Ki Tavo
My Hero
Dear Friend,
He inspired me. He grew up in Israel to parents who both came of age on secular kibbutzim. To him, Rosh Hashanah had always been a day to go to the beach. Then, with the help of a Chabad rabbi, he rediscovered Judaism and began learning more and more.
“I loved the study but still didn’t like praying; it bored me,” he said. “Then I moved to a very small Jewish community, and they needed me to be the 10th man for the minyan (public prayer quorum), so I had no choice. I needed to pray. Now I’ve learned to like praying as well.”
Rosh Hashanah is approaching. I suspect that many people secretly (or not so secretly) feel bored during services. Like my hero, we can all learn to love the prayers. The simplest course of action is to: (a) learn what they mean; and then (b) invest ourselves into the prayers as we say them.
So what are you waiting for? Open your machzor, go online, call your rabbi. Do whatever you need to do and get yourself in tip-top shape for Rosh Hashanah.
Menachem Posner,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial team
P.S.: Do you have any tips for making prayer services relevant, fresh and engaging? Please share them in the comments section.
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