Many times we ask: “What is prayer?”  It is indeed a difficult question to answer, but are we not taught: Only that man’s prayer is answered who lifts his hands with his heart in them. Taanis 8a

Another thought: Every word of your prayer is like a rose which you pick from its bush.  You continue until you have formed a bouquet of blessings until you have pleated a wreath of beauty and glory to G-d.

A shepherd once grappled with the question of payer:

There once was a Jewish shepherd who was very simple and had very little understanding of Jewish prayer and traditions. Everyday he would go out to the fields with the sheep and as he watched the flock, he would sit on a rock and play upon his flute.

As the Jewish Holidays neared he saw many people traveling on the road going to the nearby city. Each day more and more people traveled down the road. The shepherd asked the travelers what was so special that they were going to the city for.

“We are on the way to a holy rabbi, to spend the holidays with the tzaddik,(a pious and righteous man), and pray that the Holy One, blessed be He answer our prayers with goodness, mercy and health.”

“Why is this so important?” asked the shepherd.

“Come with us and see how special the holy rabbi is”

The boy was uncomfortable, for you see he did not know how to pray. He only knew that he was Jewish and that there is a G-d who provides for all our needs. Not knowing what to do, the boy went into the woods with his flute to think and play a soulful melody. He thought and thought for a long time and decided to go with the people to meet this special rabbi.

The shepherd left the woods and the fields behind him as he walked down the road to the city. He did not know what to expect. He felt everyone knew more than him. He could not pray and did not even know the language of prayer.

He slowly made his way to the old wooden shul (synagogue) and saw that everyone was deep in prayer. The holy rabbi looked so sad. The shepherd carefully watched the holy rabbi who stood under his large tallis (prayer shawl) in front of the shul. It covered his head and body, and the boy saw him swaying gently back and forth. The shepherd began to sway as he thought to himself, “the grain in the field moves with the wind out of respect for the Creator of all things and this is how everything in the world is holy.”

The shepherd sat when everyone else sat he stood up when they stood up, but the holy rabbi was different. He seemed to be shivering and standing most of the time. The young boy felt that each person in the old wooden shul (synagogue) was able to pray to G-d but not him. At one point, every one was standing up and it was so quiet in the shul that the shepherd could actually hear his very own heart beating. He looked at the holy rabbi and saw on the floor a wet spot, the rabbi was crying. He felt an urge to do something, but what could he do? He could not read Hebrew, he knew no prayer. With streams of his own tears, he pulled out his flute and played a soulful tune to the holy One, blessed be He.

As he began his melody, the people in the shul (synagogue) were shocked. They turned in anger to look at this terrible violation of the holy prayer service. As they shouted at him to stop this terrible thing, the boy looked terrified. The holy rabbi, ran up to the boy and said, “Sha shtil (quiet, be still) no one is to say anything harsh to this boy for it is because of him that the blessings of Heaven are possible this day.”

The people were awed of the tzaddik’s words, as he explained “All day we have prayed, but not one prayer ascended to the heavens. The gates of the heaven were closing as the holiday was ending when suddenly, this boy in his innocence and pure heart and tears began to play his flute. He prayed with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his might and the doors of heaven opened up and our prayers were accepted.”

“We should learn from this simple shepherd and his prayer.” He took the young boy by the hand and led him to the front of the shul (synagogue) and together under the holy rabbi’s tallis they finished their prayers.

Everyone can pray with true devotion. Let us just open ourselves up and let our prayers and thoughts rise to G-d, for He hears all prayers.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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