A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book - Part 1: How to Wake Up

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waking up

 How to Wake Up

 A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book - Part 1

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 3: Booting Up the Soul - The Morning Blessings Part 2

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Booting Up the Soul - The Morning Blessings Part 2

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 3

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 4: Why Should I study Torah? 

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Why Should I Study Torah? 

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 4

For well over a millennia, Jewish spiritual life revolved around the myriads of ritualistic services conducted in the Tabernacle, and later, in the Temple. The Torah describes in minute detail each item, artifact, garment, service and sacrifice that was part of Temple worship." "Today, many of these methods of worship seem foreign, ceremonial, and outdated.
Yet nothing can be further from the truth. In Jewish tradition, the heart of man is the Temple of G-d; every rite and ritual performed in the Temple exactly parallels a spiritual journey in the psyche of the human being. In this class, we will analyze the cleaning of the Menorah, the daily animal sacrifice, and the burning of incense, and discover the profound spiritual and psychological implications of a Talmudic debate regarding their order in the daily service of the Temple.

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A Talmudic Debate on the Daily Schedule in the Temple and its Psychological Application

When You Need to Borrow Your Father

The Last Wish

On Rosh Hashanah night, the Kazaks captured the rabbi, the cantor and the president of the synagogue, and granted them a final wish before they would be put to death. 
 
The Rabbi: All year round I prepare for my Rosh Hashanah sermon. You can't kill me before you let me present this sermon and get it out of my system. 
 
"OK," proclaimed the Kazaks. "We well allow you to give the sermon." They turned to the cantor. "How about you? What is your final wish?" 
 
"For 364 days a year, I prepare for my cantorial presentation on the High Holidays. For this year I composed many new brilliant and extraordinary compositions. You have to let me sing them before you kill me." 
 
"Granted," said the Kazaks. "And you," they said, turning to the president, "what is your final wish?" 
 
"Kill me first," he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
Sermons and Melodies 
 
It's been a longstanding tradition among Jewish communities the world over, to employ for the High Holiday services cantors, often accompanied by choirs, to entertain, engage and inspire the multitudes of crowds flocking to synagogues during the three days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 
 
In many a congregation, the cantor embodies the primary focus of the High Holiday experience. As in a concert or opera, the cantor's choice of melodies, his cantorial skills and manipulation of sounds and pitches constitutes the zenith of the services. Especially if the musical presentation is coupled with a rabbi who knows how to tell a good joke or bring a tear to the eye, it is a hands-down success story. 
 
"Spit not in the well from which you drink," suggests the Talmud. I should be the last one to find fault with this phenomenon, since I, too, am employed by a lovely community in New York&nbsp;to serve as a cantor and pontificator. Yet a moving thought from the great master the Baal Shem Tov concerning this "cantor" and "rabbi" phenomenon may be worthwhile for all synagogues and all of us to reflect upon. 
 
An Angry Lion

The Baal Shem Tov, one of the most profound thinkers in the history of Jewish spirituality (1698-1760), once shared this following allegorical story.&nbsp; 
 
Once upon a time, says the Baal Shem Tov, the lion grew furious with all of the other jungle animals. Since the lion is "the king of animal life," and is most powerful and dominant, his ire evoked deep fright in the hearts of the other animals. 
 
"What should we do?" murmured all the animals at an emergency meeting. "If the lion lets out his anger, we are all done." 
 
"No worries," came the voice of the fox, known as the wiliest of animals. "In the reservoirs of my brain are stored 300 stories, anecdotes and vignettes. When I present them to the lion, his mood will be transformed." 
 
A wave of joy rushed through all the animals as they embarked on a march toward the lion's home in the jungle, where the fox would placate him and restore the friendly relationship between the lion and his subjects.

The Fox Forgets

During the journey through the jungle pathways, the fox suddenly turns to one of his animal friends and says, "You know, I forgot 100 of my entertaining stories." 
 
Rumors of the fox's lapse of memory spread immediately. Many animals were overtaken by profound trepidation, but soon came the calming voice of Mr. Bear. 
 
"No worries," he said. "Two hundred vignettes of a brilliant fox are more than enough to get that arrogant lion rolling in laughter and delight.

“They will suffice to do the job," agreed Mr. Wolf. 
 
A little while later, as the extraordinarily large entourage of animals was nearing the lion, Mr. Fox suddenly turned to another colleague. "I have forgotten another 100 of my anecdotes," lamented the fox. "They simply slipped my mind." 
 
The animals' fear became stronger, but soon enough came the reassuring voice of Mr. Deer. 
 
"No worries," he proclaimed, "One hundred fox stories will suffice to capture the imagination of our simple king."

“Yes, 100 jokes will assuage the lion,” agreed Mr. Tiger. 
 
A few moments later, all of the hundreds of thousands of animals were at the lion's den. The lion rose to his full might and glory, casting a fierce gaze at all of his subjects, sending a shiver through their veins.&nbsp;

The Moment of Encounter 
 
As the moment of truth arrived, all of the animals looked up with beseeching eyes to their bright representative the fox, to approach the lion and accomplish the great mission of reconciliation. 
 
