December 6th: Vayetze
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
Last week, we looked at the story of Rebekah’s and Isaac’s struggles with infertility and the way they pray for healing. Isaac pleads with the Lord and asks that Rebekah be granted fertility—a prayer that is answered. Once Rebekah gets pregnant, she is alarmed by a rumbling in her abdomen and herself goes “to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord answered her.” (Genesis 25.22-23) As it turns out, she does not get relief, but she does get an explanation: her future twins are struggling, a pattern Jacob and Esau will continue after they are born.
Twenty years seems like a long time for Rebekah and Isaac to wait for an answer to their prayers. However, as Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi used to quip, praying to God is not like ordering from Domino’s Pizza. (“Guaranteed delivery in 30 minutes!) Faith often involves great patience and persistence.
In this week’s portion, the family’s fertility struggles continue with Jacob’s wives, Leah and Rachel. According to the Torah, God is involved, “opening Leah’s womb because she was unloved” by her husband Jacob (Genesis 29.31). God is also considered responsible when Rachel does not conceive. She complains to Jacob (also her husband), and he retorts, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30.2) Many prayers are prayed, but only some are answered.
This brings us to our two questions for this week: (1) How does praying affect the healing process? (2) How do we evaluate or enhance the sincerity of our Mi Sheberach prayers?
As I mentioned before—and as Reb Zalman used to say, praying to God for healing is not like making an order. It is a request and could involve the Almighty altering the pre-determined course of the universe to effect healing. It could be unnecessary if the Choleh (patient) is already destined to recover. But, if the Choleh is destined to die—or to remain infirm, then upon what basis do we ask God for an intercession? And how sincere do we have to be? What gifts—sacrifices or tzedakah—do we have to bring? These are daunting questions—and our approach hinges on how we understand God. Can and does the Deity respond to our prayers and intervene in the world?
Jews are not the only people who pray for healing. From Protestant prayer groups to Roman Catholic saints who are said to have effected miracles, many people believe in faith healing. Social scientists have sought to study this phenomenon, and, though there is no way to scientifically determine whether the prayers are effective, a number of studies have shown that patients for whom others pray often do better. Is this because God is answering the prayers, or is this because of a kind of emotional energy that the pray-ers send toward the patient? Science does not provide answers, but Reb Zalman picked up on this theme and explained how faith and prayers can indeed effect/affect healing. He begins by admitting that some people are simply too sick to recover, and that other people are already tending toward recovery. The patients who are in-between are the ones who can be helped by sending our spiritual energy in their direction.
We are creatures endowed with spiritual energy. This is what it means in Genesis when it says that we are created “B’tzelem Elohim, in the Image of God.” And this is how Lurianic Kabbalah describes the partnership between God and humans. We are possessed of spiritual power—spiritual energy, and it energizes us to do good things in the world. It is also an energy that we can spiritually receive and send forth. We may not always be aware of it, but this spiritual/emotional energy manifests itself throughout our lives—in both positive way (“vibes”) and negative ways (“vibes”). As Reb Zalman taught, we are part of a spiritual energy field that moves to us and through us—and that we can direct to others who are in need.
He used to compare it to the winter sport of curling. The stone is pushed in one direction, but its path is affected by the condition of the ice. To modify the ice and induce the stone toward the intended target, sweepers use brooms to sweep the ice and help the stone along its way. Our prayers cannot directly heal, but our spiritual energy can “sweep” the energy field of the patient and influence the path of his/her health. Our prayers can enhance their energy and healing.
When we pray--whether we are directing our spiritual energy or beseeching the Almighty for an intercession, our Kavannah, the sincerity and intensity of our prayers, is vitally important. Notice how Isaac prays for Rebekah. He does not just call out his wife’s name at shul. He “pleaded with the Lord,” saying it like he meant it, and one figures that this depth of sincerity makes a difference in how the Lord responds.
There is a tradition of just reading off a list of names in synagogue and hoping that God will pay attention. The names may be called in to the synagogue by concerned friends and relatives with trust that “the congregation” will pray for the Cholim. But we are taught to be sincere in our prayers—and never to recite a Berachah L’vat’alah, an insincere prayer, a principle that makes this tradition problematic. Are the callers-in coming to services to pray? Are they praying at home? Are the names on the Cholim list current? We used to have people on the list who had long-since recovered, or who had long since passed away. Once the list of names—often names who are not members of the congregation—is written, there is no mechanism for editing the list. And, while the congregation can be assumed to be good-hearted enough to pray for everyone who is ill, the sincerity of such “anonymous” Mi Sheberach’s is, to me, a questionable commodity. Are we praying like we mean it?
So, for the last ten or so years, we have not been reading a list of Cholim for the Mi Sheberach at services. I always ask that those present think of those who are in need of God’s healing touch, and I encourage each worshipper to send forth his/her spiritual energy to those who are ill. Thus do we strive for sincerity and intensity—for Kavannah, and thus do we hope to enhance the efficacy of our entreaties.
One final thought: healing prayers can also be offered privately as part of our daily prayer life. I know that I have my own list and pray daily for loved ones, friends, and fellow congregation members who are in need of healing. We can channel the spiritual energy gifted to us by God and send it forth, blessing others with our prayers.