Spark of Jewish Experience

When someone commits to take upon himself an undertaking of any sort, it usually is a sign that he deems it quite important.

So was the case with a fellow named Rabbi Yosef Gutfarb. Rabbi Yosef was a New Yorker who moved to Jerusalem, Israel. He made an undertaking that he will always pray with a minyan.

We Jews pray 3 times a day and the optimal prayer conducted is with a minyan, which consists of at least 10 men present. By the way, that is the only time Kadish may be recited.

It can be quite challenging for one to get up early in the morning, in the heat or cold, and attend prayer services.

What is dedication?

What does it mean to pass a tough test?

If someone enters a freezing cold car at 6:15 in the morning, in the dead of winter, just to get to minyan; now that’s dedication!! Mankind has not figured out a inexpensive way to have the car heating system working so that it’s hot intently. No one looks forward for the car in the early morning experience.

It is equally challenging to pry yourself from the middle of an important business transactions and attend the afternoon services. One can get really involved in their career. Furthermore, evening services are not any easier after a long and hard day at work.

Nevertheless Rabbi Yosef soldiered his way through three decades, whether on business trips all around the world or any sort of unexpected pop-ups; he did not miss a beat of kaddish or one amen of a minyan!!…Talk about longevity!!

Hmm, did someone give Rabbi Yosef the evil eye?

One night Rav Yosef came home after 3:00am and he did not pray the evening services. Since in Shaufat the last minyan is at 11:00pm he calculated he would go to the next town over to search for a minyan. He was confident he would catch one in Zichron Moshe where there was a shul (Bet Hakneset) there, known to be a minyan factory. There are rooms throughout the building where there is always a minyan at any time of day or night; how convenient?

Well mazal was a little difficult that night and to his dismay only one other person was waiting. “Do you think anybody else will come”? he inquisitively asked. “Why are you saying kadish? Are you an Avel-mourning the loss of a loved one?” the man questioned. “No, I just made a commitment many years ago to not to miss a minyan” he replied.

“How could this be? There is always a minyan here!” he nervously thought. What to do? What to do?

“I got it!!”

Rav Yosef then called a taxi company and asked if eight cabs can come to Zichron Moshe Shul (Bet Hakneset). “Only Israeli drivers” he added emphatically.

The dispatcher retorted back, “I don’t have eight taxies at three in the morning.”

“How many do you have?” Rav Yosef asked. “Only five” the dispatcher replied.

“Fine, send them quickly please: don’t forget only Israeli drivers!!

Rav Yosef called another taxi company and asked for three Isreali drivers. The dispatcher said they would come in a few minutes.

The eight cabs all lined up and got out of their cars thinking they came at a tail end of some kind of party. To their dismay they found only Rabbi Yosef and the gentleman.

Rav Yosef told the drivers to turn off their cars and enter the shul “we’re going to pray the evening services, I need a minyan”. He explained his strange appeal by saying, “I haven’t missed a minyan in years”.

The drivers, surprised but intrigued, obliged to the bizarre request.

They all could read Hebrew but not all were familiar with the protocol of tefila -prayer. Some had kipas-skull caps in their pockets, some in their glove compartment in their taxies.

After the prayer Rav Yosef took out his wallet to pay the drivers. All the drivers, one by one refused to take the money. They were all stunned by the audacity of this American Jew who went to great lengths to fulfill his commitment for the sake of praying with a minyan. So impressed by the 15 minute prayer, many of the drivers thanked Rav Yosef for an uplifting spiritual experience. Many told him they have never had such a strong feeling when they prayed like this one time. Some said they haven’t prayed in a while and were honored to participate. They were all glad to have the opportunity to pray with such a person.

Prayer is powerful!! Prayer is uplifting!!

However, there are times when prayers are not answered…… or are they?

What is the most optimal method of prayer where G-d will answer you?

Do I have to cry my eyes out and pound my chest for it to penetrate G-d majestic throne for an answer?

After all, we know prayers with tears pass through the cracks and go straight to heaven.

Why do we even need to pray?

If we are good up-standing citizens wouldn’t G-d see what we need and give it to us?

There are some people who seem like they are showered with gifts from the All Mighty. Well, why can’t we all be on the receiving end like that?

In this weeks parsha we see how Moshe’s request to enter the land of Israel was denied. Even though Moshe prayed like no other soul on earth, G-d refused to allow him entrance.

As a matter of fact, G-d told him to stop because if he would have continued he would have no choice but to honor his request.

Why did G-d tell him to stop?

The Sages tell us it was to our benefit that he stopped. They said if he entered Israel then he would have built the Temple later on. Years later, though, when the nation would sin, since Moshe, a great Tzadik built the Temple, the structure would have tremendous merits. G-d would not have been able to destroy it. He would have no choice but to destroy the nation instead. It’s better to destroy stones then the nation of Israel.

Here we learn a number of things about this incident from the sages. First, there is a broader picture that our short sighted human mind can’t see. Moshe didn’t fully understand the extent of his power and how dear the Temple he would build would be to G-d. Therefore his entrance would be problematic for the Jews later on in time.

