Comments on: more on halakha http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/06/01/more/ Danya Ruttenberg's website Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:14:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: B2 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/06/01/more/#comment-419 B2 Fri, 03 Jun 2005 17:45:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/06/01/more/#comment-419 Drunk elephant desire? Nice image. I agree - halakha reminds us that we;re not just animals, giving in to every whim that strikes us. We are humans, and have the ability and the need to rise above... prayer and ritual and acting righteously are some ways to do that. Drunk elephant desire? Nice image. I agree - halakha reminds us that we;re not just animals, giving in to every whim that strikes us. We are humans, and have the ability and the need to rise above… prayer and ritual and acting righteously are some ways to do that.

]]> By: Rachel http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/06/01/more/#comment-418 Rachel Wed, 01 Jun 2005 23:41:00 +0000 http://danyaruttenberg.net/2005/06/01/more/#comment-418 Some of what you say about the difficulty (and value) of praying when you don't feel like praying reminds me of a quote I love about writing. It's Julia Cameron, from "The Right to Write," and here it is: "Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn't necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a little further." It seems to me that what she's saying holds true for prayer, as well. The desire to pray is a luxury that isn't necessary in the longterm relationship we build with God; the discipline creates a space in which the kavvanah can arise. And, of course, Kafka famously said "all writing is a form of prayer"... Some of what you say about the difficulty (and value) of praying when you don’t feel like praying reminds me of a quote I love about writing. It’s Julia Cameron, from “The Right to Write,” and here it is: “Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn’t necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a little further.”

It seems to me that what she’s saying holds true for prayer, as well. The desire to pray is a luxury that isn’t necessary in the longterm relationship we build with God; the discipline creates a space in which the kavvanah can arise.

And, of course, Kafka famously said “all writing is a form of prayer”…

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