8:00pm: Prayer Fatigue: I Hate Davening

This week’s edition of MyLife: Chassidus Applied with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Episode 133, will air tonight, Sunday, here on CrownHeights.info, beginning at 8:00pm. This week Rabbi Jacobson will address the topics: Prayer Fatigue: I Hate Davening; Should Secrets Be Kept From Our Spouses? Can We Have Yechidus with the Rebbe Today? What is the Role of a Parent in the Life of Their Married Children?

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My heart always sinks with the onset of selichos, which begins, for me, a tedious arduous and torturous season of endless prayers (sorry to be so dramatic, but you always invite candidness) – prayers that are mostly indecipherable. Even if one knows Hebrew, the pace of the prayer service is so quick, that one doesn’t have the time to reflect on the meaning of the prayers.   onth-long journey of prayer and dialogue between the Jewish people and the Abishter. Rosh Hashana is the longest prayer service of the year, and that is only the beginning – Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Shimi Atzeret all bring with it their own liturgy. How can one stay inspired and their prayers intentional? How does one treat the prayer-fatigue that inevitably can set in? How can you become changed and inspired by the words of davening?

“With Selichos starting, I begin to have the feeling of dread. It is just the beginning, of a whole season of extensive prayer, how do we make this into a meaningful experience rather than miserable, boring and monotonous? I don’t know the meaning of most of the words and felt no inspiration, and didn’t felt like the service was bringing me closer to G-d/helping me get excited about teshuva.”

“How many times can we say Tehillim and not understand what you are saying? It’s just hard for me to see the necessity for our generation to spend so many hours at a time reciting words which we don’t understand?”

“What is the role of the mother/grandmother in the lives of married, adult children? I think it has changed from the polish grandmother’s times. Could you give us practical tips?”

“Is it healthy to keep some info from your spouse? For example we cut our ties with someone but I still feel I should give them some tzedakah, if my spouse would know that I’m doing this they would throw a fit, it would not help to try to explain this to my spouse. Am I doing the right thing?”

“How does one have a yechidus with the Rebbe today? Do you just pick a day and time to go to the Ohel and then fast, Daven more etc?”

In addition to these topics, Rabbi Jacobson will also review the following essays submitted in this year’s MyLife: Chassidus Applied essay contest: “The Power of Humility” by Mushka Winner, “Practical Spirituality for the Uninspired by Mordechai Gutnick, and “Purpose-Mindfulness for Consistent Calm” by Levi Pinson. These and other essays can be read online atmeaningfullife.com/essays.

And finally, the Chassidus question of the week: Is the nefesh hasichlis responsible for intelligence related to Torah only? Or does it apply to any kind of acquired wisdom?  For example, our yeshivas give no secular education, therefore compromising the study of Talmud. We lack knowledge in measuring and math therefore making our learning in the area of Eiruvun, Peah, and Suckah incomplete.We don’t learn astronomy which is related to Rosh Hashnah, and not to mention writing.  The yeshivas don’t want secular education for many reasons: bittul torah, building block years, haskallah etc. But I think it’s time to reevaluate this approach and see if this is right. Here I am in my thirties with tiny intellect and huge yetzer hora. I’m a product of one of the most “chassidisha” yeshivas”.

This hour-long dose of insights is meant to inform, inspire and empower us by applying the teachings of Chassidus to help us face practical and emotional challenges and difficulties in our personal lives and relationships. To have your question addressed, please submit it at meaningfullife.com/mylife.

The topics in this Sunday’s hour-long broadcast will include:

  •  Chassidus Applied to Rosh Hashana
  •  I dread davening – prayer fatigue
  •  Relationship between parents and married children
  •  Chelek Elokah follow-up
  •  Traveling for leisure without a minyan: follow-up
  •  Keeping secrets from spouse
  •  Today’s yechidus with the Rebbe
  •  Avoda follow-up
  •  Chassidus Question: the intelligent soul
  •  MyLife Essays: The Power of Humility, Practical Spirituality for the Uninspired, Purpose-Mindfulness for Consistent Calm

In what has now become a staple in so many people’s lives, MyLife: Chassidus Applied addresses questions that many people are afraid to ask and others are afraid to answer. When asked about the sensitive topics he has been addressing, Rabbi Simon Jacobson commented, “I understand that the stakes are high and great care has to be taken when speaking openly, but the silence and lack of clarity on matters plaguing the community can no longer go unaddressed. The stakes of not providing answers are even higher.”

The on-going series has provoked a significant reaction from the community, with thousands of people viewing each live broadcast and hundreds of questions pouring in week after week. At the root of every question and personal challenge tackled by the series is the overarching question: Does Judaism have the answers to my personal dilemmas?

In inimitable “Jacobson-fashion”, the broadcast answers people’s questions in simple, clear language while being heavily sourced. Each episode is jam-packed with eye-opening advice from the Rebbeim, gleaned from uncovering surprising gems in their letters, sichos and maamorim that address our personal issues with disarming relevance. Simultaneously, Rabbi Jacobson is able to crystallize a concept quickly, succinctly, and poignantly for any level of listener.

All episodes are immediately available for viewing in the MLC’s archive and can be downloaded as MP3s for listening on the go.

Questions may be submitted anonymously at meaningfullife.com/mylife.

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2 Comments

  • Just wondering...

    Which is more fun: saying thousands of words everyday, or, like in the times of the Bais HaMikdash, lighting a bonfire to burn the Karbonos? Wow, like a daliy Lag B’Omer fire. Yes, we want Moshiach NOW!