Knowledge is Power.
G-dly Knowledge is Super Power.

On Rosh Hashanah morning, the Rabbi noticed little Adam was staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the synagogue. It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.

The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the Rabbi walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Adam."
"Good morning, Rabbi," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "Rabbi Resnick, what is this?" Adam asked.

"Well, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Adam's voice was barely audible when he asked: "Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur service?"

Children say the darndest things. Many of the times, if not most of the times, they are mimicking what others have said around them.

For many adults, let alone the children, services at the synagogue are one boring chore. Like having to go to the dentist or maybe worse, and that may not be a bad thing!

Why do we call going to synagogue, services? I think for many it’s because they expect to be served entertainment. Titillated and tantalized with all sorts of amusements, jokes, in the many shapes and forms.

Our instruction manual as Jewish people, our constitution, presented by G-d to Moses, after we were liberated miraculously from Egypt, is the Bible. In it is written, “and you shall labor – serve G-d with all your heart.”

The Talmud which explains the Bible, asks, what is the service and labor of the heart? And it answers, Tefillah – liberally translated as prayer. G-d is commanding us to “serve” Him. We fulfill this commandment, through the formula of our Siddur – prayer books, designed by the Rabbis of the great Assembly, during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Prayer, or services is meant to be the time set aside at the beginning of every day, and on a larger scale, at the beginning of a New Year, for us to labor, to serve, worship and connect with all our hearts, with G-d.

In the mystical book of the Zohar, it writes, “when is the time for war – internal struggle, this is the time of prayer.”

Prayer is a very special moment we are granted the opportunity, through and because of G-ds commandment, to serve Him, to connect with spirituality. To become more than just body, to view the world and life from a higher and purer perspective.

The world in all its coarseness drags us down. The more dense the matter, the more gravity pulls to “it”. The more materialistic we are, the more we get sucked into it and into its black hole. Ultimately, running after and chasing worldly pleasures leaves us feeling very empty and personally unaccomplished. Worse than, and more persistent, than a bad toothache.

The time of prayer, is to focus entirely on the tension that exists between the body and its drives and the yearnings of the soul. While the body seeks everything that is superficial, immediate, and fleeting, the soul craves and hungers for the deep, long lasting G-dly values that must be unearthed. After all, that’s where the feelings of the soul are coming from. It is a war internally, and with our surroundings. An internal struggle to discover, where we may be steering off course, and where we may need some re-routing to put us in line with more valuable goals and purposes.

The prophet says regarding these days, “seek G-d when He could be found, call Him when He is close.” This, reaches its zenith on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement.

The next time you pick up the Siddur, an authentic prayer book, put yourself into the words, entirely. See yourself from the perspective of the words, as they sing and cry out to G-d. Let your soul soar in the direction of the Psalmist, King David, the sweet singer of Israel.

Going to a Synagogue will never be the same. Not only will you start looking forward to go to synagogue for the tremendous spiritual high, you won’t want to leave anymore! It’s with this kind of opening inspiration, our days and our years, our lives, become a true blessing.

Warmest wishes for a Sweet,
Inspirational, Healthy & Happy New Year.