.שבת שובה=תשע"ג. When there was an altar and animals to sacrifice "מזבח בהיותו וקדשים לזביחה A person would bring an offering and his sin was erased והביא איש את זבחו וחטאתו נמחה But we no longer have a Kohen nor sacrifice nor meal-offering אפס מני כהן, ואין זבח ואין מנחה Let my confession be my sacrifice-my speech, my offering תודתי זביחתי, שיחתי מנחתי" This past Thursday night, we gathered in the shul to recite the סליחות for Friday morning, the third day of ימי תשובה.עשרת As we began the final third of the,סליחות we recited a fascinating poem called " קמתי "שחר, ( I have risen at dawn ), authored by הקטן.שלמה What I found so interesting, was the fact that it contained only 6 stanzas-yet the middle four stanzas all expressed the same thought: We no longer have the sacrificial rite which would affect atonement and forgiveness for us and so we rely upon prayer. When there was the service and Kohanim on their watch The sin-offering would atone and the burnt offering repair But no longer is there the sin or burnt offering So I pour out my prayer and present my plea "הן בהיות העבודה וכהנים על משמרת הלא חטאת מכפרת והעולה מכשרת ואין חטאת ואין עולה ולא חלב ויותרת ואשפוך את רנתי ואפיל תחינתי" Today, we rely on prayer It replaces sacrificial rites. It is no coincidence, therefore, that today, on Shabbat Shuva, we read the opening verses of the Haftorah and chanted the words of the Prophet Hoshea: Return O Israel to Hashem Bring with you your words and return to G-d; Say to Him Let our lips substitute for bulls. It is prayer that will grant us forgiveness It is the key for תשובה and for our relationship with G-d Prayer will affect atonement How unfortunate that, for so many of us, prayer,,תפילה is a lost art! And that is what I want to discuss with you today -no philosophical journey into the obtuse -no complicated analysis of rabbinic sources But rather, as is said in Arabic, Dugri -practical, down-to-earth, address **************************************************************************** 1
As משה רבינו completes his exhortation to the people to return to G-d -the challenge-no, the privilege- to repent תשובה of מצוה -the -he sums up his points with a simple verse: "ראה נתתי לפניך היום את החיים ואת הטוב ואת המות ואת הרע " Behold I present before you today a choice between life, goodness and death, evil. evil. equates life with good and death with משה רבינו- Rav Menachem Liebtag points out that this is not the first time that such a parallel is made -do we not hear echoes of the very opening chapters of the Torah? "ועץ החיים בתוך הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ורע " -and if Man does not listen and eats of the הדעת טוב ורע,עץ he is told: "ביום אכלך ממנו מות תמות" מצוה One might think it curious that G-d would leave this most important תשובה -that of -to the very final chapters of the Torah -the idea that one can repair one s relationship with the A-lmighty is so basic to our belief system, we would have expected to find it among the very first commandments But these clear textual parallels let us know that the concept of תשובה was created together with the imperfect Human. -it underscores the basic nature of man s relationship with G-d: -we are told how G-d created Man and placed him in the perfect spiritual environment גן עדן- -Hashem promised the human a prosperous physical/material existence should he obey "חיים " is, -that -and threatened him with " "מות, death, should he disobey -when he sins, Man is expelled from the Garden of Eden -exile, the forced distancing of Man from G-d s divine presence, is a form of מות -and the,כרובים the cherubs, are placed there to guard against any attempt at return "לשמר דרך עץ החיים " who כרובים HOWEVER, the presence of these - guard the path to the Tree of Life -does not indicate a permanent closure of this path -otherwise, G-d would have simply removed the path completely! "לסגר דרך עץ החיים" read: -the Torah would have -to close off and block the path Rather, the cherubs restrict the entry of those who are unworthy 2
-and in doing so, they challenge Man to become worthy again and once more be עץ החיים granted permission to approach the -if not to take from it So the Torah begins And five books later, the Torah ends with the same message -a message of hope -of return -of repairing the damage we have done!תשובה -a message of There we are reminded of the choice we have blessing or curse,קללה or ברכה- life or death,מות or חיים- If we choose,חיים obedience to G-d, we are promised material/physical comfort and success If we defy G-d s will and trespass his laws מות -we choose -described here as well as,גלות exile -driven from the Land that is the ideal spiritual environment for the Jew Yet, despite our poor choice, the Torah reminds us that we can still return! עץ החיים that guarded the path to the כרובים -the -allowed the worthy to enter -the כרובים that stood atop the Holy Ark and were woven into the,פרכת the curtain י "כ they protected on ק "ק to enter the כהן גדול -permitted the -and the exile from the land of Israel, -prolonged not by cherubs but by the swords of other nations -would also end and allow the deserving Jewish nation to return This is the message with which G-d opens His Torah And with which the Torah closes!