There is a story about a young boy who sneaks off into the forest every morning to say his daily prayers.   His father challenges his mystically minded son saying “if G-d can be found everywhere, why do you need to go into the forest?”  The boy answers “Yes, G-d is found everywhere, but there are only certain places that I can find myself….”

Where can we be inspired to pray? Before we can think about seeking G-d it is necessary to find ourself.

In the Torah reading for this week, Abraham’s son Isaac takes time in the afternoon to be alone in an empty field.  According to the Hebrew he is doing something called “lasua.h”  Even the sages don’t know exactly what that means!  It might be based on the word for “conversation” in which case Isaac could be having a talk with G-d.  Or, it might be based on a similar word that means “plant,” a seemingly very different activity. 

In fact, however, something  beautiful happens when you put these two ideas together.  The moment of prayer is as spontaneous as starting a conversation and yet, what makes Isaac’s encounter so fulfilling and powerful is that it grows out of his experience and is rooted in his self-awareness.   

Prayer can be that easy and that difficult.  The wonderful thing is that the opportunity to plant the seeds is always there -- wherever you find yourself.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Michael