Page Two
THE   JEWISH   WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, August 29, 1958
...--------------------ifc
Holy Day insights
THE MODERN MEANrNG OF PRAYERS
By RABBI BERT A. WOYTHALER
RSclH^i*^®^.^' The monrt of Ellul, which precedes the observonce of f™!^ 5S!"°'"*l''®"°*' "I ^reporotioii fbr the opprobchlng High Hblidoy A^^' V"!'^^.?**.     " of articles by Rabbi Woytfaoler
foftf D**       religious questioiis inherent in o proper orientotion
THE opinion is often voiced that prayers have outlived their usefuhiess. In the past/so the argument goes, people de-
penaca on prayers Jo get what the5^ wanted. Frdiii MM but <>f
JiEWlSH ^LENDAR
ft^ lisiioSd---s^pt.
the sky to gdpd health oh earth, they soiight then: desires at the alters of their gdds. Thirou^ the advance df sciehce, howevet modern man has . disqoverec other means to get what he wants. If his i^elds nspd fain he constructs an artificial irrigation system. If an epidemic str^es him lie depeiids on medica means to fight it. Prayers thiis seem to have lost dleir efficacy in tiiddefii life.
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1^ I^UyFiii^ St 26^5      Mflg^ J^Wfe^fer ^, B.C.
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Officioi Orgon of the Jewish ■CortimUiti^ tdciKcll of Vbrtiouver
MQRRIS SALTZMilN, Preli<)l§iiJt ARTHUR FOUKS, Pubilirbtidni cMrmah I^UIS ZIMMERMAN, IxeeiiKV^
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FRiDXy, August 29/1958
Candle-lighting Tiniie Sobboth Eve., August 29, 7:42; September 5. 7:2^,
beg, to implore. It is derived from a root "Paila" meaning "Judgment' and the meaning of the verb "Hith-paiiel" or "to pray" v/hich is a reflexive, w ou 1 d therefore be "to exaiiiine or judge oneself. When we ^ray therefore we do not. actually Msk Anything frdni God but rather we make demands on ourselves. Through prayers we try to raise bur vistas kiid to reaffiriii oiir inoi-al convictions—as the late Dr. Barnett Bpckner so beautifully put it when he gave the foliowiiig defiiiitibh of prayer:
'Tor me prsy&e has becmne meditation upon tlie best we know, ibraMonibii witib die noblest ttiat we und«rsiaJBd, and reachlj]^ out of what we are to what we yearn to be^*^ ? The following types of praiyefs can serve as examples revealing the same purpose. TTiey all are directed id-wards 6ii6bliiig. our lives:
(a) PRAYERS OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING—We recite, blesis-ing^ upbii partaking of bread of wine, dohhihg a new garment^ beholding a: gfeSt sage and ihahy other oa:a-sions. We thereby praise the King of the Universe who has thus iridnife§ted His creative power. The 6xpres»oh of thanksgiving, howeyei^ is ^sfe'ntikl not to the gjvelt but to fiie rebiinent of the gift. It serves: to make iis (M>iiscious of the blessings we enjoy and heigiiten^ our enjoyment of thesb feifts ^hen they are pre^^nit
(b) PRAYERS OF PETmON
and to develop our moral pbtentiali-ties to the fullest.
ARE OUR PRAYERS ANS>VER-
ED? Oiif prayers have a very good chance of coming true because the v6ry praying has a' strange effect on m: it gives lis the determination to go ahead and accomplish those things for which we pray. Our natures are siich tliat we can generate oiir own power, that is, we can, by sincere prayer for courage, gain courage; we eaii; by sincere prayer for understanding, 6e inspired to seek iiiiderstarid-ihg. When we explore our heafte, looking for goodness, praying and hoping that. goodriiess will boinej We fcMlil it out. This is what wg ifieati by praying coming true: The godli-ne'ss in ourselves answers., bur prayers and the words of. the psalmist are
again realized: **If they" ciy at all onto Me, I will surely hear fiidr cry.**
Next week — «AN INTERPRE. TATION OF HIGH HOLIDAY PRAYERS."
LETTERS
Commends Festival Coverage To the Editor:
I would like to congratulate yoii and the Bulletin for your coverage of the first Varicbiivef Interiiational Fes-tival.
I am sure your "eifforts to promote greater interest iii cultural deVelbp-iiierit in the cbiiithiihity at largfe" hav^ been quite successful. ,   _ ,^
cdiinvNE fArbeIi,
NANAIMO
These prayers help us to gain clarity bf ptir^s6, seif-cibiitrbl, atiti toiirage to do is^hat is necessary for a:ttaihiiig the desired .end.
(c) i^RAYERS OF SELF- EVALti-
ATioN AND Self improvement — Prayers of self-evaluation ask us to look into the innermost recesses bf our heart so that we may see wherein we have fallen short and so that; in our solitude, we may take an honest invento^ of the soul with a view to self-iniproyement.
These and other types, of prayers all have the same objective: to keep us aware of bur ideals at all times
FOR bUTbi: TOWN VISITORS
Arran^ertierits for dccomrhodaticns Will df so fc^ hiddi^ dt\ request.
J^3O0 Broddwdy^ ^ Beliinghaiti, WdshV
or Phone: REgent 3-3413 SERVICES CONDUCTED BY CANTOR FRED S. GARTNER
BETH HAMIDRdSH RABBI GINSBERG and the VANCOUVER TALMUD TORAH
at the t^imlici tdltik Ailditdriiim
> SEi^f iMSER 14, 15, 16 -^Ei^tlM^eR 23, 24
ROSH HASHONA YOM Kli^l>UR
Rdbbi Ch. B. Ginsberg will officidfe d» the;
SEAT SALES WILL tAlCE PLACE AT THE
tALMUl^ tdRAN
SUNDAY, AiiliBJiJSt 31^ lid d;^^^    1 pj«. 7 jp.imi. io 9 pM. "
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER i; US d.iii. to 1 pin. / 7 Id 9 pi.iii.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 7 to 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, io d.ih. to 12 hdon 7 o.m. to 9 p.m;
MONDAY TO THURSDAY, September 8 to 11 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contor Arid Hiirwitz of Los Angeles will chont tbd iitui^y
services.
★
Limited  copdcity  to ossure cdmfort.   Arrange your sedt reservdtions early.
Slidios Services at the Beth Hitttiiteb
3231 Heather St. Ek. 72%i
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT MIDNIGHT
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For fu if fief inforfhotidn pfione ikf. tsk. (Gebrmoii Dl. ^51l^ dr the Talmud Tdroh office, . CE. 1312.