I MUST BEGIN BY ONCE AGAIN THANKING SAMMY TAMIR FOR RUNNING THIS WEBSITE. SIX YEARS AGO FOR THIS WEEK’S PARSHA, I BEGAN WRITING DIVREI SIMCHA. THANK YOU TO SAMMY TAMIR FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR THIS WEBSITE. MAY HASHEM BLESS HIM MANY YEARS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM FULL OF SIMCHA!

I entreated to Hashem at that time (Devarim 3:23)

Moshe davened to Hashem that he be allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael. Why does the verse need to state that Moshe entreated to Hashem… who else would he have prayed to?

The famous story is told of a man who went away on a business trip for a month. He returned on a Friday afternoon. Before Mincha, he went to his Rebbe and the Rebbe wished him a big “Shalom Aleichem! Welcome Home!” The man davened Mincha, Kabbalas Shabbos and then Maariv. After Maariv, the custom (which is a very good custom!) was to wish the Rebbe a Good Shabbos. This man went up to the Rebbe and the Rebbe screamed out, “Shalom Aleichem! Welcome Home!” The man was confused. He quietly said to the Rebbe that the Rebbe already welcomed him back. The Rebbe responded with a smile that he welcomed the man back from his business trip, but he did not welcome him back from the trip he took during davening. The Rebbe explained that he saw the man during davening and the man was not focusing on his prayers. He was thinking about many things which had nothing to do with what was going on in the shul at that moment. Therefore, it was like he was taking a trip. The Rebbe said he was welcoming the man back from that trip.

Unfortunately, many people when they pray, although they say the words, their mind is far from the meaning of the words.

Let me share with you a something that happened to me a few weeks ago. I was in shul in North Miami Beach about 10 minutes before Mincha when I saw a new face. I welcomed the visitor to the shul and learned he was from Eretz Yisrael. I told him I am, “Yaakov Ephraim Seltzer.” He said that he recognized the name — he said, “are you the one who writes for Sammy Tamir’s website?” I was surprised — I didn’t know if anyone actually read Divrei Simcha. The visitor took the seat next to me and Mincha began shortly after.

As Mincha began, I started thinking, “I better make sure to daven with kavannah today as someone is watching me.” I wanted to make a good impression on the visitor.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. There is someone else who watches me every single day… Hashem. Shouldn’t I try to make a good impression on Him? That davening was unlike any I had davened. Of course we all know that we daven to Hashem, but this time I really realized this.

It is difficult to connect with someone you cannot see. Sometimes it takes seeing something physical in front of you to make you connect with Hashem. This is what happened for me. Davening is not an easy task, but when we realize that Someone is actually there listening to what we say, our davening takes on a totally different meaning.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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