18 July 2018

Isn't Prayer Enough?

6 Av 5778

I received a comment urging all "Yidden" to go to the Kotel and pray in response to this issue currently under discussion. I chose not to publish it because it implies that prayer alone should be enough. I thing it is very bad advice and I'll tell you why.

The Torah tells us in Shemot 14.15...
...Hashem said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey forth!....
The commentary to the Chumash says regarding this verse...
Or HaChaim deals with a fundamental problem: Isn't prayer the proper response when people are faced with danger? Why are Israel and Moses commanded not to pray at such a time? He explains that God exercises His attribute of mercy only when the victims have at least a minimum degree of merit. At the sea, however, the Attribute of Justice argued that the Jews no less than the Egyptians had worshiped idols, and that it was unjust for one nation to be saved while the other was destroyed. [This is alluded to in verse 19, where the angel is called the angel of Elohim, the Name denoting judgment, because the Jewish people were being judged (Rashi).] Consequently, prayer alone could not be efficacious; there had to be a tangible merit. Therefore, God commanded that the prayers be stopped and the people demonstrate their readiness to put their lives in danger in obedience to God by plunging into the water. That display of faith would earn them the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea.
What we desperately need right now is a Maccabean response, but it will require a Mattityahu HaChashmonai to lead it. Meantime, we do the best we can, but it's not enough to fall back on prayer alone and think we've done our duty. Prayer precedes actions, it does not replace it.
_______________________

NOTE: I have contacted a few individuals. As soon as I know anything definitive, I will let all of you know.

7 comments:

  1. That is right, prayer helps for success and miracles
    But in our situation and cases, we need more than prayers we need to see where we are going wrong and do complete teshuva (repentance) and rid ourselves of the lies and vanities of this world, live only by the truth, trust only in g-d not in fake doctors, not in world representatives, not in money, not in social security, not in technology, not in social security, most of this is owned by reshaim

    We must start living more like the Jews did in the ancient times way before the terrible haskalah (enlightment) we must bring the generation together, rid of the lies in every form and build real big and thick walls around us and protect ourselves from the evil of this world never letting it contaminate us ever again
    We must also teach the youth real Judaism and tell them what they must do and how they must be growing
    Prayers are good but we also need to take action for ourselves and the generation and beg and cry for redemption and the end of evil and beg him to clean the evil from our hearts as well
    There are still loyal Jews who are praying and crying for the generation thank heaven
    Jack

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  2. "Israel's LGBT community announced that it would hold a nation-wide strike on Sunday, according to an Army Radio report."

    "In the previous coalition, the prime minister voted in favor of our surrogacy law involving the community. Now the Likud party, Kulanu party and Yisrael Beytenu are at the mercy of Yaakov Litzman and the Haredim, against the gay community, against the principles of justice and equality, against society," said Member of Knesset Yael German from the political party Yesh Atid.

    "Behind everyone in the the gay community, there are proud families and friends. I turn to the Prime Minister, in the only language he understands: seats. He is mistaken to believe that it is just a community... Tens of thousands will remember those who failed to represent them, who disregard them as part of society through the abandonment of their fundamental right to be a parent."


    The government's surrogacy bill, which updates current legislation to grant state support for pregnancy via surrogacy for married heterosexual couples only, passed after a long debate in its third reading in the Knesset.

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    Replies
    1. Bs''d

      ''nation-wide strike on Sunday by the f. ts??
      Exactly on TISHA B AV?
      Figure it out...OUR LAST TEST IS PRESENTED ON A SILVER PLATE BY THE OTHER SIDE.
      I believe we are at the END.
      End for the rashaiym.
      If we do not take a stand against, THE LAVA IS READY.
      8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
      8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
      זכור ברית אברהם ועקידת יצחק
      והשב שבות אהלי יעקב והושיענו למען שמך
      ואין לנו שיור רק התורה הזאת
      ושוב ברחמים על שארית ישראל
      והושיענו למען שמך
      88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
      88888888888888813888888888888888888888888888888

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    2. This action on their part serves to separate them even further from us, doing this on a day set apart for over 2000 years for a national spiritual accounting. Maybe they will go ahead and hang themselves and save us all of the trouble of having to take countermeasures.

      Delete
    3. NOTE: From today:NATIONWIDE STRIKE SET FOR SUNDAY TO PROTEST EXCLUSION OF GAY COUPLES - Major tech companies are taking substantial steps to support the LGBTQ community.

      It seems they are well aware of the significance of the date: "The LGBT community is calling upon you, the LGBT and community supporters, to join us in a one-day nationwide strike on Sunday, July 22, Tisha B'Av."

      Jeremy Seeff, a director of the LGBTech group and founder of the Israeli Diversity Standard charter told The Jerusalem Post that it sees the strike’s coincidence with Tisha B’Av as a fitting time to fight sinat chinam (baseless hatred).”

      Seeff and his colleagues worked through the night, in collaboration with the Aguda, to appeal to major companies in Israel join the cause. Their efforts were successful and by Thursday morning some 60 companies had already come on board.

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  3. Perhaps a tikun for Am Yisrael not following our strongest leader, Moshe as we should have when he demanded that we do the right thing (such as the sin of the spies), is for us to demand for our leaders to do the right thing and LEAD US! Instead of "just" learning Torah. Which is of course, a great thing, but not the ONLY thing. Especially not for those who are supposed to LEAD US. I think since we can't force the evil government, or the evil people to do what is right, we should force the righteous Jewish leaders to do what is right!! I wonder if that will work??

    -here's hoping

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  4. The arrogance of evil; with no shame how they demand which goes against H' and all that is holy.
    814 commenter said it all; a YasherKoach!

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