Mincha and Lentil Soup

Living in an orthodox jewish community, a usually difficult problem, that of finding a venue for the mid-day prayer (Mincha) in the midst of the workday, is rather easily solved.

Many merchants in our local community, especially those with large staffs and even larger stores, can easily provide both the venue and the manpower (10 adult men for a quorum) and in fact, do so.

At the supermarket, the prayer takes place in a section of the warehouse where the worshippers pray facing things like cartons of "1 Gross Canned Peas" or "24 count Kellogs Rice Krispies" or "Calf's Foot Jelly - 48 jars", certainly not distracting enough to sway them from their devotions.

Not so the bookstore. There, the prayer service is conducted among the latest kosher cookbooks titled in order to induce salivation (not to be confused with salvation) in addition to a physical need to purchase the volume. How then to give your undivided attention to the lord above with "Secrets of 125 Luscious Breads" or "The Best of Near Eastern Cooking" or "99 Best Cherry Dishes" decorated with pictures of the most perfect, mouth watering dishes staring you in the face whenever you open your eyes.

Just recently, I was amused by a fellow worshipper who, while mouthing out loud the holiest part of the litany, was holding a cookbook (instead of a prayer book) opened to a page entitled "Winter Lentil Soup."

I think we need to move the service to the aisle with titles like, "The Power of Thoughtful Prayer" or "Know Before Whom You Stand." It might not improve the worship, but at least they won't be reading the books.