Page 2 - The Jewish Voice - September '19

Page 2, The Jewish Voice

From the rabbis

Praying Like You Mean It generation of Israelites died out in the wilderness and a new The Power of Prayer
generation was in place, Moshe had to plead with God when
By Rabbi Paul Arberman he asked for something (e.g., to enter the Land of Israel). By Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui
I’ve always listened That is to say, the relationship between Moshe and God had Here is a little Israeli
for my children’s voices changed! Life had moved on and Moshe had to now work at trivia.
when I’d be lying down communicating and pleading for what he wanted, when in The second most visited
and when I’d be rising up. the past it was much, much easier. religious site in Israel after
I would sometimes listen Life moves on and it is unreasonable to expect that we the Western Wall is the
for them even when I knew will have the same kavanah or even the same prayers in our burial site of this great
they were not home. I would hearts to say to God. We are not the exact same people we Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
look forward to answering were 10 or 20 years ago — we can’t be. Tragedy and death (in north Israel).
them, laughing with them, changes us, but so does great joy and new births and new life. Rabban Shimon bar
and redirecting them when I came to realize I’d never get my groove back, but I could Yochai, also known by
necessary. So when my son, learn to find a new groove. So I forgave myself for being in a his acronym Rashbi, was
Ziv, was young and would come running up to me in shul different mental state than I had previously been and I decided a second-century tannaitic sage in ancient Israel, active
as I’d be leading services, tugging on my pants and saying, to explore what a new relationship or communication with after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He
“Abba, Abba — I have to tell you something,” a big part of God might mean. was one of the most eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva,
me would think: You had me at Abba. I’ll listen to anything A second source pointed me in the right direction. The and is the author of the Zohar, the chief work of Kabbalah/
you want to say. But then another side of me would take Baal Shem Tov has a unique drash on a verse from Genesis Mysticism.
over and I would think to myself: I can’t always be available — parshat Noach: “Tzohar ta’ase la teiva — a window shall The parents of Rabbi Shimon, Yochai and Sarah, were
for him even if I want to be. So I would shake my head and thou make to the ark.” The Baal Shem Tov plays on the double barren for many years. Yochai decided that he would be
continue praying. meaning of tzohar, which has been interpreted alternatively forced to exercise the option to divorce his wife, as is
“Abba, Abba,” he would persist, “it’s important.” I’d as “window” or “shining light,” and teivah, which can mean the law, in order to fulfill the mitzvah/commandment of
then strengthen my resolve and instruct him by saying, “I am “ark” or also can mean “word.” He teaches that the word having children, which was a matter of great distress,
talking to God with respect and fear — and I can’t answer an individual utters while studying or praying must shine. especially to Sarah his wife.
you. We are up to the Shema.” But how can one achieve this, he asks? The Baal Shem Tov Sarah fasted, prayed, and cried a lot to G-d, like
“Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu Adonai echad.” now reflects back to the story of Noach and answers: Just Hannah did many years earlier until her son Samuel
“Abba, Abba — I have to tell you something.” By then I’d as “You must come you and all your family into the ark, the first prophet was born to the Jewish people. On the
have lost all concentration and given up. Perhaps someone you must come all your body and strength to the word.” I night of Rosh Hashanah, Yochai had a dream he was in
was hurt and I’d better ask. I’d bend over and whisper, “What suggest that this means, in other words, that you must bring a beautiful garden with many trees. Some were dry and
is it Zivi?” He’d reply, “Abba, the Red Power Ranger can your entire self, your entire entity on board to your words. barren and some were producing beautiful foliage and
beat the Black Power Ranger.” Arghh. And I already knew The new relationship with God must now be as a mother, or fruit. Suddenly, an angel appeared with a flask and started
that! as a father, or as a husband, wife, or whatever new position to water only some of the dried-out trees.
The Shema is so important that the rabbis have determined you find yourself in in life. This new, fuller identity is the When the angel approached the dry tree Yochai was
it must be said with kavanah. This means it must be said one that must now do the praying in the service. leaning on, the angel pulled out a container from close to
with “intention” or conscious acknowledgment that we are And a final thought: Shema Yisrael, which we must say him and watered his tree. Not long afterwards, it started
