The Verse states about the fasting of Yom Kippur: “It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your sabbath.” (Vayikra 23:32) The Targum Yonasan [who was a Tana, a student of Hillel the Elder] translates the verse as stated above but adds a few words that do not appear in the Verse: “celebrate your holiday with joy.” We are about to be judged and have our entire year, and may be our life, decided by the Upper Court, how can we not fear and worry? The Zohar [Parashas Pinchas] reveals that the reason the Services of Yom Kippur start with “Kol Nidrei” when we already have cancelled all our vows and oaths prior to Rosh Hashana, so why are we repeating it? The Zohar answers that “Kol Nidrei” is to revoke Hashem’s vows and oaths made when He decreed sentences on us, so He could now remove all the bad decrees. Hence, if one has in mind during Kol Nidrei the problem that’s makes his life miserable, and requests from Hashem to free him from it, he will be set free. This is a tremendous present Hashem is handing before even starting Yom Kippur, so we could rejoice and deserve a life of bounty, in spiritual and mundane matters. Is not an excellent reason to be happy? Hashem demonstrates His infinite love to us; in return, all He requests is a little bit of thoughts. The following paragraph was sent to me by a friend from LA. [I just made a few modifications], but these are the thoughts Hashem is seeking, it is really beautiful: I owe you an apology, I just want to say I’m sorry. For so many years, I thought you were a chore. I didn’t have much time for you. It took so much effort to focus, and I prioritized my mundane responsibilities was always running out the door. No time to stop. I didn’t think I needed you. But I was wrong, so wrong! My soul needs you so much. I yearned to have a connection to Hashem, but I was feeding that thirst with of all sorts of mundane thrills. I struggled with negative emotions, with a lack of a center, with so many unhelpful thoughts. I needed you in my life. I needed you to help me heal. To give me a sense of peace and connection to my Creator. In fact, the Hebrew word for prayer, Tefilah, is rooted in the word connection. I needed to put the spinning in my life on pause for a few moments every morning, for the sake of my soul, and even for the sake of my brain. Time? I learned that if I needed life-saving dialysis, I would make time for it. And that is how I want to relate to you. Not like a chore and not like a luxury. But like life-saving oxygen. Like an experience, not a mumble jumble of words. A time to meditate. To slow down my thoughts and be grateful for the blessings in my life. To bless G-d and hear myself thanking him for all that I have. I stumbled on this mind-blowing letter written by the Lubavitcher Rebbe regarding women and prayer: “Besides, there is nothing more conducive to attune the mind and heart towards the consciousness of Hashem’s Presence than regular prayer, where the first condition is ‘Know before Whom you are standing.’ Fostering this consciousness is very helpful for the attainment of peace of mind and general contentment. For through prayer and direct personal contact with the Al-mighty, one is reminded every day that G-d is not far away, in the Seventh Heaven, but is present and here, and His benevolent Providence extends to each and every one individually. This point has also been greatly emphasized by the Alter Rebbe in his book of Tanya, where he urges everyone to remember that ‘Behold, G-d is standing near him.’ With this in mind, there is no room left for any anxiety or worry, as King David, the Sweet Singer of Israel, said, ‘G-d is my shepherd, I shall not want,’ ‘G-d is with me, I shall not fear,’ etc. Thus, this is no longer a theoretical idea, but becomes a personal experience in the everyday life.” The more I learn, the more I pray. And the more I pray, the more I learn. I learn the profound impact praying has on me. I notice different prayers that I find meaningful, and how their poetry ignites my imagination and leaves me feeling with more awe of G-d. And you know what? I’ll do more than just apologize. I will invite others along the journey with me. I will share what I’ve learned about prayer—its prominence and place in a Jew’s life. Its deeper meaning and how it gives us the tools to connect to G-d, ourselves, and fellow human beings. This suggests a story; When Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi was 20 years old, he had a crucial decision to make. Vilna and Mezritch were two great Jewish capitals and centers in Eastern Europe. Which should he travel to? He chose Mezritch. For in Vilna, they taught how to learn Torah. And that he already had a handle on. But in Mezritch, they taught how to pray. About that, he felt he knew little. In Mezritch, he would learn the teachings of chassidus and how a Jew ought to pray. For what is prayer? A time to sing. And not just any song, but the song of the soul. The key to have a successful Yom Kippur and to earn a better life; is to sing from the deep of your soul!

By Rabbi Fridmann * [email protected] * 305.985.3461

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