At that very moment, the fox turned to the animals and said, "I am sorry, but I forgot my last 100 stories. I have nothing left to say to the king." 
 
The animals went into hysteria. "You are a vicious liar," cried they cried. "You deceived us completely. What are we to do now?" 
 
"My job," responded the fox calmly, "was to persuade you to take the journey from your own nests to the lion's nest. I have accomplished my mission. You are here. Now, let each and every single one of you discover his own voice and rehabilitate his own personal relationship with the king." 
 
Lacking a Personal Relationship 
 
This story, concluded the Baal Shem Tov, illustrates a common problem in institutionalized religion. We come to synagogue on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, or any other time of the year, and we rely on the "foxes" -- the cantors and the rabbis -- to serve as our representative to the King of Kings. 
 
"The rabbi's sermon today was unbelievable," we often proclaim after services. "He is really awesome." Or, "That cantor? His vibrato just melted my soul." These clergy all-too-often become the "foxes" who know how to get the job done for us. 
 
Yet, sooner or later, we come to realize that the foxes, with all due respect, don't really have what it takes to address the king on behalf of you and me. Each of us must discover his or her own inner voice and inner passion and spirit, and speak to G-d with a distinct and unique.&nbsp; 
 
Cantors and rabbis during the High Holidays (and the rest of the year) ought to view themselves as the Baal Shem Tov's foxes: Their function is to persuade and inspire people to leave their own self-contained domains and embark on a journey toward something far deeper and more real. But each and every one of us must ultimately enter the space of G-d alone. 
 
So this Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, don't rely on any foxes. Speak to G-d directly. With your own words, with your own soul. Heart to heart, from your truest place to His truest place.

Shanah Tovah!

The Cantor, the Lion &amp; the Fox - Forget the Rabbi

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The Cantor, the Lion & the Fox

Forget the Rabbi 

Shemos -- Does Religion Destroy People? The Secret of the Burning Bush.

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The Secret of the Burning Bush

Shemos -- Does Religion Destroy People?

Two Perspectives&nbsp;

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go camping together, they put up a tent and go inside to enjoy a tranquil rest near the fire. In middle of the night, Sherlock turns to Dr. Watson and says, "So what are you thinking about now"?&nbsp;

Watson responds: "Sherlock! This is awesome. I'm gazing at the celestial stars hovering above us, I'm overwhelmed by the romantic splendor of the night, and I'm engulfed by the picturesque view of the Double Decker.&nbsp;

"And what are you thinking about"?&nbsp;asks&nbsp;Watson.&nbsp;

"That someone stole our tent," Sherlock replies.&nbsp;

Tribute, Prayer, and War&nbsp;

Following thirty-four years of separation from his parents, Jacob sets out with his family to return from Mesopotamia to his home in the Land of Israel. On his way, he learns that his brother Esau is advancing toward him with an imposing army of 400 troops.&nbsp;&nbsp;

the Torah relates in the opening of the portion of&nbsp;Vayishlach how Jacob prepares&nbsp;for his onfrontation with Esau through a three-pronged strategy of "tribute, prayer, and war<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1')">[1]</a>." Jacob first sent lavish gifts to Esau to assuage&nbsp;his wrath. These gifts included goats, ewes, camels, cows, bulls, and donkeys. Next, Jacob engaged in a heartfelt prayer, surrendering himself and his fate to G-d's compassion. Finally, Jacob readied himself and his family for war with Esau.

The Daily Battle&nbsp;

The stories in the Torah are not just events that occurred at a certain point in history, involving particular characters. They are also reflections of spiritual and emotional episodes that occur continuously in every human heart.&nbsp;

Man is a duality: He is a mountain of dust and a vision of G-d. The twin brothers Jacob and Esau embody, respectively, these polar forces within the human&nbsp;person<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2')">[2]</a>. Esau embodies our self-centered, egotistical, and animalistic identity, while Jacob personifies our transcendent, spiritual and idealistic soul.&nbsp;

The enmity and rivalry between the siblings reflect the tension and struggle between the two forces in&nbsp;our&nbsp;lives: the struggle between our ego and our humbleness, between our selfish cravings and our noble aspirations, and between our impulsive lusts and our altruistic yearnings.&nbsp;

None of us is exempt from this daily confrontation with "Esau." We constantly are overwhelmed with materialistic burdens, selfish moods, and immoral appetites. The incessant demands of our selfish and beastly consciousness present a threat to kill the "Jacob" within us.&nbsp;&nbsp;

How does one deal with these potent forces, which, seemingly, are much more powerful than the holy forces within us? We must employ Jacob's three-step program of tribute, prayer, and war.&nbsp;

Honoring Your Animal&nbsp;

First of all, we must grant Esau some of our assets. We have to acknowledge the animal consciousness living within us and honor its presence by granting it its needs. We must eat, sleep, exercise, earn a living and engage in an ongoing relationship with the physical world around us. The animal soul deserves to receive a lavish daily tribute from us, which includes our time, energy, and resources.&nbsp;

