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The Baal Shem Tov Teaches us about Prayer
By Ari Kantor
In Europe, three hundred years ago, lived a special person by
the name of Yisroel. He lived a very simple life as a very simple
Jew. The truth was that he was not so simple a Jew. He was a very
special person. He lived in this manner so as not to attract any
attention. Although he had a simple occupation and earned a scant
living, he spent his time privately pouring over the holy books
in seclusion.
After many years he became known Yisroel, the Baal Shem Tov,
the master of the Good (holy) name. Because of his teachings a
movement began called the Chassidic movement which in a short
time enveloped Eastern Europe. Not without detractors, slowly
the movement that he started, strengthened the Jewish people.
The Chassidic teachings, while based on the deepest and holiest
books, were taught to the adherents, not as difficult subjects,
but as stories and parables.
One of the stories that the Chassidim are want to tell concerns
the Baal Shem Tov himself, who while traveling with some of his
students came into a village. They entered one of the big synagogues
to pray with a minyan (a group of ten men). Upon entering
the large synagogue with it's large group of worshipers' involved
in the daily prayer service, the Baal Shem Tov motioned to his
followers to leave the synagogue. He explained to his students
that this synagogue is filled with prayers
The group then walked to the next house of prayer and entered.
Again they found the synagogue filled with men saying their morning
prayers. The Baal Shem Tov paused, then motioned for his small
group of students to leave. This synagogue, also, is too filled
with prayers.
The group then went to the third synagogue. This was a small synagogue
with only a handful of men. The Baal Shem Tov entered and paused
to feel the tempo of prayer. He told his students that this would
be the place for them to pray since this little synagogue is not
filled with prayers.
After the prayer service, the students sat down to eat with their
teacher. They asked him what was the reason that the he chose
not to pray in the first two synagogues. Was it because those
synagogues were filled with the prayers and they didn't need more
prayers, yet the last little synagogue did not have enough men
and prayers?
The Baal Shem Tov replied that it was just the opposite. The first
two houses of prayer were too full from the prayers, that is to
say that the prayers of the assembled did not go up into the heavens
to be deposited at G-d's post box. The prayers remained down in
the synagogue and made it too stuffy. The last little synagogue
was empty of prayers, meaning that the men who prayed there had
elevated their prayers up to the heavens and therefore the synagogue
was empty of lingering prayer that did not rise up.
The above is a typical story from the Chassidic movement. The
message is simple and elementary: Prayers (and service to G-d,
in general) must be sincere. If the prayers are mere lip service,
then they are not accepted. The emphasis is on service from the
heart; that the heart and the head be in synch. We learn from
this story in a graphic and illustrative manner the terrible consequence
of insincere prayers.
~~~~~~~
from the September 1998 Edition of the Jewish Magazine
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