"What a wonder that we should be able to draw so near to God in prayer. How many walls are there between man and God! Even though God fills all the world, He is so very hidden! Yet a single word of prayer can topple all the walls and bring you close to God."
--Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezrich, Lekutei Yekarim 2b
I. What is Prayer?
A. 20th Century
"The primary purpose of prayer is not to make requests. The primary purpose is to praise, to sing, to chant. Because the essence of prayer is a song, and man cannot live without song."
--Prof. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, I asked for Wonder
"Prayer may not save us. But Prayer may make us worthy of being saved." --ibid.
"Prayer likewise is unimaginable without having man stand before and address himself to God in a manner reminiscent of the prophets dialogue with God." Rabbi Josef Soloveitchik, Halakhic Man
Guiding questions:
1. Give a one word title to each source above.
2. What is similar to all three insights? What is different?
3. Which one speaks to you most right now? Why?
B. 21st Century
"Prayer is an expression of the conversation of existence, it brings together a persona's deepest desires and the desires concealed in all of existence, and gives words to the prayer of the world, the prayer of humankind." --Rabbi Dov Singer, Prepare My Prayer
"The entire religious life is pointed toward the goal of inner awareness, the greatest vehicle our tradition offers for opening the heart is prayer." --Prof. Rabbi Art Green, Ehyeh: A Kabbala for Tomorrow
Guiding questions:
1. Give a one word title to each source above.
2. What is similar to both insights? What is different?
3. Which one speaks to you most right now? Why?
4. Compare the 20th century teachings to the 21st century ones. Compare and contrast the two groups.
II. Kavannah--Does I need intention to prayer?
ר"א לעולם ימוד אדם את עצמו אם יכול לכוין את לבו יתפלל ואם לאו אל יתפלל.
Rabbi Eliezer says: A person should always check oneself: if he can concentrate his heart--he should pray; if not--he should not pray.
(יג) רבי שמעון אומר, הוי זהיר בקריאת שמע [ ובתפלה ] . וכשאתה מתפלל, אל תעש תפלתך קבע, אלא רחמים ותחנונים לפני המקום ברוך הוא, שנאמר (יואל ב) כי חנון ורחום הוא ארך אפים ורב חסד ונחם על הרעה. ואל תהי רשע בפני עצמך.
(13) Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful in the reciting of the Shema [and in all of your prayer]. When you pray, do not make your prayers routine, but rather a plea for mercy and supplications before God, as is written (Joel 2:13), "For [God] is gracious and merciful, [God] is slow to anger, and abundant with lovingkindness, and relents from punishment." Do not consider yourself to be wicked.
(ד) א"ר חייא רובא אנא מן יומי לא כוונית אלא חד זמן בעי מכוונה והרהרית בלבי ואמרית מאן עליל קומי מלכא קדמי ארקבסה אי ריש גלותא. שמואל אמר אנא מנית אפרוחיא. רבי בון בר חייא אמר אנא מנית דימוסיא. א"ר מתניה אנא מחזק טיבו לראשי דכד הוה מטי מודים הוא כרע מגרמיה:
Rabbi Chiya said: All the days of my life, I never had kavana. One time I tried to have kavana and focus my attention and ended up wondering about who would meet the king first: a Persian leader or the exilarch.
Shmuel said: I count birds.Rabbi Buni the son of Chiya said: I count people.Rabbi Matnayah said: I am grateful to my head that it knows when I get to "modim" that it bows on its own.
Guiding questions:
1. What details do the first two sources teach about kavvanah?
2. Why is kavvanah so important to them?
3. Looking at the 3rd source, what challenge to kavvanah do these rabbis reflect?
III. Keva--structure and patterns of prayer
ר' יוסי אומר כל המשנה ממטבע שטבעו חכמים בברכות לא יצא ידי חובתו.
R' Yose says: If one alters the formula of berachot--that person has not fulfilled the obligation.
תניא אבא בנימין אומר אין תפלה של אדם נשמעת אלא בבית הכנסת שנאמר (מלכים א ח, כח) לשמוע אל הרנה ואל התפלה" במקום רנה שם תהא תפלה ...ומנין לעשרה שמתפללין ששכינה עמהם שנאמר אלקים נצב בעדת אל
Abba Beinyamin says: a person's prayer is only heard in synagogue, as it is written (1 Kings 8:28) "hear the calling and the prayer", in a place of calling out that is where tefillah resides...How do we know that when ten gather to pray that God's Presence/Shechina is with them? the verse: "Holy One resides in the community of God"
Guiding questions:
1. What details do these two sources teach about keva?
2. Why is keva so important to them?
Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity by Abraham Joshua Heschel
There is a specific difficulty with Jewish prayer. There are laws: fixed texts. On the other hand, prayer is worship of the heart, the outpouring of the soul, a matter of devotion. Thus, Jewish prayer is guided by two opposite principles: order and outburst, regularity and sponteneity, uniformity and individuality, law and freedom.
These principles are the two poles about which Jewish prayer revolves. Since each of the two moves in the opposite direction, equilibrium can be maintained only if both are of equal force. However, the pole of regularity usually proves to be stronger than the pole of spontaneity, and as a result, there is a perpetual danger of prayer becoming a mere habit, a mechanical performance, an exercise in repetitiousness.
The fixed pattern and regularity of our services tends to stifle the spontaneity of devotion. Our great problem, therefore, is how not to let the principle of regularity impair the power of devotion. It is a problem that concerns not only prayer but the whole sphere of Jewish observance. He who is not aware of this central difficulty is a simpleton; he who offers a simple solution is a quack.