“17:44 (Y. Ali) The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbearing, Most Forgiving!”

and…”24:41 (Y. Ali) Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.”

and the most sublime, “59:24 (Y. Ali) He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”

From the Psalms, of course, my favorite, Psalm 96: “Shiru l’H’ Shir Chadash, Shiru l’H’ col ha-Aretz…Sing to Ha-Shem a new song, Sing to Ha-Shem all the earth!…Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult; then shall all the trees of the forest shout for joy at the presence of Ha-Shem, for God is coming.”

I love the idea that everything sings its own song. Even the earthworms. But especially the trees.

Thank you again!

At this point in our cultural evolution, it is interesting, important and perhaps even imperative for us to explore more deeply and creatively the relationship between individual experience/expression and communal form in Jewish worship. Living fully in the dialectic is equally critical to saving the form of the liturgy as it to breathing life into the soul of the individual Jew.

Here are some pieces of A.J. Heschel’s wisdom on the matter:

It is true that a Jew never worships as an isolated individual but as a part of the Community of Israel. Yet it is within the heart of every individual that prayer takes place. It is a personal duty, and an intimate act which cannot be delegated to either the cantor or to the whole community. We pray with all of Israel, and everyone of us by himself.

Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism, p. 55

…[P]rayer is primarily an event in the individual souls, an act of emanation, not only an act of participation… [T]he worth of public worship depends upon the depth of private worship, of the private worship of those who worship together. We are taught that the fate of all mankind depends upon the conduct of one single individual, namely you. This undoubtedly applies to what goes on in the houses of worship.

Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism, p. 46

Prayer will not come about by default. It requires education, training, reflection, contemplation. It is not enough to join others; it is necessary to build a sanctuary within, brick by brick, instants of meditation, moments of devotion. This is particularly true in an age when overwhelming forces seem to conspire at destroying our ability to pray.

From “On Prayer”

There is a permanent union between individual worship and communal worship, each of which depends for its existence upon the other. To ignore their spiritual symbiosis will prove fatal to both.

Man’s Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism, p. 45

Blessings, Naomi