How to Eat a Tefillah

The holy Ropshitzer davened quickly, while the Chozeh of Lublin, who was also one of his rebbes, davened slowly. Once the Ropshitzer led the Chozeh's minyan and tried his best to match his Rebbe's pace, but as usual he finished early.

“Why do you daven so fast?” asked the Chozeh. As always, Rav Naftoli answered with a joke. “When someone loves his food, he gobbles it up,” he said, hinting at how much he loved every word of tefillah. “I see,” said the Chozeh. “I love the food too, but I prefer to savor each bite and draw out its taste.”

The Ropshitzer would not be outdone. “Rebbe,” he said, “your food is piping hot, so you must eat it slowly, whereas mine is...” and he let the sentence trail off.