“Prayer may not save us. But prayer may make us worthy of being saved. Prayer is not requesting. There is a partnership of God and man. God needs our help. I would define man as a divine need. God is in need of man.” This excerpt from Rabbi A J Heschel’s interview with Carl Stern in 1972 and in the book, “Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity” reminds us all of how much each of us matters! We have the opportunity to show ourselves and each other that we care for ourselves and others by social distancing, not listening to our LIAR IN CHIEF President and do what we can to help others. Prayer, as I understand prayer from Rabbi Heschel, causes us to take an action, to praise God for our ability to serve God and another human being. Prayer makes us worthy of being saved by the actions we take in response to the call of the prayers we recite.
Each and every prayer has a call to action to it, will you join me in the action of the Barchu- blessing God through our actions and being a worthy partner? Will you join me in the action of the Shema- hearing and understanding the call of our soul, the souls of another humans and being part of the Oneness that is God? I hope so, I pray so.