Friday, December 30, 2011

Outpourings Of The Soul

Blessings, those building blocks of prayer, are more than vague words to recite. Prayer is our response to the lament of the soul. When we’re alone, when we’re frightened, we reach out in prayer to the Holy One of Being for a helping hand. We don’t need to wait until we’re in the synagogue to pray; we can pray anywhere. Standing on line in a supermarket, sitting in traffic, or waiting to meet someone are all appropriate moments for prayer. A rabbi once asked me if I knew what telephone booths were for. The answer came as no surprise as he closed the door behind him and pulling a prayer book from his coat pocket. I remember the days when Temple Emanuel in New York City would broadcast Friday evening services for the homebound. I thought it was a great idea. People should be able to pray whenever the impulse to communicate with God compels them.
Around the end of the 1st Century, amid the many issues facing the Tannaim (the early sages of the Talmud), the question of whether to sanction personal prayer or communal prayer met with heated debate. The matter was settled with the decision that communal prayer would take precedence, but with the understanding that the order of prayer would be subject to continuous revision. That explains prayers like Tahanun (supplication), the section of the daily service that was added in response to the longing for personal prayer. Personal prayer has always been known to exist, and some of it has been handed down through the ages. Here is an example of one attributed to Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav: Wherever I go—only You! Wherever I stand—only You! Just You; again You! Always You! You, You, You! When things are good, You! When things are bad—You! You, You, You!
For many of us, composing personal prayers is difficult; after all, what words can we devise to address the King of kings? The siddur ( the Jewish prayer book) comes to our aid with selections that are apropos to special occasions or many occasions. Upon arising each morning, there’s Modeh Ani, “I gratefully thank you, O living and eternal King, for you have returned my soul within me with compassion—abundant is Your faithfulness; and then there’s the Kriat Shema at bedtime. During the day, the siddur provides a wide selection of blessings for all kinds of circumstances: upon tasting food or drink and upon witnessing phenomenal events. Prayer books provide a wide selection of uplifting, poetic Psalms—“Inside Divine wings you are nestled, beneath God’s pinions you are housed, a shield embracing is God’s truth. You shall not fear from nighttime terror, from the arrows that soar by day, from pestilence that stalks in the gloom, from feverish demons of the noon. A thousand dangers fall away beside you, yes, ten thousand of them at your right. To you, they can’t draw near.”(from the 91st Psalm). Most prayer books also contain sections of supplementary readings that can serve as uplifting words for fitting moments
If the prayer book selections don’t satisfy the outpourings of your soul, you might consider a formula such as the following to compose songs directly from your heart. Choose one area in your life for which you can use some spiritual help or support. Just as one would present himself before a king or some special dignitary, you could present yourself with some words of introduction. For an introductory remark, you might choose one from the following: May it be Your will, O Lord our God; He who makes blessing, bless (add your name, preferably in Hebrew); or O merciful God, who answers the down trodden, answer me.

Now you have to state your case and ask for a blessing. Remember you can only ask for the needs of the soul, like fortitude, courage or the strength to face up to predicaments. You can also declare your thanks for a blessing you have already received. Or you can ask for blessings that come to us inherently—wisdom, repentance, healing, and forgiveness.
Finally, take leave of your sojourn with the holy One, with parting remarks. Blessed are you O Lord, who bestows compassion upon your people Israel; or May you be pleased to grant the satisfaction of our desires; or May He who makes peace in the highest, bring this peace upon us and upon all Israel. Then say, Amen
I arrived in Jerusalem for the very first time in March 1984, in the late, orange tinted afternoon, the last day of Purim. The streets were littered with streamers and confetti, from the earlier celebrations. Banners still festooned the lampposts. The next day it rained. I was supposed to meet this rabbi that day, who was recommended to me by our rabbi here. I met with him at the Diaspora Yeshiva, on the West Side of the Old City, that drizzly Monday afternoon. I complained resentfully that on my first vacation day, it was raining. Don’t complain, he admonished me, “When it rains in Israel, it’s a blessing” Blessings rain down from above. We can petition God for rain, or consolation, or healing or anything else, but in the end it’s all according to His will.

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