תשובה We CAN change! Things CAN change! כהרף עין -and sometimes they do -in the blink of an eye! *********************************************************************** The Megilla expresses it so well: :"ביום אשר שברו אויבי היהודים לשלוט בהם ונהפוך הוא אשר ישלטו היהודים המה בשונאיהם" The day that changed from one when the enemies had hoped to rule over the Jews to one when the Jews ruled over them. How quickly things changed! 3
That is what we celebrate on Purim! ונהפוך הוא A day of -a sudden change -a quick reversal -an unexpected turnaround But it doesn t always happen that way does it? *********************************************************************** I would like to pose a few questions to you: How many of you tuned in to watch the 9/11 memorial programs two weeks ago? How many of you couldn t stand to watch? How many were glued to the TV and cried for the full hour? How many of you didn t even bother to watch because it was too painful? Eleven years have passed but the emotional pain has not. The shock may be over but the sorrow and anger remain.?עשרת ימי תשובה or יום כפור,שבת שובה But what do these questions have to do with Rav Ephraim Waxman spoke one week after the 9/11 tragedy and said: When I saw those buildings fall and the absolute dreadful loss of life, one phrase came :ימים נוראים to mind- a phrase found in every Amidah we recite over the "ובכן תן פחדך ד' א'לוקינו על כל מעשיך..." -Hashem imposing awe and fear over all of his inhabitants When I first heard the quote I felt uncomfortable with the entire approach -for it implied that this murderous attack was somehow G-d s doing But when I pondered the statement further, I began to see an important message found therein -a message that, I hope, Rabbi Waxman had in mind when he said these words. The horror of 9/11 brought home-most clearly-the frailty of mortal man -How many lives were permanently changed? -How many families would never be the same? -How many workers survived by simple happenstance? -How many died the same way? You see, people, even in the midst of their grief, or perhaps soon afterward, realized how random life could be -and how important it is to embrace life -to celebrate it -to experience it -to cherish it And many also began to perceive how their lives were truly in G-d s hands. I know that is how it affected me. 4
When I watched those programs, I couldn t get over the fact that these people began the day as every other day -with the expectation that it would be like every other day And עין in -כהרף the blink of an eye-life ended for thousands -and changed for millions ****************************************************************************** Last Shabbat, in a community not so different from ours, -in the same state as ours -bearing the same Young Israel name as ours Two couples started their walk home after services -services that were not much different than ours And they spoke together -Now, I don t know what they said to each other -perhaps they were discussing the parsha -perhaps they were sharing stories of their children or grandchildren -maybe they were sharing recipes יום טוב -or wondering when they would shop for the But in a flash everything changed A car jumped onto the sidewalk behind them -they saw nothing -they knew nothing -and in an instant one couple was killed and three others were rushed to the hospital with terrible injuries And life would no longer be the same -not for the survivors -not for the grieving families -not for the bereft community One moment - all was well The next moment - all had changed And it could have happened anywhere "ונהפוך הוא! "- *********************************************************************** So why is this so important for us today? Because today s דרשה is entitled: Can t Anyone Daven Anymore? Or The Lost Art of Prayer 5
