What's the Point?
אִיתְּמַר, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר: תְּפִלּוֹת אָבוֹת תִּקְּנוּם. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: אָמַר תְּפִלּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד תְּמִידִין תִּקְּנוּם. תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, וְתַנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי.
Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: The practice of praying three times daily is ancient, albeit not in its present form; prayers were instituted by the Patriarchs. However, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said that the prayers were instituted based on the daily offerings sacrificed in the Holy Temple, and the prayers parallel the offerings, in terms of both time and characteristics.
What Can It Be?
Prayer As Awakening
Prayer and ritual are the Jewish people’s way of heightening our awareness of the sacredness of life, of clarifying and reiterating our moral values and of marking time and space in a sacred way. -Rabbi Les Bronstein
To Pray "Oneself"
In the Hebrew language, the word "to pray" is le-hit-pah-lel. Interestingly, it is a reflexive verb -- something that you do to yourself. The root of the word, palal, means "to judge," rendering the actual translation of prayer as something more akin to self-evaluation.
Integration
Therefore, when a person stands before God to communicate, she is taking stock of her capabilities, current level of spiritual consciousness and willingness to accept reality for what it truly is. The deeper notion is that we are willfully trying to integrate the inescapable fact that we are utterly dependent on the Creator.
Cultural and Familiar Bond
Example: lighting Hanukkah candles, saying the wedding vows, etc. Why? Because my ancestors used these words, and I connect to something bigger than myself through them (see minhag avot).
Why the Prayers Are What They Are
- Hebrew as the lashon hakodesh (holy language) - though there are exceptions
- Rabbinic formula & goals (100 blessings a day)
- Sacred Time: weekdays, Shabbat/havdalah, rosh chodesh (new moon), holidays
- Prescribed prayers for moments - eating, drinking, seeing a rainbow, etc. etc. etc.
- Tallit & tefillin
- Liturgy increasing over time (examples: Kaddish, Yedid Nefesh, Prayer For Israel) or changed to meet religious tastes (Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism)
- Minhag Avot and Minhag HaMakom; Keva vs. Kavanah
A Taste of Tefillah
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ (ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ (ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
(4) Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה alone. (5) You shall love your God יהוה with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. (7) Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. (8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; (9) inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
A Weekday For A Jew Who Prays
- Shacharit
- Birkot Hashachar: Blessings of the dawn (Modeh Ani, handwashing, tzitzit and tefillin)
- Pesukei D’Zimra: Verses of praise
- Barekhu: The call to prayer
- Shema and Amidah (and Hallel if it's a special day)
- Tachanun (omitted on Shabbat)
- Service For Torah Reading (Monday, Thursday)
- Aleinu
- Kaddish
- Mincha and Maariv are abbreviated versions of the above; can be said at different times or combined together
- Anything else happen in the day? Prayers would be recited throughout
- When not praying in a minyan, certain prayers are omitted
Getting Started
YouTube! Instructions, musical playlistsMishkan T'filah by the Reform Movement
A Guide To Jewish Prayer by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
KaKatuv: http://www.kakatuv.com/index.html
Aleph Isn't Tough by Behrman House
Tallit and tefillin: ask me
Ritualwell.org
Creative Tefilla: The Amidah
2. Gevurot (“powers”). Praises God for His power and might, e.g., healing, resurrection, rain, etc.
3. Kedushat ha-Shem (“sanctification of the Name”) praises God's holiness.--Spiritual & Physical Needs4. Binah (“understanding”). A petition to God to grant wisdom and understanding.
5. Teshuvah (“return”). A petition to God to help Jews return to their higher selves.
6. Selichah, (“forgiveness”). A petition to God for forgiveness for all sins.7. Geulah (“redemption”). A petition to God to redeem his people Israel.
8. Refuah (“healing”). A petition to God to heal the sick.
9. Birkat HaShanim (“blessing for years [of good]”). A petition to God to bless the produce of the earth.Credal
10. Galuyot (“diasporas”). A petition to God to allow the ingathering of the Jewish exiles back to the land of Israel.11. Birkat HaDin (“Justice”). A petition to God to restore righteous judges as in the days of old.
12. Birkat HaMinim (“the sectarians, heretics”). A petition to God to destroy heretics who slander Jews and who act as informers against Jews.
13. Tzadikim (“righteous”). A petition to God to have mercy on all who trust in Him, and asks for support for the righteous.
14. Bo'ne Yerushalayim (“Builder of Jerusalem”). A petition to God to rebuild Jerusalem and to restore the Kingdom of David.
15. Birkat David (“Blessing of David”). A petition to God to bring the descendant of King David, who will be the messiah.
16. Tefillah (“prayer”). A petition to God to accept our prayers, to have mercy and be compassionate.---Closing
17. Avodah (“service”). A petition to God to restore the Temple services and sacrificial services.
18. Hoda'ah (“thanksgiving”). A prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for our lives, for our souls, and for God's miracles that are with us every day.
19. Sim Shalom (“Grant Peace”). A prayer for peace, goodness, blessings, kindness and compassion.