Parasha Toldot

In this week’s parasha G-d promises Isaac, “I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the stars of the heavens…” (Gen 26:4).

Sound familiar? The same promise was made to Abraham previously, and later G-d will promise Jacob,  “Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth….”( Gen 28:14), implying many,many descendants.

But their partners: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, (and later Channa, mother of the famous prophet Samuel) were all “akarot”-barren women.
Why?

Perhaps a return to the story of creation can shed some light on the matter..

“This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, on the day when G-d made earth and heaven. All the plants of the field were not yet on the earth, and all the herbal vegetation of the field had not yet sprouted, for G-d had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was [yet] no man to work the soil.” (Gen 2:6-7)

The talmud quotes Rav Asi as saying the grass was just below the surface, and only when man was created to pray for rain did the grass and vegetation emerge . This teaches that G-d desires prayer (Chulin 60b)

Our foreparents were all challenged in the reproductive arena, and our tradition teaches us that it was the relationship with G-d through prayer which brought about the fulfillment of G-d’s promise of a legacy. This is the divine plan, a partnership between heaven and earth.

In this week’s parasha, Toldot, we find that Rebecca) is barren, and Isaac prays for her, “Vayetar Yitzchak L’Hashem l’nokhach ishto…, Isaac prayed to G-d on behalf ( lit. corresponding to..) of his wife…” (Gen 25:21). The Talmud (Yevamot 64a) says that the literal meaning of nokhach teaches that actually both of them were sterile. That may explain why he didn’t attempt to father children through another wife. Vayetar means to pray, to entreat with increasing intensity.

R’ Aharon, the 2nd  Karliner rebbe noted that Jacob held off for 10 years because praying was so difficult.  The verse continues, “Vayai’ater lo Hashem vatahar Rivka ishto, G-d granted his prayer, and his wife Rebbeca conceived.” It is interesting that the words Vayai’ater, which is translated as “accepted his prayer” is spelled in the Torah (without vowels) as vov-yud-ayin-tov-reish, the same word describing Isaac praying to G-d. It could also be read as if G-d is praying, too! Could it be that G-d is entreating Jacob as well, to embrace and encourage the utter human dependence on divine intervention? G-d seems to be modeling, as it were,  the two way relationship between the petitioner and the Creator.

If G-d wants our prayers, and our prayers are essential for the divine plan, why is prayer so difficult for us? I am constantly amazed at the large percentage of synagogue attendees who are unable to pray, or feel so alienated by the process. Yet, this is a basic necessity for having our spiritual needs met.

With a little preparation and some practice a meaningful prayer experience is within reach for everyone. It is not necessary to pray in Hebrew. It is better in most cases to pray in a language you know well until you can understand the meaning of the prayers. Choose quality over quantity… Learn the structure of the service…find a siddur (prayerbook) that feels “right” for you.

We have several different Hebrew/English siddurim available at the synagogue, in addition to the standard ArtScroll siddur, with Hebrew text and English translation on opposite pages. Here are a few of my favorites:
First, check out the Metsudah Siddur. It is a linear translation, with a short phrase (sometimes one or two words) of Hebrew on the same line as a very modern, readable translation.
It can also function as a Hebrew only, or English only siddur, by reading only one side of the page.

Several years ago ArtScroll came out with a new, interlinear translation that may be of use to many petitioners. The translation is under each word, and this is the best single method to completely understand every word you are saying.

It’s a bit slower in the beginning, as it doesn’t read well as an English-only siddur, but anyone using this will dramatically increase their comprehension in a very short time.

Seem like a daunting task? It’s not – anyone can learn to have a meaningful prayer experience.
Simply acquire your own  copy of the siddur that “speaks” to you; take the time to go over the prayers at home for a few minutes, realize just what it is we are praying for.

Give it a try, even if you are a synagogue veteran… We can all benefit from a leisurely, in depth look into the prayers, and forge our own one to one conversational relationship with our creator.

May all our prayers be answered….

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Greg