#583: Amida: Shema Koleinu (Part 12)

simp is generously sponsored by the Saka family by for on the ofu and we last left off pointing out that that word shma to listen to hear ostensibly appears no less than four times in this one relatively short and four times has one more what does say so there's a fifth time that the word is used in as well why such an emphasis on this word shma to hear so first of all the word shma doesn't just mean to hear the word shma means to understand means that the principle if a person wants to fulfill their by listening to somebody else else they need to understand what the means if they don't understand what the means one can't fulfill because the word sha doesn't just mean to hear audibly doesn't mean to take in the sound waves to the eardrum it means to understand to comprehend to be able to absorb what's being said that's what that's what sh person has to understand in order to be able to be Y is a big discussion so much so that Friday night Kish if a person since hearing somebody else make KES but they don't understand what the words mean how are theyes so it's brought down that might be the origin of the Min some have that the guests who are y KES sing along with the mades the person making The KES they sing parts of it which might be the hardest words that they are least likely to understand so by filling in that Gap and saying it then you uh then you can the rest of it be doesn't just mean to audibly hear it means to understand it means to comprehend which means what we're asking Hashem is not just to hear not that Hashem is infinite omnipotent he never listens with half an ear but don't just listen with half an ear and either give or don't give shma understand comprehend listen we're coming to you we've got challenges troubles things we need help with we have a mission we want to fulfill we have gratitude we want to express we want to express a protest against something that Hashem is doing so shma don't just with half an answer half an ear and either answer or not but comprehend understand pay attention we want to feel heard this is a very big thing in today's world people to be healthy they want to feel heard they want to feel he young people in particular teenagers in particular I don't know that when we were growing up we ever felt entitled to feel feel heard I don't think that was on our radar that we felt entitled or deserving or I need to feel heard heard just go to school get good grades do your chores but today everybody needs to feel heard I'm not uh minimizing it or making fun of it it's a reality you read this Ador today everybody needs to feel heard so we also understood that we also need to feel heard we want to feel heard soem hear us four times five times make me feel heard whether you'll answer favorably positively or not but help me and make me feel heard this actually works very well with a continuation of the braa and an explanation of it we continue what does the word mean from in front of you don't return me empty-handed where else would we be returning from empty-handed mil to quote the great uni is here is there is everywhere everywhere is MIL so what do we mean why are we invoking that word we could simply say our King don't send us back empty-handed what did we add by invoking the word by invoking the word mil from in front of you don't send me back empty-handed so some bring down RAB quotes this in his prayer andab says that person walks away from a conversation with Hashem even if Hashem was not ready to say yes to whatever we asked but if we yield a sense of closeness of intimacy if we feel we were heard that in itself is elevating it's empowering it's comforting it's strengthening you see this with KH after KH cries her heart out begging for a when she finishes says her face was no longer said she was no longer said whether she'd be heard or not whether she would be listened to or responded to favorably I should say or not she felt heard and if you feel heard by a friend or family member feels good if you feel heard by a boss or in Authority feels even better if you feel heard by the ronam himself it's an incredible feeling so we say let it let us not leave let us not leave at least feeling heard we want to minimally feel heard whether you'll in fact deliver on what we asked whether you'll answer favorably that you'll decide but let us at least feel heard so maybe that word sha is not just to here to be understood let us feel understood from in front of you let us not leave without at least feeling that we were understood that we were loved that we had an address through which to address all of our needs all of our concerns we'll pick up next