Bursting Open the Gates




As posted on September 21, 2012 by Sam Blustin on Soup for the Neshama

"The Ba'al Shem Tov asked Reb Wolff Kitzis, one of his senior disciples, to blow the shofar for Rosh Hashanah.  To help focus his mind during the blowing, the Ba'al Shem Tov suggested that Reb Wolff study the kabbalistic kavvanot (intention; focus points or thoughts regarding a ritual or prayer) assigned to the shofar.  Reb Wolff devoted himself diligently to the study and wrote notes to take with him to review before blowing the shofar to ensure that his mind would be directed properly.

When it came time for Reb Wolff to go to shul (synagogue) for the holy day and blow the shofar, he looked for his notes, but in vain.  And what was worse: without his notes his mind too went blank.  Not a single kavvanah cold he recall.  And so it was that when Reb Wolff stepped before the congregation to blow the shofar he did so with an empty mind and a broken heart.

After the service came to a close, the Ba'al Shem Tov turned to Reb Wolff and cried: 'Yesher koach! Never have I heard such a powerful shofar blowing!'

'But Master,' Reb Wolff said, 'I forgot every word I studied and blew the shofar with no kavvanah except the sheer humility of one who knows nothing!'

The Ba'al Shem Tov smiled and said: 'My dear Reb Wolff.  In the palaces of earthly kings there are many rooms, each with its own particular key.  But one with an ax can enter them all.  If this is true of earthly kings, all the more so is it true of the King of Kings.  The kavvanot are the keys to each room, but one whose heart is humble can burst into any room!'"

When we pray having the proper mind-set is important.  Knowing what you are saying, how to say it, and why you say it are all important things, and they can help us to feel what we are praying with more sincerity and intention.  Often times though, the prayers of the broken heart, of the person who has nothing to lose and everything to gain, the prayers of those who are downtrodden and helpless, can have the most impact.  This story, or stories like the boy who recites the aleph-bet, or who blows the whistle in the middle of services, can help to remind us that it's not always what we're doing or thinking that's most important, but it is the state of the heart behind it.

This new year, think about what it is that you truly need, and pray for it with a broken and humble heart.  Cultivate a being of humility and be aware of all around you.  Help those who are in need of help, and seek help from others when you need it.  Treat others as you treat yourself.  And when your heart breaks, mend it by transforming the sadness and loss into a power for good and selflessness.

This Shabbat, and this New Year, my prayer is that you leave nothing behind in life.  Every moment is a chance for you to develop yourself into the person that God intends you to be.  Sometimes it's through broken hearts, and other times through a joyous heart, but none the less, we become better for our experiences if we use them as a force for good.

Shabbat Shalom v'G'mar Tov


"Together, you and I will change the world"

Story adapted from Hasidic Tales by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, SkyLight Illuminations