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Dec 17, 2007
train minyan the source of train delays
The Mishpacha magazine (Hebrew edition) this past week had a nice write-up about the minyanim on the Bet Shemesh - Tel Aviv train.
One thing about it irked me. They spoke to the gabbai of the minyan and they were discussing the timing. The gabbai said they have never pulled into Tel Aviv without having completed the davening.
He then said that even on days where davening is longer, such as Rosh Chodesh because of Hallel and Mussaf, they finish before Tel Aviv. He said that on those days, Hashem arranges an extra mifgash rakavot (mifgash rakavot is when a train is coming in the opposite direction and one train needs to wait until it passes because of track limitations, such as one track in certain spots) that causes a delay of another 10 minutes or so, allowing them to finish on time.
So, because these guys do not want to wake up a little earlier and daven in shul, 200 or so other people on the train need to be delayed an extra 10 minutes, so they can finish on time? That is called Hashem coming to their assistance? What about Hashem coming to our assistance and getting us into the station on time once in a while!
(NOTE: I have nothing against the train minyan. I actually like it. I prefer not to daven in it for personal reasons, though on (rare) occasion I do join them for a minyan.)
One thing about it irked me. They spoke to the gabbai of the minyan and they were discussing the timing. The gabbai said they have never pulled into Tel Aviv without having completed the davening.
He then said that even on days where davening is longer, such as Rosh Chodesh because of Hallel and Mussaf, they finish before Tel Aviv. He said that on those days, Hashem arranges an extra mifgash rakavot (mifgash rakavot is when a train is coming in the opposite direction and one train needs to wait until it passes because of track limitations, such as one track in certain spots) that causes a delay of another 10 minutes or so, allowing them to finish on time.
So, because these guys do not want to wake up a little earlier and daven in shul, 200 or so other people on the train need to be delayed an extra 10 minutes, so they can finish on time? That is called Hashem coming to their assistance? What about Hashem coming to our assistance and getting us into the station on time once in a while!
(NOTE: I have nothing against the train minyan. I actually like it. I prefer not to daven in it for personal reasons, though on (rare) occasion I do join them for a minyan.)
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Unfortunately, the "gabbai" (read: the person who was escorting the Mishapacha reporter, because the person I would consider the gabbai wasn’t on the train that day) was trying to be humorous. There obviously is not an added mifgash because of the longer davening. We usually just daven faster. Occasionally, the train will be slightly delayed and we can daven a bit slower, but there is no correlation whatsoever between train delays and the minyan.
ReplyDeleteZevy