{"id":86424,"date":"2021-01-11T12:52:05","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T10:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=86424"},"modified":"2021-01-11T12:52:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T10:52:05","slug":"one-heart-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/one-heart-2\/","title":{"rendered":"One Heart"},"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":"86424","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":46656,"related_cahpter":"653","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The joy that comes from an undivided spirit\r\n\r\n","content":"

The Book of Psalms is very much a primer on prayer. Prayer comes easily and naturally to some, and not as easily to others. Many of the prayers within Psalms are written during or about times of great hardship and tribulation. Those are times when, for most of us, prayer comes more easily to our lips. When we are in trouble or troubled and can\u2019t see our way out, we reach to God for assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 86 of Psalms cannot be attributed to any specific event, and yet some of the most significant teachings about prayer are contained within its verses. In fact, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch asserts that this psalm expresses the essential goal of prayer: that it is not to obtain any particular outcome but rather is meant to reassure ourselves of God\u2019s presence. And ironically, the very act of praying achieves that goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

David begins this prayer with a series of requests to God, none of which touches on physical, material rewards:<\/span><\/p>\n

First, David simply asks God to hear him. As Hirsch paraphrases, \u201cIt is sufficient for me to know that You know that I am suffering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Next David asks God to guard his soul (not his physical being) and endow his spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then David asks God to make his soul happy. Rav Hirsch suggests that the highest kind of joy comes from growth in spiritual and moral strength, completely independent of any external circumstance.<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, David asks God to \u201cTeach me\u2026.and unify my heart (86:11).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Shelah HaKodesh <\/em>(Isaiah Horowitz, d. 1630)\u00a0 wrote in his <\/span>Sha\u2019ar Hashomayim<\/em> <\/span>that \u201cunify my heart\u201d was David admitting that \u201cAs long as I am gripped with troubles, much of my heart is overcome with concern. Once You (God) answer my prayers, I will be able to dedicate my whole heart to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This idea provides a comforting reality check \u2013 the validation that when we are in distress and seeking a specific tangible outcome, it is sometimes just plain hard to recognize that if God gives us something else, that too may be an answer to our prayers. An answer isn\u2019t always \u201cYes. Here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Certainly, for most of us, to experience the pure joy that is knowing God has heard us is easier when we get what we prayed for. To achieve the joy of a unified heart from all our prayers, whatever God\u2019s answer may be, is an aspirational goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":68454,"id":68454,"title":"is58-heart-hand","filename":"is58-heart-hand.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is58-heart-hand.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/deep-tzedakah\/is58-heart-hand\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is58-heart-hand","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":68453,"date":"2020-01-12 22:22:43","modified":"2022-02-27 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