âThe difference between try and triumph is that little umph.â â Marvin Phillips
Burnt out? Join the club. I was stressed and exhausted. To top it off, I had been praying for something specific with seemingly no response from G-d.
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I tried everything:
siddur, saying less from the
siddur⦠I was close to giving up!
â
What was the point of praying yet again? How many times did I need to ask only to be rejected?!â I thought. It almost seemed like my prayers were making the situation worse. Maybe I needed a different approach and perspective.
Rabbi Elimelech Biderman shares the following story: A little boy was unhappy with the architects who designed his home because everything was so high up. He lived on the fourth floor, and each step to his room felt like a mountain for his small frame. Once upstairs, if he wanted to turn the light on, he had to climb on a chair. To simply wash his hands or get a drink, he needed a stool. â
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A group of ultra-Orthodox men wear protective face masks following government measures to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, as they walk in Jerusalem s Old City, July 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
AP When Israel went into its second nationwide coronavirus lockdown in September, most of the country quickly complied. But in some ultra-Orthodox areas, synagogues were packed, mourners thronged funerals and COVID-19 cases continued to soar.
The flouting of nationwide safety rules in ultra-Orthodox areas reinforced a popular perception that the community prioritizes faith over science and cares little about the greater good. It also has triggered a backlash that threatens to ripple throughout Israeli society for years.