How Do You Pray

Talmud, Berakot 10a:2-4

Some thugs were living in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood and were causing him a lot of trouble. Rabbi Meir used to pray that they should die. Bruria, his wife, said to him, “What is your opinion? Is it because it is written, ‘Sins will cease?’ (Psalm 104:35). It doesn’t say, ‘sinners,’ it says ‘sins!’ Also, follow to the end of the verse, ‘And evildoers will be no longer.’ Since sinners cease, they will no longer be evildoers? Rather, pray that they should repent, and no longer be evildoers.” He prayed for them, and they repented.

—Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Translator [Babylonian Talmud, Berakot 10a:2-4].

Spirituality and Pracice

The highest form of worship is when we harness the energy of the evil impulse and channel it in the right direction. Judaism calls the evil impulse a “blaze” and recognizes the power of this red-hot energy. What counts is to restrain the blaze when it threatens to burn out of control and to let it burn at the right time and place. Passion cannot be easily restrained, but it can be channeled in morally and socially productive ways.

—David S. Ariel in Spiritual Judaism by David S. Ariel [Spirituality & Practice].