By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
SAN DIEGO — More than one Torah School parent has told me that when their children daven (participate in a prayer service) at a Jewish camp, they love it. The campers tell their parents about the ruach and enthusiasm that are generated by all of the participants. However, their children tell them, when they pray during Torah School or at a Shabbat service, they find it boring and a drag.
Having worked at Camp Ramah for many years, I know that these reports are somewhat embellished. I see lots of sleepy and distant faces during daily prayer! Yet the truth is that at other times, particularly on Shabbat, the young congregants sing and participate with incredible spirit and spirituality.
The community does pray as one. One of the differences between camp and home is the venue. There is something very special about prayer experiences at Jewish summer camps. Services are held outside and modified in length and complexity to fit the needs of each group. Another major difference, however, is also the attitude with which the participants approach the prayer experience.
At camp, kids are surrounded and encouraged by their peers. Singing loudly and robustly is the cool thing to do. In Torah School classes and services, enthusiastic participation is outside the norm. Children and adults approach the prayer experience with reticence.
This is unfortunate because the quality of an individual’s group prayer experience is proportional to the participation of those surrounding them. The louder the singing, the greater the energy. The greater the energy, the greater the fulfillment. This is one reason why I sometimes find davening in the chapel a better experience than in our large sanctuary: People can hear each other.
If more Jews who attended services saw them as an opportunity for celebration, rather than as a dull obligation, and joined their voices to those surrounding them, it would be a better experience for all.
In parashat R’eih, the Israelites are instructed to bring ma’aser sheni, the second tithe of their produce, to be consumed in Jerusalem. This helped make Jerusalem the center of Israelite religious, spiritual, political, and economic life. However, if Israelites lived far from the holy city, they could sell the produce of their ma’aser sheni and spend the money earned in Jerusalem instead: “Should the distance be too great for you, should you be unable to transport them, because the place where the Lord your God has chosen to establish His name is far from you…” (Deut. 14:24)
Rabbi Moses Alshich (16th century) commented: “If the Torah’s mitzvot are a burden for you, it is because ‘the Place [a traditional name for God]’ is far from you!”
The Maggid of Dubna told a parable which echos his words:
A merchant sent his agent to pick up a package from the post office. The agent returned and asked for his fee. When the merchant placed the payment on the counter, the agent refused to take it. He thought it was not enough. “The package was large and heavy and I struggled to bring it to you. You owe me more for my efforts!”
The merchant replied, “The package I sent you to retrieve was small and light. If you struggled to bring it to me, it must be because you mistakenly brought me the wrong package!”
“So God says to Israel,” concluded the Maggid, “if you struggle to perform the mitzvot you must be doing something wrong, because God’s mitzvot were given us to sanctify and beautify our world and not to make our lives miserable!”
If we see prayer services as a burden, they will prove to be so. If we approach them in the spirit of celebration (and dancing in the aisles?), they will be a source of holiness, inspiration, joy.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego. He may be contacted at leonard.rosenthal@sdjewishworld.com