Vayetze 2019

The Talmud writes that we learn to pray three times a day from both the sacrifices in the Temple and from our Avot, Avrohom, Yitzchak and Yaakov.  Avrohom stood before god just after the destruction of Sodom, and the Talmud says “standing” means prayer.  Reguarding Yitzchak the Torah tells us, “And Yitzchak went out to speak in the field,” says the Talmud “to speak” means to pray.  In this week’s parsha the Torah tells us Yaakov “bumped into the place,” “bumped into”  (or “happened upon”) the Talmud says, also means to pray.   

Though we learn the idea of prayer from the avot we learn the times of prayer from the daily offerings brought in the Tabernacle each day.  Yet at night there was no daily offering.  Due to this says the Talmud the night time prayer does not carry the same level of obligation as Shacharit and M.  The night time prayer is Jacob’s prayer.   It is tenuous.   Its language of prayer, “bumped into,” seems like anything but formal prayer, and its obligation, since it does not parallel and sacrifice, is weak.  Jacob the rabbis tell us is the ancestor of exile.  He teaches us how to find God, how to be a Jew when prayer is tenuous, when God seems distant.  

These days seem like those of exile, times when God is hidden.   As a people we are in pain from the open wound of attack on our brethren two weeks ago. Around us the world is on fire, literally and figuratively.   As we enter into Kislev, the month of Chanukah, perhaps through our nighttime prayers we can transform the uncontrolled fire which burns the world and its inhabitants, into the fire  of Chanukah, a still small flame which brings only light in the darkness.  

Shabbat shalom