“RABBI’S
MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Netzovim - Avos perakim 5-6
27 Elul 5778/September 7,
2018
A few years ago, Chani took our younger children to one of
the local Jewish owned shoe stores to buy shoes. The store had a section with slides
and climbing toys for children.
Our (then) 5-year-old daughter Chayala was playing on the
slides happily until a chassidishe boy approached her and starting chastising
her in Yiddish about why she wasn’t allowed to play there. Bh Chayala doesn’t
have an issue asserting herself. She looked the chassidish boy in the eye and
emphatically proclaimed “I don’t speak Spanish!” At that point the boy became
more animated and repeated his demands. Undeterred, Chayala looked him in the
eye and repeated, “I said, I don’t speak Spanish!”
Whenever Chani tells over the story she laughs and adds that
Chayala’s namesake, her beloved ‘Babby Chaya’, is undoubtedly turning over in
her grave that her great-granddaughter mistook Yiddish for Spanish.
There are many people who feel similarly about selichos and
the many special tefilos recited during this time of year. It’s not easy
reciting added prayers, many of which contain unfamiliar words.
Rabbi Leibel Chaitovsky, eighth grade master rebbe in Ashar,
tells his students that when they feel challenged by selichos they can utilize
the advice he gives students before they have to speak. Whether it’s a bar
mitzvah or at a graduation, speaking publicly can be daunting and
nerve-racking. What’s worse, when one stands up and faces the crowd his mind
often goes blank and he can’t remember anything.
But he knows that the speech written in front of him is a
good one, worthy of the crowd’s attention. Therefore, even if his mind is
blank, he can be confident that if he repeats the speech with the same feeling
as when he practiced it, the assemblage listening to his words will be
impressed.
The “men of the great assembly” comprised of 120 of our
greatest sages, composed many of our tefillos. In addition, great paytanim
(liturgists) authored magnificent poetic prayers to be said as part of our
supplications during selichos. Even if we aren’t sure exactly what we are
saying, we can be confident that if we recite the prayers with earnest humility
and a desire to connect with Hashem, the words will accomplish great things in
heaven. Undoubtedly, knowing the meaning of the words is far greater. But the
most important component of prayer is the feelings in one’s heart, the desire
to connect with the divine.
In my youth I found selichos to be a very frustrating ordeal.
I always tried to recite every word of the selichos with the congregation but
was never able to finish the entire paragraph before the congregation moved on.
The halacha however clearly states that the quantity of
prayers is not so important. What truly matters is the extent of how much one
is able to direct his heart to his Father in Heaven. In the words of the
Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 1:4), “Better few supplications with concentration
than many without concentration.”
Whether selichos seems Greek to us or Spanish, more important
than the words we say is the sincere desire to achieve forgiveness. What
matters is the aspiration to continue to ascend the rungs of spiritual growth
and live a life of spiritual connection.
That is the type of life we beseech G-d to grant us during
these days: “Remember us for life, King who desires life, and inscribe us in
the book of life, for Your sake, living G-d.”
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Kesiva Vachasima Tova & Shana Tova,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum