Pray Up or Pay Up

At a recent class we discussed the story of Abraham, who loved to have guest. He would serve them the best meat, and bake fresh bread for them. He would accommodate them with all their needs and then go out of his way to accompany them out to their next destination. The Talmud tell us that as his guest were leaving and thanking him, he would tell them that they have to thank G-d instead. Most of the time the guest, who were idol worshipers, didn't feel comfortable with the idea. Abraham would make them an offer they couldn't refuse: Either you pray to my G-d, or you pay me the full price for the accommodations... Since there was no competition in the area Abraham invented price gouging. The idolaters didn't have a choice put to pray up.

The story is bothersome to most people because it is difficult to understand the value of coerced spirituality. If they didn't mean it what was the point? If they prayed to get away from paying what did Abraham accomplish?

Electroshock therapy is used in extreme cases of depression. Defibrillation is use in extreme cases of heart failure. They are not meant to change the brain or the heart, but to jump start them. Sometimes our soul is so piled up with dirt that it doesn't connect with its Higher Power, even though they are naturally related. Extreme cases of spiritual deficiency require us to be treated with a dose of coerced reconnection with G-d. When we force ourselves to do the things that we are told will help us awaken, eventually we redevelop our inner capacity to have our own personal relationship with G-d.