Judaism-Prayer

8/7/2019 Judaism-Prayer

1/16

Jewish Prayer & Liturgy

Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is One!

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,and with all your soul, and with all your strength.

(Deut 6:4-5; see also Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, p. 76)

Prepared by Brian Moon


2/16

What is Prayer?

Service of the Heart Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to

him and take your oaths in his name.(Deut 10:20)

Individual & Communal Communion with God; Prayer in Community

(esp. on Shabbat/Sabbath)

Types of Prayer: Praise (Hallel; Hallelu-Ya)

Blessing(Berakah)

Petition

Repentance

Kavvana (direction, intention) Outpouring of the Soul; Cry from the Depths


3/16

ToWhom?

The Thirteen Principles ofFaith Maimonides1. The Creator is Author and Guide of everything that exists.

2. The Creator is One; His unity is unlike that of anything else;

He is our God and exists eternally.3. The Creator has no body or physical characteristics,

and cannot be compared with anything that exists.

4. The Creator is first and last of all beings.

5. It is right to pray to the Creator, but to no other being.

Moses Maimonides,Commentary on the Mishnah, ca. 1160 CE.

Source: Judaism: VSI, p. 136; see also http://www.jewfaq.org/beliefs.htm.


4/16

Congregational Prayer

Shekhina (Divine Presence)

Camp ofIsrael (during Exodus)

House of God (Jerusalem Temple)

Minyan (quorum; 10 or more)10+ adult males, min. age 13

Names of Jewish Communities Today:

Synagogue (lit. gathering together)

Congregation (also gathering orassembly)

Temple (mostly Reform branch)

Bet ha-Midrash (house ofTorah-study; Schul)


5/16

Liturgy

Prayer Books Siddur(lit. Order ofService)

Book of Psalms (HB + other music)

Order ofServices Maariv (Aravit) Evening Service

Shacharit Morning Service

MusafAdditional Service on Sabbaths & Festivals

Minchah Afternoon Service

Services Structure around Two Main Prayers

Shema Declaration of Gods Unity (Deut 6:4-9; morn & eve)

Shemoneh EsreiorAmidah Praise, petitions, thanksgiving

Middle & end of service to be improvised


6/16

Shema, Israel(Hear, O Israel)

Shema,Israel; YHWH Elohenu, YHWH Ehad Hear,OIsrael (Deut 6:4-9; cf. Deut 11:13-21; Num 15:37-41)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, andwith all your soul, and with all your might.

Alternate Translations of v. 4: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

The LORD our God is one LORD.

The LORD is our God, the LORD is one.

The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.

Literal Applications of vv. 6-9:And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. And you shallteach them diligently to your children, and you shallspeak of them when yousit at home, and when you walk along the way, andwhen you lie down andwhenyou rise up. And you shallbind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall befor frontlets between your eyes. And you shallwrite them on the doorposts ofyour house andon your gates.

Online Version: http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/shema.htm


7/16

Shemoneh Esrei(or Amidah)

The Eighteen Blessings

Three Main Parts:

Three blessings praising God

Thirteen blessings making requests

Three blessings expressing gratitude

[not all 18 spoken in all services today]

[#19 against Heretics added ca. 90 CE; little used today]

Online Versions:

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Shemoneh_Esrei/shemoneh_esrei.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah


8/16

Aleinu

Praise to God

For allowing the Jewish people to serve Him

Hope that the whole world will come to God &

abandon idolatry

Excerpt:

It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to ascribe

greatness to the Molder of primeval creation...

Therefore, we put our hope in you, LORD our God,that we may soon see Your mighty splendor...

On that day, the LORD will be One

and His Name will be One.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleinu


9/16

Kaddish

Glorification of Gods Name

Various Versions: "Complete Kaddish" or "Whole Kaddish"

"Half Kaddish"

"Kaddish of the Rabbis"

"Orphan's Kaddish," usually called "Mourners' Kaddish

"Kaddish after a Burial"

Opening:

Exalted and sanctified is God's great name in the worldwhich He has created according to His will and may Heestablish His kingdom in your lifetime and your days and inthe lifetimes of all the House of Israel speedily and soon.Amen.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish


10/16

Readings fromTorah & Prophets

54 Sections (Parshah; pl. Parshiyot)

One read/studied each week in leap years

Shorter ones doubled up in non-leap years

Ends/Begins annually on Feast ofSimchat Torah

Readings during Services:

Torah Scroll first paraded around synagogue

2 Readings: from Torah and Haftarah (Prophets)

Morning Services on Shabbat & Holidays

Mon & Thurs morning services also

read part of that weeks Torah portion


11/16

Structure ofServices

Evening Service (Ma'ariv) Shema (and its blessings and related passages)

Shemoneh Esrei

Aleinu

At end, often Kaddish prayers (for mourners)

After, usually food & community social gathering


12/16

Structure ofServices (cont.)

Morning Service (Shacharit) Morning Blessings

Pesukei d'Zimra

Shema (and its blessingsand related passages) Shemoneh Esrei

Hallel(Psalms of Praise; on certain days)

Torah Reading

(Mon,Thurs,Shabbat, holidays) Aleinu, Ashrei(Ps 145 & other

closing prayers, Psalms, hymns;recited at the end ofMusafon Shabbat and holidays)


13/16

Structure ofServices (cont.)

Additional Service (Musaf) [On Shabbat & holidays only; recited right afterShacharit]

Shemoneh Esrei

Aleinu & other closing prayers, Psalms, hymns

Afternoon Service (Minchah)

Ashrei(Psalm 145)

Shemoneh Esrei

Aleinu

Source: http://www.jewfaq.org/liturgy.htm#Outline


14/16

Attitude & Posture

Amida

Pray quietly; Concentration

Shema Position does not matter

Opening commits self to God

Kneeling and Prostration Formerly done in Temple

No longer common

Aleinu prayer of the Musaf

forRosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Standing and Bowing

During some prayers, facing Ark


15/16

Special Clothing

Kippa (head covering) A.k.a. Yarmulka

Tallit(prayer shawl)

Used for morning prayer Teffilin (prayer boxes)

On forehead & left arm See picture,Judaism: VSI, 87

Tzeniut(modesty) Variation by Branches:

Men only (Orthodox & Conservative)

Women (optional for Reform & Reconstructionist)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_liturgy


16/16

Synagogue Furnishings

Ner Tamid(Eternal Flame)

Represents the Menorah

of the Jerusalem Temple

Symbolizes Godseternal presence

Ark

Houses the synagogues Torah Scrolls

Located on wall closest to Jerusalem

Documents

Judaism-Prayer