Sh’lach L’cha

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. Of course my mom would help me to get a costume together, but at a fairly early age, I began to make my own costumes. I didn’t sew or anything, and I didn’t have money to buy much, but somehow I would manage to put something together. Occasionally I would buy some little extra part that would make the costume, a prop, or a hat.

It’s been many years since I have celebrated Halloween, and I eventually became uncomfortable with the pagan nature of the holiday, but I did notice something odd about the costumes that kids today wear.

Most of the kids wear store-bought costumes, which is not surprising. Mothers and fathers are both at work, and not every kid is a costume genius, like I was. So that wasn’t what bothered me. What bothered me was seeing kids in a Spiderman costume, say, with a picture of Spiderman’s face on the front, and the name ‘Spiderman’ across the back. Or a sparkly shirt with a picture of Hannah Montana, and a plastic guitar that says ‘Hannah Montana.’ Because Hannah Montana does not have a picture of herself on her shirt. And Spiderman does not have a picture of himself on his costume! So the kids are not dressing as Hannah Montana and Spiderman, they are referencing Hannah Montana and Spiderman. And I am afraid that we may be doing the same thing with our Judaism.

I sometimes pray from an Orthodox prayerbook. I find that it takes me a long, long time to get through. There is a lot to say if you say all of the traditional prayers. Some of the instructions on how to pray tell us that even when we are praying a silent prayer, we should say it loud enough to hear our own voice, even if no one else can hear it. Speaking out loud, no matter how quietly, always takes more time than reading silently to yourself. And there is just more to read. So I find myself trying to read as fast as I can, to get done in a reasonable amount of time.

I do try to focus on the meaning of the prayer as I whizz by, but sometimes my mind wanders, and I find myself reading on autopilot. I was recently reminded of a book someone gave me from the Kaballah Center. “You don’t have to read it,” he said, “just run your finger over each line as if you were reading it. It will protect you from all harm.”

My teacher, Rabbi Leonard Kravitz, was infuriated by that idea. “That,” he said, “is the opposite of Judaism.” 

Judaism wants you to read, to study, to delve, to understand. So what good is it when we read prayers and don’t think about what we are reading? What good is it when we read prayers in a language that we don’t understand? Are we praying? Or are we just referencing the prayers?

Early Reform Jews suggested that people pray in their own language. German in Germany, French in France, English in England and America. Certainly there is value in doing so. In the Talmud, Rabbi Yehudah says that one must understand the Sh’ma when you say it, and therefore you may say it in any language you understand.

Why then do we bother to say any prayers in Hebrew? I’ll give you three reasons. The Orthodox would say that these are the correct prayers, and if you do not say these exact words you are not really praying. That doesn’t count as a reason for me. But I do think there is a value in saying prayers the way they have been said for thousands of years. I like the idea that I am saying the very words my grandfather said, עליו השלום. And the words that his grandfather said, and so on back into the mists of time and, Gd willing, into the future as well. It is because of this that, even if my mind wanders, I feel that I am doing something of value by reading these words. I am a link in the chain.

Secondly, had Jews from the very beginning translated their prayers and holy books into any language, I do not think there would be any connection today between Jews of one place and Jews of another place. The Hebrew language is why we are all still connected. Just as I would be able to pray with my great-great grandfather, or with Maimonides, so too I can pray today with Jews of Israel, Argentina, Turkey, anywhere in the world.

Thirdly, any translation is a interpretation. There is a deep and awesome meaning to these words we say. We may only understand them in translation, but every translation we see is based on the same original. Had we abandoned the Hebrew thousands of years ago, we would not have had the opportunity to delve into the real meaning of the original prayers.

The reasons for saying the prayers in English are short term reasons. You want the prayer to be meaningful to you right now. And all of the reasons for saying prayers in Hebrew are long term reasons. You want to remain connected to the Jewish chain of tradition. So which is more important, the short term or the long term?

In fact, we cannot succeed without having both. If there is no short term meaning, we will stop coming to services. We will leave Judaism. Without long term meaning, our connection to Judaism has no value. If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what good am I?

My suggestion is to say the prayers in Hebrew, and every time you do so, the Hebrew will get a little easier. And if you understand the Hebrew, that’s great. If you don’t, but you know the Hebrew by heart, read the English while reciting the Hebrew. And if you do not know the Hebrew by heart, you can read the Hebrew and keep in your heart the overall meaning of the prayer, whether it be thanks for what we have, praise for the glorious Divine, or a simple request for peace.

According to the sages, there are two elements to every prayer, keva and kavannah. Keva means form. The prayer should be said correctly, with the right words, and standing or sitting as appropriate. Kavannah means intention. Each prayer must be said with the right meaning behind it. The best prayers have both keva and kavannah. If this is impossible, you should have at least one or the other. For example, if your mind just will not focus on the prayer, at least read the prayer through. And Mishnah Berurah tells us that if your life is in danger and you want to say the Sh’ma, but you are just too scared to get the words out, hold in your heart the intention to say the Sh’ma, and the Holy One will reward you just for the intention.

I pray that all of our prayers will be full of both keva and kavannah, that they will be acceptable to heaven, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will answer us for good. כן יהי רצון. שבת שלום.