Research In Motions

"In the morning when I rise, You are the first thing on my mind ... You've got me feeling emotions, higher than the Heavens Above." (MC)

What are you
serving up today?

The great Chassidic masters often explain that there are three aspects of each mitzvah - the verbal, the physical, and the mental. If we were to take the mitzvah of tzitzis, for instance, we say a brocho on it first, place it on our bodies, and think in our minds that we are fulfilling a mitzvah from the Torah by doing so. They discuss how doing a mitzvah without thought is incomplete. By simply doing an action without thinking what is being done and why, they describe, is like a body without a soul.

Imagine you once have the opportunity to visit the palace of a king. After being escorted through heavy security, down magnificent hallways and through many wings of the palace, you are led into the grand dining hall where the king is sitting, awaiting his meal to be served. At that moment, the doors leading to the royal kitchen open, and several waiters rush out. As you look closely, you notice something extremely peculiar. Although the waiters are dressed in the finest uniforms, toting silky white napkins on their arms, and carrying the most expensive china - there is absolutely no food being brought out! The dishes they are carrying are completely empty! As they scurry around the table, gently placing the elegant plates, bowls, flatware, and stemware before the king, they open the large main dish cover, and serve him ... nothing!
You're starring in disbelief as they go through the motions, appearing as if they are accomplishing something! But you're not alone. You gaze at the king who is sitting at the head of the stunning table. He watches the waiters follow through the actions of serving him his meal, but patiently waits for the actual food! After standing there in amazement for a few minutes, you turn to one of the guards who is standing nearby, and inquire in a whisper, "What is going on here?"
The guard smiles and responds, "Oh, don't worry - this happens every day!"
You bluntly reply, "But what will the king eat? They're not serving him anything!"
"Don't be alarmed," the guard says. "In a few more moments, there will be another shift of waiters that will do the same things this group did - but they will serve food also!"

Each day - three times a day - we have the distinct honor of approaching the King of Kings in tefillah. Hashem, who thoroughly enjoys hearing our words, eagerly awaits to listen to everything we have to say. Yet, each day, there are people who go through the motions of davening without anything of value being said - or sometimes nothing said at all! They sit and then stand. They stand and then sit. They open the siddur, turn the pages, and sway away with the rest of the crowd. They step backwards and then forwards. Forwards and then backwards. Perhaps, in the interim, a few thoughtless words are uttered. Perhaps even a sentence or two.
Yet, many say nothing at all.
They just go through the motions.
Just the body without the soul.
So where does Hashem's pride and "pleasure" come from?
Those who daven with meaning.
With soul.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves, "What am I waiting for? Am I serving my purpose?"
Let us all learn to serve Hashem with our emotion, not just our motion.

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please give me the strength and ability to serve You well today!"