Powerful Punches, Powerful prayers

In my Tae Kwon Do practice, we are taught to put tremendous energy and force into every move. Each block, kick, or punch must not only be executed correctly, but it must also harness energy from our core (hips, back, stomach) so that it delivers significant force. Since people of all ages and sizes practice Tae Kwon Do, the question of how to develop that force is an important one. If you recall your high school physics, the equation for force is F=MA, force equals the product of mass and acceleration. In layman’s terms, two components affect the force of any strike, the size of the object and how fast it its going. Consider your fist. It is not that big, really. If you strike someone very slowly, they will barely feel it. The small size of the fist multiplied by the slow movement will not deliver a significant amount of force. If my fist was much bigger, say the size of a boulder, the rate of acceleration would not matter. A slow moving boulder still delivers a devastating amount of force. For a small pebble to equal that force it has to move at a much higher rate of acceleration.

My fist has a constant mass. In order for it to deliver a powerful blow, it must be moving very fast. I only have so much muscle and so much power in my arms, so to increase the power of my punch I have to begin the movement from my center, move through the distance to the target at an elevated speed, and at the very last moment, rotate my fist in order to fully maximize the acceleration. In addition to these mechanics, when throwing a TKD punch, we make a sharp and loud noise (kee-hup) just as we are about to strike the target. This shout serves several purposes – distracting the opponent, intimidating him/her, focusing our attention – including a brief, but important additional measure of energy in the movement. All of these efforts combine to make my small fist a potentially upsetting force.

As you become a more advanced student, the expectation is that you will become an increasingly powerful fighter, capable of overwhelming power in each and every move.

In my Jewish practice, I teach my students to put tremendous energy and meaning into each and every word of the tefillot (worship) and action of the mitzvot (commandments). Each individual word is small, and has a constant capacity. The force and effectiveness of a person’s prayer is necessarily the product of the energy they put into these words and actions. Like a well-thrown punch, a well prayed word gets nearly all of its energy and power, not from some external force, but from the core of the person who is praying. If you deliver the words with very little intention/kavanah (acceleration), they will be anemic and unable to affect the target at all. The words must be accompanied by intense focus, vocal clarity, precision mechanics, and a spiritual kee-hup.

Like Tae Kwon Do, as we become more advanced in our prayer practice, we must keep the expectation high, and strive to be increasingly powerful warriors of the spirit, capable of overwhelming depth and meaning in each and every word we say. This capacity does not come from the siddur (prayer book), or from any other external place. It must come from within, and be delivered to God with every measure of strength we have.

9/11 - Vigilance and Liberty

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

There is some scholarly debate about who uttered these now famous words. Some say it was Thomas Jefferson, others say Ida Wells, others still say John Philpot Curran. It was used in a speech by Wendell Phillips and in the farewell address of Andrew Jackson. Regardless of the orator, as we approach the anniversary of 9/11, this profound sentiment is my memorial meditation. There is so much emotion wrapped up with the commemoration of the attacks that day - anger, fear, sadness, resolve, uncertainty and more. I still remember vividly how I felt as a rabbi and a New Yorker when my wife and I watched the tragedy unfold on the news with our newborn daughter in hand.

Yom Kippur that year was difficult for all of us in NYC, and though time has helped to soften the wounds, time must not soften our resolve as Jews, as Americans, as patriots, and as members of the human family as Yom Kippur approaches this year.

Often, when people talk about 9/11 they infuse their conversation with inflammatory and emotional rhetoric. They seek to promote a particular political, social, religious or military agenda, and in doing so they dilute what I believe are the lasting and important resolutions we must make to honor the immensity of the loss.

The above quote reminds me that the purpose of our country and all of its immeasurable sacrifices is nothing if not freedom and liberty. To the extent that our commemorations rededicate us to this immutable foundation, I believe they will properly give the events of 9/11 their due tribute. No matter what our politics or religion, if we neglect to defend and honor freedom and liberty, if we are complacent about promoting liberty, if we give up our freedom too easily to secure a limited measure of security and a feeling of safety, then I believe we are dishonoring those who lost their lives.

Equally true, I believe is the undeniable responsibility that 9/11 places on our shoulders. If we remain indifferent to the real threats that challenge our freedoms, if we do not defend our country from all enemies – foreign and domestic – if we fail to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and future generations, then we are unworthy of the sacrifice and the devotion that our fellow citizens give to ensure our life and liberty.

This is not a political diatribe, and I am not promoting any particular political or legislative agenda. Please don’t read it to support your own personal politics. Our commemoration  must be for all Americans, indeed for all people of every religion, creed, and country. For liberty knows no borders, and it is the right of all people to be free.

Vigilance must be our method, and freedom must be our purpose. To sacrifice freedom for the sake of vigilance, or to let down our guard for the ease of liberty; both of these failures would be a strong indictment of our republic and our ability to learn from past lessons.

May the memories of those lost be a blessing. May God grant us with strength, and bless us with peace.