commanded to say the Shema in the morning and in the intentionally and with understanding, is telling us to listen. to bloom and produced beautiful apple-like fruit with a
evening. Beyond saying it on purpose, as it were, we must Traditionally it means listen to the voice of morality and great scent and that was extremely tasty.
understand the words themselves — that there is only one goodness in the world, from the One true God. Yochai told his wife of the dream, and what he felt
God of Israel, and He is our commanding God. I’ll add another layer and that is to listen to yourself. I was its interpretation. They would be blessed with a child
“Shema,” I sing. am now listening to myself pray again, something I didn’t in the following year. “But why did the angel water your
If I were a contestant on American Idol or Kochav Nolad need to do for many years. So many other important voices tree differently than all the other dried-out trees?” asked
(the Israeli version) the judges would surely see right through had joined me over these years that it had become difficult Sarah. Yochai said they would have to go to Rabbi Akiva,
me. “I just don’t believe you when you’re saying the words,” I to bring out my own voice with confidence and clarity. I now the leading rabbi of the time for an interpretation.
could hear the judges say. “You have a nice voice, but you are slow down my prayers a bit and once again listen to my own Rabbi Akiva said, “The container you say the angel
not getting behind the words,” another would add, “and you voice. pulled from his chest was filled with the tears of Sarah’s
could just as well have been singing in any old bar mitzvah If you identify with these words, you might try it yourself, prayer. Your dry tree was given life, from the tears of her
instead of leading a service.” recognizing that whatever new groove you are in, bringing prayers.”
I can recall a great scene in Walk the Line, a movie about thoughts of your family to your prayers and listening to your It wasn’t long afterwards on the holiday of Shavuot,
Johnny Cash. Johnny is at his first tryout in a recording own words, then praying and singing to God with kavanah the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah, Shimon
studio singing gospel. The studio director as much as tells can’t be far behind. And that’s the kind of song that truly was born.
him that his singing is “drek.” “What’s wrong with the way saves people. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of three G-dly giants
I sing [gospel]?” asks Johnny. “I don’t believe you,” replies Paul Arberman is the spiritual leader at Temple Beth
the director. “Are you saying I don’t believe in God?” The David in Palm Beach Gardens. From the Rabbis on page 3
director explains, “You gotta sing something real, something
you feel, because I’m telling you right now, that’s the kind of
song people want to hear. That’s the kind of song that truly
saves people. It ain’t got nothing to do with belief in God,
Mr. Cash. It has to do with belief in yourself.”
I’ll tell you why this bothers me — because I once had
great kavanah and I know what it is like. I could have been a
contender. I want to sing and pray with spiritual depth. At the
Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem where I studied for a year,
and at Machon Schechter in Jerusalem, I really felt on top of
my davening (praying) game. I’m not saying perfect belief,
but I connected the words. I’m saying that my words flowed
at a good pace, my thoughts were connected to the service,
and I felt a simple sincerity when I sang. I had kavanah.
Now I don’t know if it was the birth of my son or the Ask about our Rosh Hashanah
twins who followed just a year and a half later, but whatever
it was, somewhere along the way life became more hectic.
I found myself no longer in the position of rosh meyushav, & Yom Kippur Holiday Menus.
translated as “settled in my thoughts.” Masechet (talmudic
tractate) Brachot talks about a traveler who finally arrives at
his destination, dusty and road weary. Must he immediately
keep to his scheduled prayers? The answer is no — time can be
given until he has rosh meyushav. Well I’ve been on a journey Tradition never
for a number of years and the dust is just beginning to settle.
Here are some of the ways I am working to get my groove tasted so delicious.
back — and maybe this will help others. My first thought
about improving prayer comes from Parshat Va’etchanan,
which tells of Moshe pleading with God at the beginning
of the chapter to enter the Land of Israel. In the past, Moses
would start speaking to God and just talk or ask for things
or even complain. Why is he pleading (va’etchanan) after
Moshe and God had spent so much time together?
The Midrash answers that so long as the first generation
of Israel remained alive in the wilderness, Moshe used to See restaurant or our website for complete menu.
address God and even initiate a dialogue. For example, Moshe
has no problem saying, “God, why do you grow so angry
with the people?” (Num. 14”19). When, however, the first