Yet, how do we ensure that we don't overdo it? How do we guarantee that our daily tributes to the animal identity within us will not place it at the center of our lives, supplanting the spiritual soul as the true core of our identity?&nbsp;&nbsp;

For this, Jacob must engage in prayer. "Rescue me," Jacob prays as Esau approaches, "from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. I am afraid of him, for he may come and smite me<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3')">[3]</a>." Why the redundancy "from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau"?&nbsp;

There would be no need to fear Esau's influence if we were detached from the Esau reality; if we were to live as spiritual ascetics. Yet Judaism demands that Esau become our "brother;" that we engage our bodily and animal needs, and that we deal with the physical world around us. Under these conditions, the only way we can ensure that Esau does not dominate and control our lives is through prayer.&nbsp;

The Gift of Prayer&nbsp;

What is prayer? Just as there is a time to engage the animal soul and pay tribute to its needs and desires, there is a time each day when we let go of our physical identity and enter into the transcendental oasis of our soul. It is the time when we put the ego to sleep and we discover our inner love and spirituality.&nbsp;

All day, we think about our tents; during prayer, we focus on the stars, on the splendor and meaning of life.&nbsp;

Have you ever experienced the power of prayer? Sadly, most synagogues are more like cemeteries or chicken markets rather than spiritual islands where one may return home to his soul. That's a pity, because lacking the daily experience of genuine prayer we inevitably become vulnerable to the onslaught from the Esau within<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref4')">[4]</a>.&nbsp;

For example, when you don't pray, meditate and connect to your soul in the morning, you often lack the courage and vision to control the food addiction of the Esau-impulse and you engage in an unhealthy breakfast. When you go to the office, you may lack the fortitude to conduct your business affairs honestly. Prayer ensures that the tribute we present to our animal soul does not exhaust us completely till we have nothing left to call our own.&nbsp;

Under the Knife&nbsp;

Yet, all of the above does not suffice. Jacob must also prepare himself for war. Some of the urges and passions of our animal soul cannot be dealt with through prayer alone. We must declare war against them.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At times during the day or the night, we are overtaken by a powerful, animalistic Esau-like urge that is burning in our hearts like a baker's furnace. At such a moment there is only one thing to do: You must take your fist, punch the impulse in its face and get on with your life. War is a nasty thing, but at times it is our only hope to survive the onslaught of a demon that is determined to kill us<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn5" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref5')">[5]</a>.&nbsp;

A story:&nbsp;

One of the great Chassidic masters,&nbsp;Reb&nbsp;Simcah&nbsp;Bunam&nbsp;of&nbsp;Pshescah, once remarked that the true definition of a spiritual man is he who always imagines his head lying in a guillotine, his&nbsp;Yatzer&nbsp;Harah&nbsp;(unhealthy inclination) hovering above it, ready to chop off his head at a moment's call.&nbsp;

"But&nbsp;Rebbe," asked one of the Chassidim, "what if one does not have that feeling?"&nbsp;&nbsp;

"In that case," the&nbsp;Rebbe&nbsp;responded, "his head has been chopped off already<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn6" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref6')">[6]</a>."&nbsp;

 
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1')">[1]</a> Rashi, Genesis 32:9, quoting Midrash Tanchumah.&nbsp;<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2')">[2]</a> This is discussed in many of the mystical writings.&nbsp;<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3')">[3]</a> Genesis 32:12.&nbsp;<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn4')">[4]</a> See Tanya chapters 12 and 28.&nbsp;<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref5" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn5')">[5]</a> See Rashi to Talmud&nbsp;Berochos&nbsp;5a.&nbsp;Tanya chapters 12, 27, 29.&nbsp;<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref6" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn6')">[6]</a> This essay is based on the writings of Rabbi&nbsp;Schneur&nbsp;Zalman&nbsp;of&nbsp;Liadi, briefly transcribed in "LeTorah&nbsp;U'lmoadim" (by Rabbi Shlomo Yosef&nbsp;Zevin) p. 46.&nbsp;

Jacob's Three-Step Program toward Serenity - Tribute, Prayer and War

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Tribute, Prayer and War

Essay Vayishlach

Jacob's Three-Step Program toward Serenity

The journey of prayer, and the Meditation of Each Section in Davening. Likkutei Torah Maamar Ki Satzei -- Class 2 of 3

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The Meditation of Each Section in Davening

The Journey of Prayer -- Likkutei Torah Maamar Ki Satzei Class 2 of 3

Why would we pray if we believe that all G-d does is in our best interest? 

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If i Believe G-d Does Everything for a Reason , Why Pray? 

Does Prayer Contradict Faith? 

The Process of the Dlow of Divine Blessing. Likkutei Torah Korach Maamar Veheneh Parach

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Why Pray Every Day?

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preparing for davening

likkutei torah balak

Why Are the Preparations So Long? Likkutei Torah Balak Maamar Lo Hebet Part Three

Davening: Tough But Worthwhile 

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 2: Booting Up the Soul - The Morning Blessings -- Part 1

A Journey Through the Jewish Prayer Book -- Part 2

Booting Up the Soul - The Morning Blessings Part 1

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