Brief Torah Thought

[debka_notion]

I'm in the middle of doing reading for seminar, and ran into a piece from Midrash Tehilim (exegesis working off of the book of Psalms) (this is Midrash Tehilim 4:9 for those in the know), which is the very well cited piece telling one that one should pray in the shul, and if one can't pray in the shul, then the next best option is in your field, and if not there, then in your house, and if not in your house, then on your bed, and if not on your bed, then think in your heart because G-d knows what is in your heart. I'd certainly encountered the text before in various situations- that's nothing new. But I'd always thought about it as what you had access to, physically. If it's about where you find yourself capable of praying- that's something different, and it both makes more sense, and feels more powerful, somehow. (But then, new-to-me interpretations always feel more powerful than one's I've known for a while.)

It also gives me another perspective for interacting with the folks who say they don't come to minyan at school because it's intimidating, and so they pray at home. So- they're following some legitimate "advice", even if I find it hard to understand personally- I'm usually more thorough about davenen in shul: it isn't an always, but it is certianly a usually. But folks are not all the same, that's for sure. Maybe this is just another one of those things that I go at backwards, a bit.

Comments

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

I understand why someone would be intimidated at the idea of being sha"tz at WLSS, but what's scary about just davening there? (I don't necessarily expect you to know; it's just a question on my mind.)

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure, they haven't been really clear about that. But apparently some combination of the speed (not very fast, in my opinion), the completeness of the service, and the sometimes rather prestigious company who may show up seem to be some of the factors...