Davening Survey

Before even thinking about moving up a slot, I think people have to think about why they come to daven in the first place.

Sadly, I think many come simply out of habit.

The same way most brush their teeth when they get up in the morning – automatically, they daven every morning – automatically.

How many of us, if we had an appointment to speak with an important politician, or someone who might be extremely helpful to us in the business world with our parnassa, would show up even one minute late, without giving ourselves a few extra minutes to compose ourselves, our thoughts, and prepare what we wanted to say to the chashuv person.

How many of us, before davening, think about the fact that we are about to speak to the very same HaSh-m that created the Universe, the very same Being that split the Yam Suf, the very same HaSh-m that swallowed up Korach and his followers, the very same All-Powerful G-d that spoke to the Avos, to Moshe Rabainu, to all the nevi’im, and did all the neesim in Tanach. We, little, unworthy creatures that we are, are about to speak directly to the Creator of time and space, to The One who can answer ANY prayer in the blink of an eye if He wills it.

If we can think about this, if we can internalize it, there will be no question which “category” we want to be in.

If we have NOT thought about this, with Mashiach knocking on the door, it is time for all of us to start.

How about people that skip korbanos altogether.

As far as I know the only time it is muttar to skip korbanos is if you won’t make tefillah b’tzibur but ONLY if it happens once in a really rare while- NOT on a daily basis. Even then it needs to be made up after davening.

I had a rebbe that said “korbanos was not a printing error in the siddur”

There is also a catagory 6 1/2 for those who do come to the shul building but shmooz in the vestabule (with Talis & Tfillin and coffee). Not sure how much they actually ‘daven’.

I once picked up a young married man at about 7:30 IN BORO PARK who, when asked, told me that he doesn’t have time to daven in shul. I’m afraid that those like him would be a catagory #7.

B”H, I’ve worked and worked and gotten myself up to a category 1, for the most part.

I also see people come in late – even after the minyan has started Shmoneh Esray. I often wonder (to myself) how late a person can come in and still be considered as davening with the minyan. Is there a point where a person is so late that it’s not davening with a minyan? (During the week I usually daven at the last minyan on the yishuv, so suggesting that people go to a later minyan won’t work here.)

unless they are yourself