Mumbling

No matter where you daven during the week, there ocassionally will be a shliach tzibur who mumbles, slurs the words together or completely mispronounces them. This is because the sole selection criterion for the person at the amud is typically that he is in avel (RL). Unfortunately, many of the ba'alei tefilah went to schools like the one I went to and can't pronounce Ivra (the only reason I can is because my dad (zzg) was very makpid on Ivra and nussach).

This, of course, drives me crazy (I am pretty good with the big picture items but little stuff gets me nuts).

But, this morning I was thinking....

If it's so annoying to me to have to listen to a ba'al tefilah who mumbles, imagine how the Master of the Universe must feel, k'viyachol (so to speak) having to deal with people who come late to davening, speed through davening, mumble through davening, talk through davening, chew gum through davening and drink through davening. Luckily for us, the Master of the Universe is a Keil Rachum v'Chanun and is probably happy to see us davening at all, no matter what our shortcomings.

Nevertheless, I will keep this in mind and try my best to come on time and daven slowly and clearly so as to give the Ribbono shel Olam some ta'anug.