Last night JWCAtlanta hosted an amazing Challah bake.
300 women came together to make Challah in anticipation of the upcoming Holiday season.
One of the themes we discussed was the power of prayer that is the purview of the Jewish woman.
We related the story of the Chofetz Chaim, venerable sage of the early 20th century,who was deeply concerned about the tragedies and tribulations that were occurring. He decided to bring out a powerful weapon at his disposal to combat the difficult circumstances.
He asked the women of his community to gather at the synagogue to pray.
He recognized that the highest level of prayer needed to be unleashed.
The women gathered and opened the holy ark and the congregation of women lifted their voices in personal prayer and supplication.
They used their own words in an unscripted appeal for mercy.
The holy Chofetz Chaim understood the secret of the power of women and the power of their prayers.
It’s our focus and our responsibility.
The above story took place during WWI.
The next is from WWII.
R Yosef Friedensohn was a Holocaust survivor, journalist and historian.
He shared a story that occurred to him during his incarceration in Auschwitz. At one point he was assigned the dreadful job of emptying latrines around the camp and bringing the refuse to the dump. This awful job did allow him to move around the camp more freely than most.
On one freezing day, he and his friend were pushing the cart near the fence of the women’s barracks. They noticed a young girl waving frantically at them trying to catch their eye. This in and of itself was a dangerous situation because they were not allowed to speak to the female prisoners. Nonetheless they tried to understand what she was screaming to them.
The wind was howling and they thought they made out her request. It seemed she was asking for a sweater.
This was a ludicrous request and one totally beyond their capabilities to fulfill. Yet a short time later the friend, had the opportunity to enter a warehouse, found a sweater and conspired how to get it to the girl.
Eventually, in their walking around the camp doing their disgusting job, they were able to deliver the contraband sweater and throw it over the fence.
The girl was perplexed.
She asked them why on earth they had brought her a sweater.
They yelled back, you asked for a sweater, to keep you warm in this freezing weather.
She replied that she didn’t want a sweater, she had desperately wanted a “siddur”, a prayer book.
“Please, I need a siddur! It’s almost Rosh Hashana and I need to a prayer book so I can pray”
The young men were so inspired. They had been focused on their physical survival and lack of warmth,
“it never crossed their minds that anyone would need a siddur to warm their soul”.

Rabbi Judah Mischel shares this poignant story in conjunction with this week’s Torah portion Ki Tavo, which talks about our arrival in the Land of Israel.
The portion discusses the special relationship the Jewish people had with Gd.
It seems that Gd has set us aside, to engage in an elevated relationship with Gd, and we have reserved ourselves for Gd.
As Rabbi Mischel says “it is a reciprocal, covenantal relationship”.
It is as if Gd designates us and we designate Gd.
When we live appropriately, in a Gdly way, when we walk in the path of Gd, observing commandments, emulating the goodness of Gd in our interpersonal relationships, we are “dressing ourselves” in the same “clothing” as the King of the Universe.
This week, we lost the first female soldier to fall in combat in Gaza. Sgt. Agan Naim, a 20 year old paramedic assigned to an armored battalion, which placed her at the forefront of battle. She had been accepted to instruct a paramedics course and was home. Her commander said she did not have to return, but she insisted. Her aunt relayed that Agam said something she will never forget
“She said that she wouldn’t be able to look into the eyes of the mothers of her comrades in her unit if they were going to Gaza and she wasn’t there to take care of them.”
This brave woman cared for her soldiers until her last breath.
She wrapped herself in the garments of Gdly kindness, as she fulfilled her mission on this earth.
Moses asked Gd to explain the inexplicable, why do bad things happen?
The Torah describes that Gd “is wrapped in a prayer shawl”
(this is anthropomorphic as Gd has no human form or attributes, but is rather a metaphor to help us understand)
and teaches Moses the order of prayer we recite in times of tragedy, when we are falling and failing.
The 13 Attributes of Mercy.
We begin saying the 13 Attributes in preparation for Rosh Hashana, and continue after Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur.
It is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal to attain forgiveness and awaken Gd’s mercy.
It is the way to bring our relationship back together with Gd.
Rabbi Mischel concludes this thought by encouraging us as we approach the High Holidays to recommit ourselves to aligning our choices with Gdliness which will knit a sweater of merit and praise worthy of a relationship with the King of Kings.
Ladies.
It’s time to take our siddur, and pray.
It’s Day 349. We can’t wait another minute.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!