tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7367445587222989435.post5855552201490348536..comments2023-02-22T20:28:40.269-07:00Comments on Rabbi H's Rabbinic Journey: Parashat Shemot - My commentary for Jewish Federations of North AmericaRabbiHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12098752989230188536noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7367445587222989435.post-35681486112415107752010-12-24T02:30:37.397-07:002010-12-24T02:30:37.397-07:00My experience has been that sharing the sadness an...My experience has been that sharing the sadness and request for prayers in a service doesn't bring anyone down or up. The mentioning of sad things is compulsory in any service and people say that they will pray, but do they remember to, be it in ANY faith?<br /><br />I don't know how you do it, but sharing blessings or requests for prayers requires, on the part of the listeners, a moment of empathy. "Pray for Sarah's mother, Glicka, because she is sick." (Oh, OK. Whatever, I'll tell Sarah that I am praying for her. I might remember this week and ask G-d to please blah-blah-blah.) I think part of it is in the delivery to help people empathize and grasp that Glicka is a person needing prayers to get better: "Sarah's mother Glicka has not yet met Sarah's baby, David, and Glicka is in the hospital battling pneumonia and a heart condition. Please pray for Glicka to get better." A lot of us could identify with this better than a run of the mill request with names and know that perhaps Sarah might not be able to travel with her other kids to see her mom and we'll think of her mid-day and say a prayer after we see or talk to our own mom. Tie a request in with something that everyone can relate to without telling too much about the family. As a rabbi, you can even ask your congregant who might not have much to saym a question like, "Where is your mom from?" If nothing else, Mom is from Vermont where they make maple syrup-- I don't know, but she starts to be real. <br /><br />For good things, so people are not wondering why someone shared something perhaps meaningless, tie them in with something that they can relate to in their own lives. My 4 year old announced that her baby sister was potty trained. Of course she was cute and everyone smiled as she lisped her happy news. Then one of my teenagers added, "This is saving my mom and dad $50 a month in Huggies!" OK, we were saving money! (There was some clapping!)<br /><br />I think it is about what people can relate to. When my dad was sick, I prefaced it with mentioning, "My father, the cowboy in Arizona. . ." Another friend mentioned his mother, "who drove up the Al-Can Highway with five kids in a Chevy" when she died, so the sick/deceased are thought of as a life, perhaps a verb/action as opposed to a proper noun.<br /><br />(Am I too long in my explanation?)<br /><br />Anyway, this is a great blog post! I didn't even think about what is said in the 10-30 seconds that most people spend sharing, but a lot gets said in those moments.Tea N. Crumpethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16399889311375477109noreply@blogger.com