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In this week’s parsha, Beshalach, Bnei Israel come to the yam suf and begin to complain to Moses of their desire to return to Egypt. Moses assures them that Hashem will wage and win war against Egypt. In response, Hashem asks Moses, “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to Bnei Israel and let them journey forth…” Using a simple pshat understanding of these psukim, it appears that Hashem is telling Moses that this isn’t a time for tefillah, but rather a time for action and dedication, i.e. going into the yam suf. However, on a deeper level, Hashem is teaching an additional lesson to Moses and Bnei Israel: it is as if Hashem is saying, “You don’t need to cry out to Me within earshot of others; a silent scream from the depths of your heart is enough!”

Rav Shalom Arush (a Breslov) explains that although one should yell to Hashem in personal prayer, his/her voice should not be heard by others. The “silent scream” ascends immediately to Hashem because it lacks vanity and externality. It is not blocked by all the evil elements in the world.

Rebbe Nachman develops this idea by stating, “One can shout loudly in a small silent voice without anyone hearing, because one doesn’t emit a sound, but simply screams silently with this soundless small voice. Anyone can do this.” R’ Nachman goes on to explain the method of screaming silently within one’s head, not verbally. Instead of drawing the sound from the lungs to the lips, one must draw the sound through the nerves up until the brain. The sound still rings, just not out loud. The silent scream is therefore a useful weapon of prayer, as it enables people to cry out to Hashem in even a crowded place, such as a subway or bus, and make use of otherwise wasted time to talk to Hashem.

As we are in Tzefat this Shabbat, I thought it would be appropriate to incorporate the Kabbalistic ideas of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov (the founder of the Chassidic movement). Like the Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman used allegories and parables to shroud the deepest secrets of the Torah and Kabbalah.

A parable (by R’ Lazer Brody) useful in understanding the power of the silent scream and relevant to this week’s parsha is such:

The April sunshine melted the remainder of the ice on the River Bay in the Central Ukraine. The forests and fields were coming alive with lush new growth. Both flora and fauna were emerging from their winter slumber – and so were the hunters.

From the time they’re hatched, wild goslings hear the nightmarish tales of the hunters, who with their lethal weapons spread terror throughout the forest and lake area. Geese are especially spiritual birds that must pray constantly for Divine protection. The gentle species that are subject to danger, like deer and geese, are particularly close to Hashem.
One brown-and-black-feathered mother goose lovingly nudged her gosling. “You’ve developed marvelously, my son. It’s time to spread your wings and fly independently.” The gosling trembled; its eyes glistened with tears of concern. “Mother, how can I fly? I already hear the crack of gunfire from afar; the hunters frighten me! Maybe I’ll be shot!” The mother goose reassured her youngling: “Trust in Hashem; all of us geese must learn emuna at a very young age. But, there’s something else you must also know…”
“What’s that, mother?”

“Never honk within gunshot range of the hunters; by making noise, you expose yourself. Our honking is only for high altitude flying. Whenever you must fly low or alone, remain silent. When you fly with the flock, and everyone else is honking, you too can honk!”

The mother goose’s advice is perfect for tefillah. When one is praying in public, everyone singing together, then singing out loud is expected and admirable. But, when someone is in a situation of personal prayer, screaming out loud only exposes one’s prayers to the “hunters,” meaning the forces of evil that try to prevent our prayers from reaching Hashem. The prayer will subsequently lose its power and evil will ultimately win out. It is therefore our job to make sure this does not happen.