Letters to Malcom: Addendum to Letter 1

Going back to the first letter, I realized there was another point I wanted to mention. Lewis makes this rather depressing statement with regard to church service, "The business of us laymen is simply to endure and make the best of it. Any tendency to a passionate preference for one type of service must be regarded simply as a temptation." 

Again, I really do not see where Lewis is coming with such a pessimistic view. The goal of the service is speak to God, to praise Him, thank Him, to come closer to Him. Sometimes that involves unburdening ourselves to Him, or including Him in our festive mood. But to do that, the mode of service does matter. Some people like singing, for example, some do not. Some prefer a slow pace, others a faster pace. It matters because we concentrate better, we pay more attention, and our mind matters less when the service fits our style. It's easy to say one does not need a style when in comes to prayer, but I don't think it's true. If the cantor starts with an operatic rendition of a service my concentration will dissipate. That's not a good thing and perhaps it's something for which I should better train myself, but it's true. 

Lewis complains of the shepherds going off on their own way and vanishing over distant horizons. But maybe all of those paths lead to the same place, but some people like mountain climbing while others prefer to go around. 

But even beyond that I'm bothered by Lewis' formulation. A prayer service is an opportunity to connect with God, and the best we can do is endure?

Malcom appears to disagree with Lewis from a different perspective. He claims that the goal of the service is to glorify God and thus the priest must do what he can in his way to achieve that goal. Lewis disagrees with Malcom because the glorification of God is when the people truly woship Him. The priest is presumably to be that connection. 

Letters to Malcom: Addendum to Formalized Liturgy

I just to add a couple of other perspectives on formalized liturgy that perhaps are worth contemplating:

1) Words have an underlying, perhaps mystical meaning, that is understood and appreciate only by religious masters such as our Sages who instituted and concretized the liturgy. This is the reason, for example, why the Talmud records it was so difficult to identify someone who could compose an extra blessing against the heretics in the amidah service. If the task was simply to compose a paragraph, how hard could it be? However, only a uniquely talented and wise individual could include in that paragraph deep religious themes, shades of meaning, hints, and mysticism. 

Though the typical individual may not appreciate the richness, beauty, and religious importance of the words of the formal liturgy, they are there. And praying it sensitizes a person to all held within in a way similar, l'havdil, to why high-school kids read Shakespeare, though there is no hope they will at this point understand the depth of his writing.

A more extreme form of this argument (which I admit to not resonating with) is to say, that the words of the Sages-composed prayer fill mathematics like equations that are known to influence God is certain ways. It is these words that must be said for the prayer to achieve maximum effectiveness. Other words may seem to say the same thing on their surface. Nonetheless, no matter how much intent or concentration one prays with, these words are simply better. 

2) One might also take the opposite approach. What right does finite man have to pray to the Infinite God? How can we ever give enough praise, enough thanks, or even make enough requests for the myriad of things that we need to go about our seemingly un-miraculous, 'daily routine'? How is it even possible? The answer is that we can't and it is impossible. In truth, “For You silence is praise” (Psalms 65:2). Even attempting to start to praise or make requests of God is insulting.

So, how can we? 

Because our ancestors did - and only by following in their ways can we do so as well. Hence, it is necessary to follow the set liturgy, because deviating from it is at best hopeless, because how can we approach the Infinite, and, at worst, smacks of insolence, as if we have the right to approach Him. 

OK, hopefully next time we'll go further... 

 

Who Has Rewarded Me With Goodness

"He was as safe as if he had been in bed, though he did not feel so." 

(Prince Caspian)

Trumpkin the dwarf's first meeting with Aslan was quite eye-opening for the (then) unbelieving dwarf. Aslan quickly demonstrated who was the boss, tossing Trumpkin in the air and then catching him, safe and sound. Lewis describes the scene with the above quote - Trumpkin was perfectly safe, Aslan had great things in store for him, he just didn't feel that way twisting and turning in the air. 

One might think that this should always be the case. A person will live if God wills it, and will not if God wills otherwise. A priori, it doesn't matter if one finds himslef in seemingly dangerous circumstances (as Trumpkin did) because all is by the will of God. Hence, one need not worry, pray, or beseech God any more in a dangerous circumstance than in a normal one, because one's survival is only dependent on God.   

That this is not the case can be demonstrated on multiple levels. First note Jacob's reluctance to send Benjamin down to Egypt with his brothers. Jacob is concerned that some accident will happen to him. But why is Jacob more worried about Benjamin elsewhere? Either God decrees evil upon Benjamin or not, who cares where he is? The midrash already addresses this question saying, "From here it is derived that the heavenly accuser accuses only in a time of danger." In other words, someone is more likely to judged harshly if they are in danger. 

Another source demonstrating this is the existence of the Thanksgiving offering (now fulfilled by the recitation of the 'birkas hagomel,' the benediction recited over goodness). This offering is brought after a person survives a particularly dangerous event: travel across desert or over a sea, spending time in prison, or suffering a grave illness. The details of the offering are such that a lot of food has to be eated in a short time, forcing the owner, the survivor, to invite others to partake. This will naturally lead to his publicizing God's kindness to him and sanctify God's name in public.

Though we currently do not have the ability to bring offerings it appears to me that the opportunity to publicly thank God for his kindness should be taken. So, with that in mind, I would publicly thank God for protecting my son during his just-ended service in the Israeli Defense Force. I am not going to try to describe the worry and concern we, his parents, had during that time, especially being so far away, but we can now look back and see how God was with him at every step and in every decision. 

Of course, prayers are still needed for all of the soldiers protecting the people of Israel and for the hostages whose suffering is unimaginable. But that in no way lessens my obligation to thank God for the kindness he has done to me and I feel priveleged to be able to share my story with all of you.