Holy Tears, Sobs & Sighs

Once, a well known rabbi named Isaac Meir Alter of Ger was asked by a shoemaker what he should do about not having time for his obligatory morning prayers.

The shoemakers customers, after all, were poor men who owned only one pair of shoes. The shoemaker used to pick up their shoes at a late evening hour, work on them all night and part of the morning, in order to deliver them before their owners had to go to work. He simply had no time to stop and formally pray. When should he, therefore, say his morning prayers?

Should he pray quickly the first thing in the morning, and then go back to work?

Should he leave some of his customers unattended to go and pray, potentially threatening their livelihood?

He was exhausted. He was tormented by the thought of failing either his customers or God. And as he spoke to the rabbi, head in hands dejected, he let out an audible sigh of suffering.

“Perhaps,” said the rabbi, “that sigh is worth more than prayer itself.”

Sometimes we pray through words.

Sometimes, however, particularly after loss, there are no words – there are only tears, sobs and sighs.

Remember –

Tears are holy.

Sobs are divine.

And signs, they are often worth more than prayer itself.

Carry The Fire,

Rabbi B