“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos
Kodesh parshas Vaera
27 Teves 5783/January
20, 2023
Mevorchim
Chodesh Shevat
AT HOME
On the morning of the fast of Asarah
b’Teves a few weeks ago, I wanted to speak to my ninth-grade class about the
reason and significance of the fast. I began by asking them “so, what sad event
happened today?” One of my students explained that the previous night during an
NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Damar Hamlin of
the Bills, went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field
before being rushed off to the hospital.
That wasn’t quite the tragedy I was
referring to.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that
Hamlin’s injury was a major national event. The fact that it had occurred in
front of thousands of people in the middle of a game after a routine tackle,
added to the shock it sent to the NFL faithful. Some players were in tears
while others walked around dazed afterwards. The game did not resume.
As of this writing, Hamlin has been
making an astounding recovery.
A few days after the event while the
incident was being discussed on ESPN’s show “NFL Live”, Dan Orlovsky, a
football analyst, interrupted the show to offer a 50 Second prayer to G-d. He
did not use terms like a “higher power” or a “greater force”. He did not
suffice with the general statement of our “thoughts and prayers are with him”.
He went all in. He stopped the show, acknowledged G-d, closed his eyes, bowed
his head, and led a full-fledged prayer session in the middle of a sports show
on national TV.
It was a daring move and one that
easily could have cost him his job. Our society has sought to undermine G-d and
prayer, even abolishing it from our public schools. Surprisingly, the reaction
to Orlovsky’s prayer was positive. In fact, it has been described as one of the
“most powerful TV moments ever.”
For us, as believing Jews, prayer is
a cornerstone of our faith. In fact, the two are synonymous – Jew and prayer.
Rabbi Shabsi Yudelevich (Derashos
Hamaggid 1) recounted a story that appeared in the secular newspapers. It was
about a seven-year-old boy from Bogota, Columbia. His parents were so destitute
that they couldn’t provide for his basic needs. They left him on someone’s
doorsteps, hoping that he would be cared for there.
Although the boy was taken in and his
basic needs were cared for, he missed his parents terribly and wanted to be
reunited with them.
The boy wrote a letter… to G-d. He
wrote about how painful and difficult things were for him, and how badly he
wanted to go home. He asked G-d to give his parents the money they needed to
care for him and to help him find them. The boy addressed the envelope to G-d
and dropped it in the mailbox.
When the letter arrived at the post
office, it was brought to the director of the post office. Not knowing what
else to do, he opened and read the letter and concluded that it was written
with sincerity. He decided to try to track down the author the letter so they
could help him.
After a long search and much
advertising in local papers, they discovered who the child was. They helped the
parents purchase a home and reunited the boy with his parents.
Afterwards, the director asked the
boy why he hadn’t written a return address on the envelope. The boy replied
honestly that he didn’t think to do so because G-d knows where he lives.
Rabbi Yudelevich concluded that we
don’t need to write letters to G-d. Every sincere prayer we utter is accepted
from wherever we are, as long as we call out faithfully.
Rabbi Shimshon Pincus noted that to
daven to Hashem and have one’s prayers heard, doesn’t require that one be
righteous. At the same time, even a sinner should never assume his prayers
won’t be accepted. There is only one requirement for prayer – that one call out
to God with sincerity and faith. “Hashem is close to all those who are close to
Him; to all those who call out to Him with sincerity.” The goal of prayer is
that we should feel like we have an ongoing and deep connection with G-d.
In parshas Beha’aloscha when Hashem
chastises Aharon and Miriam for speaking unbecomingly about their brother
Moshe, Hashem states, “My servant Moshe, in My entire House he is a ne’eman.”
Ne’eman is loosely translated as trustworthy or faithful.
Ibn Ezra comments that a ne’eman is
like a ben-bayis, a quasi-resident of a home, who enters whenever he wants,
even without prior permission, and feels comfortable to speak his mind if he
needs or wants anything.
Growing up, my neighbor Eli was a
ben-bayis in our home. He would pop in literally whenever he wanted, shmooze
with whoever from the family was around, take snacks from our cabinet, and
enjoy whatever book or gadget he found. My family loved his visits and appreciated
the fact that he could come and go as he pleased and truly feel at home.
There is a certain endearment with
having a ben (or bas) bayis who has that feeling of comfort.
A Jew is supposed to feel that he is
a ben-bayis of Hashem, in the sense that he is comfortable turning to Hashem in
prayer whenever and wherever. He doesn’t have to wait for times of prayer or
for when he is in a shul. Beyond set times and places of prayer, he knows G-d
is never out of earshot. On the way into a meeting, on the way to work or
school, or on the way home, he is constantly praying to G-d for assistance and
guidance. He knows that he and his prayers are always welcome.
Prayer is not limited to times when
someone is in cardiac arrest or other moments of crisis. Prayer is foremost
about connection. In the words of Dovid Hamelech, “I love that Hashem hears my
voice, my supplication; that He inclines his ear to me, and in my days I call.”
When it comes to prayer a Jew should always feel at home.
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum
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