The Importance of Prayer The destruction of the first temple in the year 70CE and the exile to Babylon led Jewish people to find alternative solution to the need of communicating with G-D. Although it only took the shape of prayer book in the tenth century by Saadia Gaon prayers were used prior to glorify G-D and to communicate to G-D one’s needs, requests, sorrows and hopes. The importance of prayer is being a vessel to G-D directly. One can communicate to G-D without an intermediate of sort and express wishes, and requests. It is extremely important for all the Jewish people to have a way to communicate with G-D because it enabling the existence of one’s faith, it helps maintaining a community, and it preserves the integrity of the soul. Although there is a downfall to the fact that there is a one protocol or sidur that holds al prayers in a very strict writing and order it can become a routine and as all routines it loses its momentum and by that one loses the “kavanah” a need for a particular book of prayers aroused due to the fact that only a hand full of people prayed at the right wording and the right kavanah and timing while the rest were hasty and mumbled the words. Having an organized prayer book also made it possible to touch all the main topics one happens to stumble upon and not just one self trouble. Praying is one of the 613 commandments. Jews pray before eating or drinking to thank G-D for the food or the drink by reciting “Baruch ata adonay eloenu melech haolam bore pri hagafen” where they thank G-D for the fruit of the wine and for every event in the Jewish people lives there is a prayer to command it which gives thanks and gratitude to the creator. The Hebrew verb "to pray" is lehitPaLeL which MEANS TO JUDGE ONESELF. One should look into him/her self for answers and revelation and than with a kavanah share it with G-D and it is a two way street event. G-D responds to prayer been done with “dvekut” and grants one’s wishes. “For the Jewish people, prayer has served as the vehicle by which they have expressed their joys, sorrows and hopes: it has played a major role in the religious life of the Jewish nation, especially in view of the successive crises and climates in which they have been involved throughout their history” (JHBP CHAPTER 76).The main expression to show faith in G-D is through prayer. Whether one feels like his life is not going as it should or he feels incomplete since we all suffer from imperfection of sorts, a good way to enrich your life, give it dept, meaning, and healing is throughout prayer. The prayer become a vessel carrying the words in orderly form manner and brings it directly to G-D. Some only need to pray when they feel a need to on bad circumstances that happened to other like losing one’s job or health problems of sort or comfort after a loss of one’s beloved. Some pray when they have a need to feel the oneness with G-D and that is a higher form of prayer that takes oneself out of the picture and just acknowledge G-D power over the universe and the need of constant reminder of that fact. Glorifying G-D, thanking him for his kindness, and stating his powerful presence in one’s life by repeating at least three time a day various prayers such as the “shma”, eighteen blessings, barchu, avot and more. “In addition to personal prayer, Jews have throughout history turned to G-D through communal worship” (chapter 76 JHBP)In Order to pray together one needs to have a minyan which is ten men praying together as a result a community is being created out of need of assembling to pray to G-D.” Jewish law prefers that Jews pray communally rather than privately. For one thing, the rabbis apparently felt that public prayers are more apt to be offered for that which benefits the entire community, whereas individuals often pray for that which benefits only themselves” (Telushkin page 643) All over the world Jewish people pray at the same time and the same words in Hebrew since it is the highest form of prayer possible. The world creation and the Torah given to the Israelites were all done in the Hebrew language there for only if you can not read Hebrew even as a reciting of words one can pray in a different language. A community was created and wherever one would go, whether he will go to a synagogue in Israel or in United Stated chances are that the sidur containing the same basic prayers in Hebrew will be there and he can expect that at least a few people will show up and will have a minyan at exact same hours. It gives a sense of a universal community and it gives one sense of belonging to a big family of the same religion and behavior codes that are accepted ,some less than more however still recognizable none the less. Reciting prayers for the health of other people as well such as the kadish prayer also increases the sense of community and there is a lot to be said on the benefits of caring and taking a moment and give healing and resolution to other but yourself. Quite a few of the prayers are prayers directed to heal and take care of other people and the best example is the eighteen prayers. Shmona Asar brachot. And mainly they are directed in healing the blind, poor, and the one who need healing and so on. Praying is as close as you can get to G-D. There is no other feeling like it. Standing in synagogue and reciting prayers. The sense of holiness over takes you to other places in your soul and increases one’s faith. The joy of hearing the prayers been said all together as one elevates you and brings healing to one’s soul. The kavanah which is intent is extremely important concept in the Jewish faith.” The kavanah involved in mystic prayer is seen as a necessary element in the mystery of heavenly unification which brought the divine down to the lowest realm and tied the sefirot to each other and the ayn sof”(JHBP CHAPTER 68) Reciting words without the intent set it to be like an empty vessel sent to G-D. Intent in your prayers just as in everything one’s does take praying to the next level. It is very hard to have a kavanah when it is repeatable and when Hebrew is not your language and you struggle with it. Like everything else in life reaching kavanah is a process of learning and achieving a true kavanah is a life long process. Just annunciating words and reading the prayer words is meaningless because you are not invested in it and your are not trying your best to make yourself heard in the eyes of the all mighty. There is a reason why the prayers are written in a difficult language even for native Hebrew speakers .It is clear that the people who brought all the prayers together wanted to elevate them selves and to cause a separation of sort between the outside world and the assembly. Prayers signify us and makes us holly and there for should be treated as such. Prayers combine the basic necessities for the Jewish people. They combine the element of a community by assembling together and by being part of a bigger universal group that hold the same ritual at the same language at the same time. Prayers also answer the basic need of one’s need to feel a part of something bigger then oneself. Prayers convey this need and elevate the soul to be and feel closer to G-D. The Infinite power of prayers and its magic is by illuminating time, countries, borders, and maintain its legitimization of faith in the last few thousand years of survival. These days when people all around the world experiencing difficulties having faith because of hardships or being too caught up by the train of life ,praying becomes a sanctuary for the heart and soul, an escape Eden of thoughts and feelings. One can feel safe at the presence of G-d and can take a break out of the need to prove to the world and just be one with the creator. |