Dick: The Rabbi one day
was walking down the corridor and on the impulse he opened the
door and went into the synagogue itself and as he did that he
was overwhelmed by a sense of the glory of God and threw himself
down on his face and on his knees, he concentrated and began to
praise God and said, "Oh God, compared to your greatness
I am nothing. I am nothing but a grain of dust. You are so great
and magnificent and I am nothing compared to you." And the
Cantor was passing by in the hall and he heard this. He opened
the door and went in. He saw what the Rabbi was doing. The Cantor
was suddenly overcome with the glory of God and he threw himself
on his face and began to praise the Lord and he said, "Oh
God, compared to your greatness I am nothing a grain of dust,
a drop of water in the ocean. I am nothing compared to your magnificence
and your splendor." And they were both praising the Lord
in this way and out in the hall the janitor came along with his
broom shoveling and sweeping up. He opened the door and went in
and looked at these two guys. All of a sudden the janitor is just
overcome with a sense of the glory of God and the janitor threw
himself down on his face and he began to praise the Lord and he
said, "Oh God, I am nothing compared to your splendor. I
am nothing at all." The Rabbi heard this newcomer and he
looked up and nudged the Cantor and said, "Look who thinks
he's nothing." Sharon could tell it even much better than
I can. But it is a good story and it makes a good point doesn't
it? So I want you to know that I am much more humble than any
of you. I am absolutely nothing so don't get in the lunch line
ahead of me. Is there anything left over from last night?
Q: The beat interrupts the silence?
Dick: Without the beat there would not be a silence to listen to in a sense. They give birth to each other. The beat of your own heart creates the silence and the silence creates the beat of the heart.