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Jacob's departure from his parents' home in Israel and his journey to Haran is a metaphor for the painful excursion experienced by every Jewish soul. In Haran, Jacob toiled for his uncle Laban, who mistreated him terribly. Nevertheless, he succeeded in amassing great wealth and, most importantly, he married Laban's daughters and raised and educated a righteous Jewish family amidst a sea of corruption. The soul, too, leaves her Father's bosom and descends into a hostile world. She, too, has the ability to thrive in her new environment—to amass great spiritual wealth and establish a Jewish home which will make her Papa proud!
Before Jacob traveled to Haran, he made one important pit stop at the Temple Mount. In this holiest of venues, he offered prayers to G-d, beseeching Him for the strength and fortitude to succeed in the difficult mission which lay ahead. In fact, according to the words of our sages, the ladder which Jacob was shown that night in his fateful dream, the ladder which was "set on the ground and its top reached to heaven," is an allegorical allusion to prayer. The person who prays properly ascends a spiritual ladder, rung after rung, until reaching the apex—"its top reached to heaven"—during the Amidah prayer.
Taking her cue from Jacob, before confronting the daily "hostile" work environment, the soul takes refuge in the holy environs of the synagogue, where she prays for success in the day's mission.
Before confronting the daily “hostile” work environment, the soul takes refuge in the holy environs of the synagogueKing David writes,1 "A prayer of the poor man when he enwraps himself and pours out his words before the L‑rd." The holy Baal Shem Tov interpreted this verse in chassidic style, adding a wonderful new depth to the already profound world of prayer.
Different people approach prayer with different attitudes. We all have so many pressing needs and desires that we approach G-d with a long laundry list of demands. However, the pauper—the truly humble person who feels that he has nothing—has only one request: his prayer is that he have the honor and pleasure of "pouring out his words before his Maker." He realizes that there is no greater privilege than the opportunity to unburden himself thrice daily before the King of kings. G-d is our Father and we are His beloved children. How lucky we are that our Heavenly Father has an open-door policy towards his children!
All too often our prayers are self-centered. While addressing our needs is a vital and fundamental part of prayer, we must never lose sight of the most remarkable aspect of prayer—it is a moment of transcendence, a moment when we have the undivided attention of the Master of the Universe. What a privilege!
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Latest Comments:
The simplified truth makes interesting reading and following. Thanks.
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These comments are on topic, because poverty, being poor, is not just about the lack of material wealth, the need, to survive, for those basic essentials: food, shelter, love.
Poverty of spirit exists everywhere, and it is That poverty, that seems deeply disconnected with the perception of something other... something deeper, and wider, and most beautiful, that does surround and encompass us all. POV, stands for point of view, and it's also the beginning of the word, poverty itself.
Poverty resides deeply in our point of view. Awe is the opposite of that poverty of thought that makes us feel imPOVERished of hope.
Poor people who have no money, might be the richest of all people, in these terms. It all depends on this feeling of awe, of praise, of being in the moment, ourselves stars in a vast firmament, a firm belief that we're all here, for a reason, and every one of us, to find we are not at all poor, but at one. This is, at one "meant": the unfathomable vastness of being itself.
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There are 6 kind of prayer, and we should be aware of their differences. They are:
1/ Praise - halluah including certain psalms.
2/ Adoration of Godly attributes (not quite the same as 1).
3/ Requests/demands for help in the future.
4/ Thanks for various gifts, that we have received (both good and bad).
5/ Blessings to G-d for giving us various commandments and for the use of his gifts.
6/ Penetance, forgiveness.
I would like to think that when we pray we are aware of these basic differences and similarities. However, I find that the way the Amidah is arranged, it is not so clear which catagory we are in!
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Recently, I commented on another site about the difference between rich & poor. I don't remember the exact topic --but I did mention that in Appalachia, regional speech renders the word "poor" as "pah -woh", as in "We is pah-woh people." I realized they are right-- that the pronounciation "pah- woh" cannot only mean "poor"...but also, "power" : ) And poor people, as well as rich ones, CAN become "power" people! And why not? Poor people, as well as rich ones, dream of becoming rich(er) --but, by and large, more poor people CARE about their family & others, than rich ones do. A rich(!) family life was had by shtetl peopl, by immigrants, (of all nationalities -- a Jewish family is portrayed in the "All Of A Kind" book series), by the TV family, "The Waltons", (based on author Earl Hamner's childhood). The Kennedy family was/is also very close, though. If one remembers one is, like everyone, a creation of God, then riches or poverty don't matter. Only Love does!
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The prayer that I pray every night; for me it moves me deeply. I am in deep awe.
I say, Thank You L-rd, for being L-rd. Thank You, for being You.
With all that He could have chosen. He chose to be Him. For that, I am deeply grateful. He is the True Treasure and The Real Precious.
Because of that all is well for us and will go to our best advantage. Even if we don't know it. The Genuine Treasure is, His Choice.
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Amen. Thanks Rabbi. It is always pleasure reading your articles. G-d bless.
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Daily I pray for:
1. forgiveness for variious kinds of failure to keep mitzvot (commandments)
2. thanks for everything from the creation till the present
3. the granting of peace, safety and health including recovery of those who are sick
4. care for the souls of the departed
5. equality of opportunity so that the difference between the rich and the poor will diminish and the world become more perfect
I would be particularly interested to leanrn of other subject that Jews should pray for that are not covered by these general topics. Kindly advise.
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I love it that you write about Jacob's ladder, because it's what I think about almost all the time, namely, that we are all climbing Jacob's ladder, meaning the entire world.
I see that we are all on different and same rungs of that ladder that reaches toward the ineffable, towards love, universal compassion and a new truth about us all. As we learn, as we grow in compassion and learning, about love, we keep moving up that ladder. As rung is also to a bell, Ding, when we truly "get" the message, a new epiphany, an endless epiphany, about the miracle, the wonder, the one ness, of something so divine, words are inadequate.
Pray is also, aurally Prey. And I do deeply believe we need to learn how not to prey on others but to learn about rapture in a different way, that in being a raptor, a bird of prey. And yet that too, is part of the Nature of all things. I ponder language, and as it opens, I see more and more, of a Divine plan, that is deeply built into language itself.
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>"Different people approach prayer with >different attitudes."
I have this standard prayer. It evolves. It's not the shema... yet it is close to my heart and I thought I might share it.
Beginning of prayer
G-d please bless me and protect me and keep me safe and my family and my friends and my imaginary friends and the people on whom my imaginary friends are based and their families and friends... and the planets... and the cities of the planets, notably Jerusalem,... and the people of the planets, notably the oppressed and those at war and also the sick, the hungry, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the righteous and the wicked... and the other species of the planets, notably those around... if any of the aforemention exist on any given planet in any given solar system in any given universe and please lead us in paths or righteousness and peace as thou art willing. Thanks for caring about me as I hope you do.
End of prayer
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