So to answer a lingering question we all have; if our prayers are not answered does that mean G-d didn’t listen?

Perhaps, we see from here, it’s for our best interest that things turn out the way they do. Furthermore, sometimes the results of our prayers are delayed such that our children or grandchildren benefit from them.

Okay, perhaps our prayers are answered; perhaps our prayers benefit future generations…whatever and whomever, nevertheless praying 3 times a day!! That’s overwhelming!!

Perhaps this is the best time to let people know. Many people have a misconception about prayer.Prayer is called AVODA- literally-work; it’s one of the aspects of serving the creator. Just like learning Torah, keeping Shabbat, kashrut, tzedaka , be kind to people, just to name a few, so is tefila. By praying one is acknowledging his reliance to G-d and a key aspect of our religion. By acknowledging one gets closer to G-d.

We read in the AMIDA- the silent prayer “give us a health, intelligence, wealth.” G-d knows we need those things. Why do we have to say it?

The AVODA of prayer is to make us realize that G-d is in control and to constantly remind us of that.

Why do we have to know that our great mothers were barren?

It seemed like all of them were. There was no IDF back then. The reason why they suffered and were humiliated so much was because G-d wanted them to pray and their prayers were beautiful, sincere, and mesmerizing.

Between Adam, Eve, and the snake, G-d punished the snake most severely by taking away his taste buds and eating the dust of the earth.

If one thinks a bit; why is that a punishment?

He has no issues of finding and preparing food or having a craving. It seems we have the more severe punishment we have to find food, water, shelter, and energy, all with “with the sweat of your brow”.

It looks like we humans got the short end of the stick.

Not exactly.  G-d was very angry at the snake. He was so upset, that He said to him “I don’t want to see you much- Don’t call me”. Therefore he made him more independent. By praying we are connecting.

Many Chasidim like to pray with their Rebbi. Some would go out of their way on a daily basis and some would travel 6,000 miles more often than not just to have that connection.

Granted, they appreciate their teacher. He probably gave a lot to his students, but don’t they think they’re over doing it a bit?

There was once a business man who was traveling abroad. The concept of “man plans and G-d laughs” could not have been closer to the truth here. He was stuck in this town for Yom Kippur. He Google’s and finds out which shul is closest to his hotel.

Yom Kippur starts and this fellow arrives. “There are probably assigned seats but I’ll take my chances” he says as he strategically explores the shul. He sees someone praying, shaking ,crying and screaming to G-d. “Ah, that’s who I want to pray next to” he thought as he anxiously moves toward him and plants his Talit bag. For the remainder of the night this man wailed, fell to the floor and banged on his chest. It was a sight to see. It put the business man in a real repentance, Yom Kippur mood. He was so glad to sit next to him. He’s my ticket to a good year. Jackpot!! Show me the stairway to heaven. Jimmy Page eat your heart out!

Yom Kippur morning arrives and again the man’s performance was impeccable. The businessman was crying with him. However when the congregation was about to take the Torah out and read the morning portion he began to scream and argue with the Gabai.

” Why did you give that Aliya to him; I wanted it. You’ve been doing this all year; this is a conspiracy. You’re a louse!! This congregation is garbage!!

The business man sat there with such regret and embarrassment.

The business man, in essence did the right thing; it was just lousy mazal.

Many of our sages say praying with a minyan is more powerful then an individual prayer.

There are bad angels that are assigned to intercept ones prayers. Every prayer is heard, however it loses a lot of steam by the time it reaches the heavens. Prayer with a minyan goes to the heavens untouched.

Why?

No matter how good a person is “for the most part” he has issues and skeletons in his closet. While in a miyan there can be many individuals with different merits. The comradely and unison merits of a minyan make a wholesome and attractive package.

Furthermore we are humans after all and our concentration during prayer is not exactly always there. We are creatures of habit and there are pluses and minuses to that. Unfortunately, prayer can be mechanical. However, there will always be at least one individual at any given time who will pray with the up-most sincerity. They will un-knowingly and unconsciously pass the sincere baton to each other throughout the prayer services.

The Chassidim gravitate to where their Rebbi prays because a teacher of Torah is a tremendous giver. Learning Torah requires two parts. We say in the prayer before the Morning Shema, Lilmod u le lamed – to learn and to teach. The combination of the two equals to the full mitzvah-reward of learning Torah. If one only learns and doesn’t give over he doesn’t get the full reward. The teacher gets full reward for the dearest commandment: teaching G-d’s work. He’s a giver that emulates the trait of G-d.

To connect to the Rebbi, one is attached to many merits. Therefore it’s a tremendous benefit to pray with him.

Rabbi Yossi has tremendous merits and for at least one night, these eight taxi drivers prayed with a tzadik and as a result benefited greatly. They felt a spiritual high. A heartfelt prayer by one of those drivers in the confines of a minyan would have transported the prayers all in the minyan including Rav Yossi to the higharchy of the heavens, unabated.

 “first story re-written, originally  from “in the spirit of the maggid” by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, Mesorah publications,ltd, article written with the help from Rabbi’s Baruch Dopelt, Yossi Bilus