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Keeping the Faith

Shira Beleck
Atlantic Seaboard Regional Board Vice-President

One day, a prince was traveling through the woods when he heard a woman cry, "Help, Help, someone save me!" Looking through the window of his carriage, the prince saw a young woman being attacked by three ferocious looking men. He ordered his driver to stop the carriage and jumped out. When the three attackers saw the prince they ran away and left the young maiden on the ground.

The prince helped the young woman to her feet and accompanied her to his carriage. Curious, the prince asked who she was. She responded by telling him that she was the princess of a neighboring kingdom. She thanked him and they went their separate ways.

Several months passed and the prince couldn't stop thinking about the princess. He decided that this young princess could be the woman that he would marry. However, he was hesitant to contact her since it was over a few months since their last encounter. He came up with a plan to send a few of his men to "capture" the princess so that he could "pass by" and save her, again.

Everything went accordingly. The prince's men captured the princess on her way out of the castle and took her to the forest where the prince was waiting. When she saw the prince ride by, she cried out "Your highness, please come save me!"

"That is just what I was waiting for," the prince cried as he ran off to "save" the princess, yet again.

In Parshat Beshalach, the Jewish people travel out of Egypt and no less than three days later, Pharaoh and his men are chasing them again. When the Jews see that on one side of them is the sea and on the other is an army of Egyptians, they cry out to Hashem with all their hearts.

There is an opinion that says that in Egypt, the Jewish people prayed to Hashem to free them but the moment they left Egypt, their prayers stopped.

One can learn from this that Hashem wants to hear our prayers, and we should never be forced to pray to Him. We should pray not only when we need something, but every day to thank Hashem and let Him know that we are always thinking about him.


	Keeping the Faith Shira Beleck Atlantic Seaboard Regional Board Vice-President One day, a prince was traveling through the woods when he heard a woman cry, "Help, Help, someone save me!" Looking through the window of his carriage, the prince saw a young woman being attacked by three ferocious looking men. He ordered his driver to stop the carriage and jumped out. When the three attackers saw the prince they ran away and left the young maiden on the ground. The prince helped the young woman to her feet and accompanied her to his carriage. Curious, the prince asked who she was. She responded by telling him that she was the princess of a neighboring kingdom. She thanked him and they went their separate ways. Several months passed and the prince couldn't stop thinking about the princess. He decided that this young princess could be the woman that he would marry. However, he was hesitant to contact her since it was over a few months since their last encounter. He came up with a plan to send a few of his men to "capture" the princess so that he could "pass by" and save her, again. Everything went accordingly. The prince's men captured the princess on her way out of the castle and took her to the forest where the prince was waiting. When she saw the prince ride by, she cried out "Your highness, please come save me!" "That is just what I was waiting for," the prince cried as he ran off to "save" the princess, yet again. In Parshat Beshalach, the Jewish people travel out of Egypt and no less than three days later, Pharaoh and his men are chasing them again. When the Jews see that on one side of them is the sea and on the other is an army of Egyptians, they cry out to Hashem with all their hearts. There is an opinion that says that in Egypt, the Jewish people prayed to Hashem to free them but the moment they left Egypt, their prayers stopped. One can learn from this that Hashem wants to hear our prayers, and we should never be forced to pray to Him. We should pray not only when we need something, but every day to thank Hashem and let Him know that we are always thinking about him. NCSY is the youth movement of the Orthodox Union