“I’m ok with coming to shul. But I don’t understand why nothing in the Siddur actually says anything I want to tell God!”
These words uttered a few years back by a frustrated fellow worshipper stuck in my mind – because they seemed to capture such an obvious problem with Jewish prayer.
It is an astonishing fact that our rigid liturgy contains an impressive panoply of poetic praises and heavenly hymns – many of which contain inspiring and thought-provoking ideas. Yet even the bountiful blessings and requests addressed to God are typically phrased in plural form and rarely beseech God directly to provide for our wants and needs.
It seems clear to me that this question misses the point of our prayer liturgy and services. There seem to be two completely distinct functions of prayer within Judaism.
Judaism Reclaimed notes that fixed, communal prayer involves the recitation of set texts at specific times. Its purpose, argues Rabbi S. R. Hirsch, is not to express our heartfelt thoughts and desires – it would be bizarre to presume that these could be produced on demand at daily services. Rather R. Hirsch sees the function of such prayer as burning central ideas and concepts into our consciousness. The reflexive form of the Hebrew word to pray (hitpallel) further indicates that it is inward looking, as we seek to heighten our awareness of God’s providence and the manner in which we should relate to Him. Furthermore, the communal aspect of this exercise may represent a group-affirmation of these values and principles that we chant together.
Rambam, as I explore in a separate chapter, sees such prayer as a vital part of the ultimate religious goal – working to increase the frequency and quality of one’s mental attachment to God – an attachment which closely affects the dynamics of the person’s providential relationship with God.
But prayer doesn’t end here. In some ways it doesn’t even start.
As opposed to Lehitpallel – the more meditative didactic element of prayer which our liturgy promotes, there is tza’aka – crying out to God in emotional turbulence or anguish (this is the term which introduces Moshe’s short prayer).
Such prayer should be spontaneous and to the point. And it should be unscripted as its function is to convey one’s innermost feelings to God. Such prayer is not limited to the synagogue or fixed prayer times – rather it should accompany a person constantly through their daily struggles and successes. A constant conversation with God which transcends the liturgy and set texts of our prayerbook.
First posted to Facebook 11 June 2023, here.
