. But we already daven on daily basis three times a day. Does He want us to daven more times a day? Is HaShem looking for longer prayers to be said or perhaps more tehillim (Psalms) to be said? How do we make our prayers qualitatively better?
Just this afternoon, as I was learning my daily regiment of Torah study I came across an interesting passage in the Talmud. The Talmud teaches us that one who davens in a state of drunkenness his prayer is not accepted because he talks with a sense of arrogance. We do not find that the prayers of people with other negative character traits are not accepted. It seems to be only with the trait of arrogance.
Our Sages teach us that when we begin the Amida, the main prayer which is common in our morning service in our afternoon service and in our evening service, we must prostrate ourselves. Prostration is a demonstration of submission to the one before whom you prostrate. This seems to indicate that a significant component of the prayer is submission. It is therefore natural that an arrogant person’s prayer will not be accepted because they are unable to submit themselves to a higher authority.
Given this insight perhaps we can appreciate the way to make our prayer more meaningful is by increasing our submission before HaShem. In other words, the deeper our sentiment of submission before HaShem is, the more profound our prayer will be.
King David writes in Psalm 51:19 “The proper offering to HaShem is a broken spirit; a broken heart O G.D You will not despise” and in Psalm 34:19 he writes “For HaShem is near to those whose heart is broken and He saves those of a contrite spirit.”
Sarah was destined to bear Yitzchok from whom the Jewish nation would descend, nevertheless, she was barren for her first 90 years of life. Our Sages teach us that HaShem designed it such in order to inspire Avarahum and Sarah to pray for children. HaShem understood that if Sarah was incapable to bearing children their prayers would be more meaningful. Our Sages are making a profound statement; even though Avrahum was so great and drew himself so close to HaShem, nevertheless, his prayers would be more meaningful if his heart was broken. HaShem made him childless all those years so that his prayers would be more meaningful.
Although I still struggle with understanding the ways of HaShem nevertheless, I do understand that we must capture the opportunity of feeling the heartbreak when considering the challenge HaShem is presenting us. our dear family. We must feel their pain and channel that broken heart towards HaShem. And with that broken heart turn to HaShem and pour those bleeding feelings in submission to Him, recognizing that only He is the One Who can help.
If we can succeed in achieving a broken heart and a contrite spirit we can then hope that HaShem will listen to our prayers and bring a salvation to our community and to our people.