And one of the reasons we have lost the ability to really pray is because we are too comfortable -too complacent -too sure that everything will continue as is We no longer have doubts -or fear the unknown And if there be those among us who would argue with this very premise -those who might believe that the art of prayer has not been lost -that we still daven as we once did -and as our parents and grandparents did "אדם יסודו מעפר וסופו לעפר " chants -that we still cry when the chazzan "לקל עורך דין " -or -I would ask them to look around most shuls during services and take note: -how many are following the תפילות in the siddur -how many are conversing שליח ציבור -how many are listening intently to the -how many are reading -how many are responding with " "אמן to the Kaddish or the Amidah -how many are oblivious to what is going on because they are learning My G-d! I am equally guilty! Even more so!! -I provide דברי תורה sheets so people have something to do during services! -I figure that at least this way they won t be talking and disturbing others! תפילה And so, I have prepared this presentation to try and understand why -real, honest-to-goodness, sincere prayer -is so difficult to find in today s world. Why it is such a challenge today And why, indeed, it has become a lost art *********************************************************************** So let me begin my list with that which I started with: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1) Yes. I believe that one of the factors for our poor prayer habits is our comfortable feeling of security -and a lack of understanding of our frailty There is too little realization that things can change in an instant ונהפוך הוא- But, whereas on פורים we celebrate the turnaround from near-tragedy to celebration -when approaching יום כפורים we must also consider the opposite -how commonly does a life- with all of its potential- suddenly disappear Ask those among us who have lost jobs 6
-but remain saddled with the same expenses Or someone who lost a loved one on 9/11 Or the family in our community who awoke to find out that there daughter was missing -and had been kidnapped (And Boruch Hashem, we found out this week that she has been found and is recovering now) And as I was preparing this very address, I received a call from a very distressed person -someone who had received the worst news from the doctor -and from the state of happiness, -from weeks enjoying children and grandchildren -was now making arrangements for hospice care to face possible final days ונהפוך הוא -things can change all too quickly -our lives are not as secure as we tend to believe -and we need to pour our hearts out to G-d for His beneficence and His continued protection. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2) Secondly, like so many of the next generation -we have ADD-Attention Deficit Disorder -we cannot sit and read or pray -we get bored easily We need things to interest us -and occupy our attention -something that would not require us to expend too much effort or energy We want to be entertained! -and so we enjoy a Chazzan who puts on a good show -rather than one who inspires us to greater intent and כוונה (as our Chazzan did) -some of us listen to the בעל קורא and the Torah reading -in the hope that we ll win the game of: count the mistakes. [Let me tell you a story that took place in our shul many years ago. A young boy, just past his Bar Mitzva, took upon himself to read the Torah one Shabbat. He did a wonderful job making only a few minor mistakes-so minor that they did not require correction. Most people congratulated him warmly. But one of the first people to approach him after the Torah reading was a person who never volunteered to read the Torah. Yet, he pulled out the Chumash and began to enumerate the minor mistakes he made. Never congratulating him-only criticizing. The tearful boy came to me right afterwards and said that he will never again read the Torah in our shul. What was this man doing? Entertaining himself at the expense of a young boy.] -there are also many who look forward to shofar-blowing for one reason 7
-the reason best expressed by my seventh grade students this week?תקיעה גדולה - Hey, Rabbi, how long was your I must tell you that I spend significant time preparing to sound the shofar -not practicing the blasts or strengthening my lungs -not even reviewing the numerous laws of each sound מצוה the intentions I must keep in mind when performing the,כוונות But understanding the -what the blasts represent -my hope that G-d will accept them -a prayer that I have completed performing the command properly - so that the community s obligation has been fulfilled and has pleased G-d Often, while I m sounding the,שופר I close my eyes and see my father, "ה,ע watching from on high -my father who taught me to blow the shofar -who impressed upon me how important it was to do it precisely -and told me to practice over and over -when I was just past bar-mitzva age -so that I could sound the שופר properly With my eyes closed, I look up to him and hope he was pleased -and perhaps even proud And at times, when the shofar acts up I even think a silent prayer asking for his help And when, השם,ברוך the shofar blasts are completed successfully I am filled with such joy -and feel so spiritually elevated -it s almost difficult for me to speak Until people ask me that student s question:?תקיעה גדולה - Hey, Rabbi, how long was that You see, we want entertainment! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3) I fear we have also lost humility. To pray effectively, one must be humble -we must understand that we don t control everything -and that we need help from G-d Remembering that we are finite and that we must rely on the infinite is a humbling experience -but an important one But the loss of humility also causes us to turn a blind eye to those who have helped us. We hate to admit that we owe a thank you -and so much of prayer is simply recognizing the debt we owe to G-d. Recently, the Jewish world has been addressing the question: -Must one believe in G-d in order to be a good Jew? 8
