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Daily Chizuk #0286
Holidays / Yamim Tovim
Lost in Prayer: The Intensity of a True Amida
Rabbi Mugrabi told a story about a man who was chazzan in a shul on Yom Kippur. He got so involved in his Amida, he lost track of the fact that he was the chazzan and long after the entire congregation finished their silent Amida, he was still going. The people were getting impatient. The head of the shul went over to him and gave him a slap on the back of his head yelling, “We’re all finished. You need to start already.” The chazzan quickly finished, made Oseh Shalom, and began the chazara.
At the end of Yom Kippur, one of the wealthy men from the congregation approached this chazzan and asked him if he could buy the shame that he experienced that day. The chazzan said, “I don’t have anything to sell you.”
What do you mean?” the wealthy man replied, “You were publically humiliated.”
The chazzan said, “The same moment that he hit me, I forgave him. I wanted to be fit to pray to Hashem. How could I be a chazzan and harbor animosity towards my fellow Jew? So now that I forgave him, I have nothing to sell you.”
That year, Hashem rewarded this chazzan with something way more valuable than money could ever buy – a baby boy who grew up to become the Rav HaKadosh Rebbe Aharon of Karlin. That child came from the shame that he endured and his ability to forgive. This mida makes a person so great, he becomes a receptacle to receive blessing from Hashem and is able to give others berachot as well. Everybody could reach this level and if we are able to not only forgive, but even love and bless the people who we should naturally have ill feelings towards, then we become even greater, we become a Ish Eloki – A Man of G-d.
Rosh Chodesh Tov U'mevorach!
At the end of Yom Kippur, one of the wealthy men from the congregation approached this chazzan and asked him if he could buy the shame that he experienced that day. The chazzan said, “I don’t have anything to sell you.”
What do you mean?” the wealthy man replied, “You were publically humiliated.”
The chazzan said, “The same moment that he hit me, I forgave him. I wanted to be fit to pray to Hashem. How could I be a chazzan and harbor animosity towards my fellow Jew? So now that I forgave him, I have nothing to sell you.”
That year, Hashem rewarded this chazzan with something way more valuable than money could ever buy – a baby boy who grew up to become the Rav HaKadosh Rebbe Aharon of Karlin. That child came from the shame that he endured and his ability to forgive. This mida makes a person so great, he becomes a receptacle to receive blessing from Hashem and is able to give others berachot as well. Everybody could reach this level and if we are able to not only forgive, but even love and bless the people who we should naturally have ill feelings towards, then we become even greater, we become a Ish Eloki – A Man of G-d.
Rosh Chodesh Tov U'mevorach!
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