We Jews are very good at praying the words on the page. We are used to the structure (the keva) and the order (seder) of the words in the prayerbook (siddur, some root as seder, order). In fact, we like the order. Some of us like the same tunes week after week. They are old familiar friends and they bring us comfort.

But we don’t have to pray with the prayerbook. We can pray the feelings of our heart. Sometimes we call this kavanah, intention. Sometimes people find this scary or just plain wrong. We should always use the printed word. The rabbis wrote them 2000 years ago, some of them, they must be right! And they are–but they are a reflection of the rabbis’ own kavanah, intention. Their own sense of wonder and amazement, fear and trembling, awe.

My class has been working on Ain Kamocha, the introduction to the Torah service. Ain Kamocha, None compare to you, O Lord. It answers the question, “Mi Chamocha” Who is like You O Lord? The 4th grade class has been working on Ein Keloheinu, “No one is like our G-d. No one is like our Lord. No one is like our King. No one is like our moshianu, redeemer or deliverer.” It too answers that question, Who is like You? with a resounding NO ONE! No god, no lord, no ruler, no redeemer.

Mi Chamocha was first sung by Moses and Israelites in thanksgiving right after they crossed the Red Sea, right after the waters of the sea parted. What would these kids say? “Wow!” “That was cool!” “That was amazing!” “That was awesome.” “Do it again!” “How did You do that?” “What just happened here?” “What happened to the Egyptians?” “We are safe now.” “We are free.” “Thank you G-d.” “Hallelujah.” One girl said she would have fainted. They got the awesomeness of this moment. Just like Moses when he first sang Mi Chamocha. And that is what real prayer is–the prompting our hearts to what is going on around us.

But this story isn’t quite over. We were still talking about Ain Keloneinu and relating it back to Mi Chamocha. We know the words Eloheinu, our G-d, Adonainu, our Lord, Malkeinu, our King, but what is Moshianu? What does it mean to be our Redeemer or our Deliverer? I said somehow it is related to G-d bringing us out of Egypt. One girl, 4th grade explained it. “I think about when a baby is delivered. The doctor is the deliverer.” It was one of those wow moments. I hadn’t thought about it that way before. G-d is the midwife to the Jewish people. They are coming out of Egypt, out of the narrow places, out of the birth canal. They are being birthed as a new nation. They are delivered so G-d is the Deliverer. That’s what redemption means.

Mi Chamocha and Ain Keloheinu will never be quite the same for me–or any of us who were present Wednesday afternoon for ruach. Then we sang Mi Chamocha. Teach the children to pray? Maybe it is the other way around!