And most of the responses explain why one need not believe in G-d to be a good Jew! Truthfully, this is not a shocking revelation :(נביא express it in a statement (base upon the words of the חז "ל- - "הלוואי 'אותי עזבו ומשפטי שמרו" Oh that they should abandon Me but observe My commands Our sages understood that not everyone is born with belief אמונה -with And they knew that through מצוה performance one can develop belief -and learn to see and appreciate G-d throughout his life But they did NOT accept the idea that there was no need for G-d in Judaism But I am fascinated by this need so many have to remove G-d from religion -to deny His existence Why?? Because G-d places boundaries The belief in G-d carries with it the understanding that there is an expected mode of behavior -one that He expects from us -one that He has imposed upon us And we hate limitations We hate being told to do things We hate anything that would limit us in any way We hate denying ourselves And we hate owing anything to anyone -even gratitude So the causes are clear But what are the solutions? ***************************************************************************** What can we do to make our תפילות meaningful -and the prayer experience impactive? First of all we can take the well-known rabbinic dictum to heart: stand Know before Whom you - "דע לפני מי אתה עומד " -to approach our tefillot with the seriousness they deserve We are about to talk to the A-lmighty We hope to plead our case before Him -or praise Him -or thank Him The privilege we have been granted to receive an audience with G-d -a privilege that G-d himself has given to us -demands a sobriety and somberness we often fail to achieve. 9
I understand that it might be difficult to constantly remain in such a state -but certainly, once we open that siddur -once we begin to recite the prayers -we should be capable of appreciating what we are doing -Whom we are addressing Secondly, we must learn to focus and not to be so easily distracted -we must try to ignore extraneous conversation and concentrate of the task at hand -we must attempt-as much as possible-to clear our thoughts from the mundane -and concentrate on the sublime Furthermore, if we find that we are bored with תפילות perhaps it is because we don t participate in them -we remain on the outside looking in We must, once again, become active pray-ers -rather than passive onlookers We must respond to the chazzan -join in communal prayer -and stop studying the clock! Thirdly, if we feel detached from the prayers then perhaps it is because we have invested so little in understanding them -it remains incomprehensible to me that we can spend so much time on prayer -spend so many hours to synagogue תפילה -fully acknowledge the importance of -and yet expend so little effort to know the meaning of the prayers -we ve been reciting the exact same words for 30-40-50- years and still don t know what they mean!!! There are so many new, excellent siddurim available for us -Artscroll -The Rav s siddur -the Koren Siddur with Rabbi Sachs commentary Some of us even purchase these new prayer books -BUT WE DON T READ THEM!!! -so, we don t understand the prayers If we understood them -perhaps we wouldn t be so bored If we sensed their beauty -perhaps we wouldn t need to talk If we felt their emotion 10
-perhaps we wouldn t even learn Torah during services Fourthly, we must become humble once more. -we must revert to the time when people didn t feel that they could handle everything -when they knew that they needed G-d s help "ישועת ד' כהרף עין " if -we must constantly realize that -G-d s salvation can come in an instant ונהפוך הוא -then so can -the best of situations can come crashing down And each day that it doesn t - we owe G-d thanks Each day that it doesn t - we must pray to Him to let it continue And as we face Yom Kippur in but four days we can hope סליחות of this week s פייטן -as the -that this year, our תפילות will be as precious as sacrifices תודתי זביחתי, שיחתי מנחתי G-d will accept them with the same love and desire that he accepted the offerings of our ancestors. We can only hope And pray. 11