klein@lzpfc.UUCP (03/08/84)
<Forwarded Article from Nemi Klein: For those who may not know, "Mincha" is the term for the prayer recited sometime in the afternoon -- before dark. Avi Gross > How about some of people's experiences in Mincha during the winter. For months I used a room that I thought no one has any reason to walk in to (if you are ever in LZ it is across from 3M-305 which used to be a conference room), anyway some people walked in who are in charge of buildings and grounds to see the area and I was standing with my head against the wall. When I was done I sheepishly walked out and a few minutes later I heard one of them ask the other 'what was he doing there', after I finally thought I found a room where I could have proper 'kavana' for not having fear of someone walk in. This next part is a question to people in HO and LZ - are we going to Matawan again for Mincha on Ta'anis Esther? I realize that because of Adar Sheni it is later this year b'misparam and thus most of you can get home in time. Some of us live in New York and will not get home in time. Anyway, keep me informed. Apologies to all those outside the HO/LZ area (for those of you outside AT&T HO is Holmdel, LZ is Lincroft - why LZ? don't ask me.
zev@hou2a.UUCP (Z.FARKAS) (03/12/84)
I have read the book Mr. Green has described
("The Essential Talmud" by Adin Steinsaltz).
It is excellent, and quite readable, especially
when one considers the complex nature of the subject
at hand.
I would recommend it for anyone, at any level of
knowledge about the Talmud.
If you have any questions about obtaining this book,
contact David Seth Green,
floyd!mhuxi!dsg
zev farkas hou2a!zev 201 949 3821zev@hou2a.UUCP (Z.FARKAS) (03/12/84)
I have davened mincha in some pretty weird places. At work here at holmdel, i have been extremely fortunate, since we have a regular minyan in a conference room. on those rare occassions when i have had to daven in my office, my roommates were very understanding (my current one is orthodox too, so it's really no problem). At college, until i organized a minyan (an orthodox prof lent us his office and his presence), i used any available classroom, or little "cubbyhole" labs off the main physics lab, or the top or bottom of a stairwell. elevator equipment rooms are ok if you don't mind the noise from the relays and motors. Yes, i have occaisionally had people walk in on me. I can feel my face turn red, and my kavanah level drops to near zilch, but i just finish up and walk out. It helps to remember that you probably will never have to deal with these people again. If that is not the case, a simple explanation about the afternoon prayer will usually suffice to convince them that you are not certifiably insane. They may even respect you more for your courage. I once davened at the head of a stairwell at madison square garden. lots of noise, but no one disturbed me. one of the nice things about elevators and escalators is that they really cut down stairway traffic. My really weird experiences, however, have been associated with dates, travelling, and job interviews. Some of the better ones: Parking lots in DC and Philadelphia. Side of various roads. Somewhere in the upper decks of the USS Intrepid memorial (the hard part was dead-reckoning to maintain a fix on mizrach (east)). Various lightly traveled exhibits of various museums. A construction site somewhere arount RT 128, Mass. At at least two job interviews, i remember simply asking the interviewer for a quiet room to say an afternoon prayer. At Hazeltine, on long island, and at hughes aircraft in Los Angeles, I got exactly that. I also got job offers. The point of this whole shpiel is that you can almost always find a place to daven, and it won't cost you your job, your friends, or your girlfriend/boyfriend (as the case may be- i once went for a walk with a girl in new york's central park. i had already davened, she hadn't. we found a quiet spot and she davened there.) zev (i've got to come up for air sometime) farkas hou2a!zev 201 949 3821
bleich@acf4.UUCP (Chaya Bleich) (03/13/84)
In light of the discussion about finding places to daven mincha, I heard of a funny, but true story that took place while I was in Brooklyn College. One of the popular mincha places was a bank of phone booths (the old-fashioned kind, where you could close the door & the lights were usually broken) on the ground floor of one of the buildings. One day, when there were lines for all the phones, someone got at the back of the line and waited patiently for his turn at the phone. He emerged a few seconds later totally bewildered - the phone was out of order and he had just spent 15 minutes watching people use it!
yudelson@aecom.UUCP (03/21/84)
The strangest experience I had was davening mincha at a Greyhound bus terminal. I figured the best thing to do was to go to the phone booth (one of the new-fangled open kinds that don't give Superman any privacy) and pray to Ma Bell, after a fashion. It was a good idea, until the phone rang. Now I make sure to take it off the hook first. "Beware the Frumiest Bandersnatch" - Larry Yudelson
martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo) (03/22/84)
This discussion is losing vitality. I used to employ several Yamani Muslims. When it was time to pray, they prayed wherever they were and despite the opinions of the non-Muslims around them. The oriental feeling is why hide speaking with God. Besides you see much weirder and some very disgusting behavior on the streets of New York, Boston and Chicago. Nobody notices someone praying. No one cares! Unless you are really having problems concentrating there is no reason to hide your prayer.
martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo) (03/23/84)
Zev Farkas sent me this letter and suggested that I could post it. >From **RJE** Thu Mar 22 17:31 CST 1984 >>From **RJE** Thu Mar 22 17:31 CST 1984 forwarded by **RJE** >>From zev Thu Mar 22 18:22 EST 1984 remote from hou2a >To: ihuxt!martillo >Subject: Re: Problems finding privacy for "Mincha" >References: <1049@pegasus.UUCP>, <289@hou2a.UUCP>, <429@aecom.UUCP>, <349@ihuxt.UUCP> >Status: R > >culture gap strikes again! to people who grew up in >an environment where everyone prays on a regular basis, especially >the arab world where it happens five times a day, it is really not >a big deal to stand in the street or an office and pray. >but to those of us who grew up in the stuffy and relatively atheistic >environment of the western world, it is much harder to put up with >the stares, let alone maintain a decent amount of kavanah. > >another element is safety. i don't know what it's like in the >midwest, but the new york area can get pretty rough, and >antisemitism is not exactly dead. you generally want to keep moving >around here (poorer target for attack). your job is not too safe, either, >if your boss is not too understanding about these things, or if >he catches flak from clients, etc., who don't like weird folks >standing around talking to G-d. > >You may post this, and use my name, if you wish. > >zev farkas hou2a!zev 201 949 3821 > >