To heighten the sensitivity to the importance of talk-free davening, one Shabbat a year should be dedicated by each shul to a discussion of all aspects of davening.  Parshat Beshalach has been chosen because the Torah portion read that day includes the text of Shmot 14:14 in which Moshe allays the fears of the Children of Israel at the shore of the Red Sea with the words: "G-d will fight for you, but you must remain silent." We should all take that opportunity to reemphasize the value of proper davening and to review some of the basic halachot of davening. A special effort should be made by all mitpallelim to avoid idle talk and to concentrate on the davening.

In these troubled times, it would behoove us to improve the quality of our davening. The first steps should be to study the meaning of the tefillot, to come on time to shul and to articulate every word of davening. Shmoozing during davening will thereafter, with G-d's help, become an anachronism.