Rabbi's Corner

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Beshalach, we read the following: “As Par’oh drew near, the B’nei Yisrael caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them.  Greatly frightened, the B’nei Yisrael cried out to Hashem…Then HaShem said to Moshe, ‘Why do you cry out to me?  Tell the B’nei Yisrael to go forward.’” (Shemot 14:10 & 15) Our Tradition teaches us that Hashem tells Moshe that this moment in time is not to be one of prayer; it is to be one of both action and commitment to H-m on the part of the B’nei Yisrael.  But there is a deeper meaning as well.  Rabbi Nachman of Breslov teaches: “One can shout loudly in a still small voice without anyone hearing, because one does not emit a sound but simply screams silently with his soundless small voice.  Anyone can do this.  Just imagine the sound of a scream in your mind…You can stand in a crowded room screaming in this manner with no one hearing you.” (Sichot HaRan, 16) Rav Shalom Arush warns that while one could scream to Hashem in personal prayer, his/her words should not be heard by others as this creates a defamation of Hashem’s Name.  The prayer that is a silent scream is relevant when one wants to cry out to Hashem in a crowded room, or on a bus or train, or in a subway.  Our tradition teaches that even the Heavenly Hosts cannot hear the silent screams to HaShem.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help us to understand the power of the silent scream:

The April sunshine melted the remainder of the ice on the River Bug in the Central Ukraine.  The forests and fields were coming alive with lush new growth.  Both flora and fauna were emerging from their winter slumber.  And so were the hunters!  From the time that they are hatched, wild goslings hear the nightmarish tales of the hunters who, with their lethal weapons, spread terror throughout the forest and lake area.  Geese are especially spiritual birds that must pray constantly for Divine protection.  The gentle species of animals that are subject to danger, such as deer and geese, are especially close to HaShem.

One brown-and-black-feathered mother goose lovingly nudged her gosling.  “You have developed marvelously, my son!  It is time to spread your wings and fly independently.”  The gosling trembled, its eyes glistening with tears of fear and trepidation.  “Mother,” it protested, “how can I fly?  I already hear the crack of gunfire from afar!  The hunters frighten me!  Maybe I will be shot!”  The mother goose reassured her youngling.  “Trust in Hashem!  All of us geese must learn emuna (faith) at a very young age.  But there is something else you should know.”  “What is that, Mother?” the gosling asked.  The mother goose replied, “Never honk within the gunshot range of the hunters!  By making noise, you will expose yourself.  Our honking is only meant for high altitude flying.  Whenever you must fly low or alone, such as going from the nest to the lake, remain totally silent.  But when you fly with the flock with everyone else honking, you may honk as well.”

So is it also true with us when we engage in prayer to Hashem.  When a person is praying in public with everyone chanting aloud, then chanting aloud is the order of the day.  But when a person is engaged in intense private and personal prayer, raising one’s voice exposes one’s prayer to the forces of evil existing in this world that try to keep the prayer from ascending to the Heavenly Throne.  Our Tradition teaches that the forces of evil have great difficulty in obstructing that which is not routine.  The silent scream offered up in prayer to Hashem can often be the “master key” that will “unlock” the gate of the pathway that leads to HaShem.  Perhaps we should use this “medium” in prayer whenever we need to come closer to Hashem and receive H-s blessing and love.