Balancing spiritual obligations with the immediate demands of survival often creates a quiet tension in the seeking heart. When sincere work and heartfelt service to others replaces rigid routine, even the simplest effort becomes a holy act. Prayer in a Sigh reflects on how genuine devotion thrives in the humble work of everyday life.
“A cobbler came to Rabbi Issac of Ger and said: “Tell me what to do about my morning prayer. My customers are poor men who have only one pair of shoes. I pick up their shoes late in the evening and work on them most of the night; at dawn there is still work to be done if the men are to have their shoes ready before they go to work. Now my question is: What shall I do about my morning prayer?”
“What have you been doing till now?” the Rabbi asked.
“Sometimes I rush through the prayer quickly and get back to my work – but then I feel bad about it. At other times I let the hour of prayer go by. Then too I feel a sense of loss and every now and then, as I raise my hammer from the shoes, I can almost hear my heart sigh, ‘What an unlucky man I am, that I am not able to make my morning prayer’.”
Said the Rabbi, “If I were God, I would value that sigh more than the prayer.”
More in The Prayer of the Frog (Volume I) by Anthony de Mello.
Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter of Ger (1799–1866), widely known as the Chiddushei HaRim, was the founder and first grand rabbi of the Ger Hasidic dynasty in Góra Kalwaria, Poland. A renowned Talmudic scholar, he emphasised deep Torah study, inner spiritual sincerity, and the sanctification of everyday life over outward display.
Anthony de Mello (1931-1987) was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer and public speaker, De Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling, which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West.
