{"id":83194,"date":"2020-11-10T17:09:21","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T15:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=83194"},"modified":"2020-11-10T17:09:21","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T15:09:21","slug":"yearning-for-shul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/yearning-for-shul\/","title":{"rendered":"Yearning For Shul"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"83194","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":72765,"related_cahpter":"609","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The dangers of praying together - and the pain of not\r\n\r\n","content":"

Those of us who are appalled at our co-religionists\u2019 flouting of the Covid-19 rules in attending synagogue <\/span>en masse<\/em> <\/span>(but not <\/span>in masks<\/span><\/em>)<\/span><\/i>, ought deeply to understand this psalm before condemning them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The central simile of the first part of this psalm is that of the hind (not the hart for the verbs are in the feminine) panting for water:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs the hind pants after the water brooks,<\/span>
\n<\/span>So pants my soul after You, O God.\u201d (verse 2)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, in the Soncino Tanach, understands this simile as portraying the existential dilemma of the hind: There is a water hole in the jungle, guarded by ferocious beasts of prey. The little hind must decide whether to approach the water hole\u2014and risk being attacked by the larger animals\u2014or else die of thirst. This understanding emphasizes the courage of the hind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Samson Raphael Hirsch understands the simile slightly differently: The hind, standing in a deep place in the desert, <\/span>hears<\/em> <\/span>the water rushing in the streams overhead, but because she is faint from thirst, she lacks the strength to climb to the rocky heights above. This understanding emphasizes the heartbreaking proximity of the water which the hind is unable to imbibe. To ask Jews to appear in shul with masks on\u2014muzzles!\u2014is surely to place them in a situation akin to that of the hind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the psalmist emphasizes the communal nature of the desired experience:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,<\/span>
\n<\/span>How I passed on with the throng and led them dancing to the house of God,<\/span>
\n<\/span>With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude gathering for the holiday.\u201d (verse 5)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rav Hirsch is also sensitive to the fact that this psalm is attributed to the surviving offspring of Korach. The descendants of the man who created a breach in the world by rebelling against Moses and the institutions of God (Numbers 16), now come to repair the rift by exhorting the people to restore the Temple service:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeep calls to deep at the voice of your overflowing waters\u2026\u201d (verse 8)<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming to shul is thus not just a private indulgence but a necessary step in repairing the world!<\/span><\/p>\n

I personally, as a senior citizen and hence in a high-risk category, have not attended synagogue since last Purim and cannot say I really miss it all that much. My local synagogues have \u201cinvited me out\u201d and I have accepted the invitation. I am in awe–and somewhat envious–of those whose conception of shul is so compelling that they would risk their lives to be there\u2014for without it there is no life:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy soul thirsts for God, for the living God:<\/span>
\n<\/span>When shall I come and appear before God?\u201d (verse 3)<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":76695,"id":76695,"title":"hos14-tallit-synagogue","filename":"hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/hosea-and-jewish-prayer\/hos14-tallit-synagogue\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"hos14-tallit-synagogue","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":76691,"date":"2020-06-30 11:20:33","modified":"2020-11-10 15:09:17","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":880,"height":582,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue-300x198.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":198,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue-768x508.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":508,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","large-width":880,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","1536x1536-width":880,"1536x1536-height":582,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","2048x2048-width":880,"2048x2048-height":582,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue.jpg","post_full_size-width":880,"post_full_size-height":582,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/hos14-tallit-synagogue-635x420.jpg","home_baner-width":635,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Yearning For Shul","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"The dangers of praying together - 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