Story of the nearly empty synagogue

Sharing with you “Prayers Rise” from the Marc Gafni Tumblr blog:

They once say this great master went to an incredibly large synagogue, big and gorgeous, and there is only 10 people in there.

He says there is no room for me to come in.

They say what do you mean. There are tons of seats.

He says there is a tradition. When you pray you pray with a sincere and open heart. your prayers rise. But if you pray lost in ego, you can’t get straight, transparent, and clear, your prayers stay down. In this big beautiful place, nobody ever prays with an open heart so all the prayers stay down and there’s no room to move.

Prayer rises when I realize that I am not just a part, screaming that I exist, stuck in my personality in the crazy stories of my life. I am a part of something larger.

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