Sweet Prayers come from the inner being of each person. The Ohr Zarua (Rabbi Yizchak ben Moshe of Vienna, 1180-1250) tried to impress upon the Jewish community the importance of reciting the praises of Hashem sweetly and with concentration, thereby acquiring a lofty portion in Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden – Heavenly reward).

There was a wealthy merchant in Vienna who was very respected and a leader of the chevra kaddisha (Burial Society). His hand was open to anyone who came to him. One early morning as the wealth merchant was making his way to shul (synagogue) to daven (pray), he saw a man who was wearing a wreath of freshly cut flowers on his head sitting on the bench outside the shul. As the wealthy merchant got closer, he recognized the man, he froze from fright. He would have turned and fled but his legs didn’t cooperate and they wouldn’t move.

After a few moments, he composed himself and asked the man, “Is it possible that you are the person we buried just yesterday?”

“Yes. Yes, I am”, the man calmly replied.

Doubting, the wealthy merchant asked, “I don’t understand. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere in Shamayim (heaven)? What happened with you after we buried you yesterday?”

“I was welcomed warmly and placed on a very high level in Gan Eden”

“Why did you merit such a high level in Gan Eden? After all, when you were alive, you were but a regular member of the community.”

“That is true”, the man replied, “I was just a simple member of the community. However, I was careful to always recite the brachos (blessings) in shul in a very sweet manner. That mitzvah (religious deed) itself is held in very high esteem in Heaven and I was therefore rewarded with a lofty level in Gan Eden.

“As proof that you just buried me, look at the sleeve of my burial shrouds. It is ripped in the same place that it tore as you placed me in the ground.

The wealthy merchant then asked him why he was wearing a wreath of flowers on his head, to which the man replied, “They are flowers from Gan Eden with a beautiful scent. I placed them on my head to protect me from the awful odor of this world.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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