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Stop The Talking In Shul - Rabbi Paysach Krohn on Stop the Talking in Shul January 2017

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Author: Stop The Talking In Shul
Categories: Religion Psychology Education
Tags: religion, psychology, education
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 00:55 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Treat davening as a real conversation with Hashem by studying the words of the siddur, underlining meaningful phrases, and reflecting on them, so that you stop talking in shul and your tefillot become more meaningful. Rabbi Paysach Krohn argues that the siddur is "talking to you" and that understanding its words strengthens the connection to Hashem.

Key Points

  • Rabbi Krohn frames the "Stop the Talking in Shul" project around the idea that when you realize you are speaking to Hashem, you will not talk to others.
  • The Shemoneh Esrei phrase "Mechayeh HaMeisim" carries three meanings: Hashem sustains life through the growth of food, saves those on the brink of death, and resurrects the dead in the future.
  • The Maharal explains "Lo Pilalti" (Yaakov's statement that he never expected to see Yosef again) as referring to a thought process, meaning davening should not be rushed.
  • The Rabbi from Rabbavo teaches that men need more mitzvos because their nature is further from Hashem's will, while women's innate nature is closer to it, which is what the bracha "She'asani kirtzono" expresses.
  • A Skola Rebbi, while in solitary confinement during the Second World War, reinterpreted "Oseh" in Baruch She'amar to mean "to exist" or "to endure," which gave him strength.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: Use a siddur you daven from regularly, and when a good thought or meaning comes to you during davening, underline or highlight it. Circle or mark words with multiple meanings (such as "Mechayeh HaMeisim," which Rabbi Krohn circles three times) so you think about each meaning while davening. Keep reviewing these markings so the siddur "talks to you" every day.
  • The Skola Rebbi story is a model for reflection: when a word seems to clash with its context (such as "Oseh" in Baruch She'amar), look for alternative translations until the meaning clarifies.
  • Rabbi Krohn offers his own view, loosely based on Rashi, that Hashem consulted (so to speak) in creating Adam but did not consult anyone in creating the woman, presenting this as his personal opinion rather than a definitive teaching.
  • The day after 9/11, a Bais Yaakov principal named Mrs. Rifer spoke to students about not fearing sudden terror, like 9/11 or the Holocaust, and this inspired Rabbi Krohn to say "Al HaNissim" three times a day from then on. Rabbi Krohn later noted that the last pasuk of "Al HaNissim" repeats "Ani" five times, which he understands as Hashem saying "I will protect you, I will carry you, I will save you."
  • Rabbi Krohn sums up his view of davening: it is not about "I need," "I crave," or "I want," but about "I help, I do, I care."

Bottom Line

Learning what the words of davening mean, and marking them in your siddur, turns tefillah into a personal dialogue with Hashem that leaves little room for talking in shul.