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 mredd |
prayer |
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Posts: 11 (11/19/09 12:50:58) |
peace
is it a practice of jews to repeat the same prayer again and again? are there verses in the torah which ask jews to call upon him again and again using the SAME words? |
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Sophiee1 |
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Posts: 12923 (11/19/09 14:41:56) Moderator |
The Torah tells us to serve HaShem, our G-d. Prayer is part of this service -- actually tefillah, not so much prayer. There is a difference.
The Torah does not dictate that one say certain prayers at certain times. The Jewish prayer liturgy was the design of the Men of the Great Assembly. The oldest prayer is the Sh'ma, which is from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. We recite the Sh'ma twice a day. Why twice a day? "And you should speak about them when you... lie down and when you get up" (Deuteronomy 6:7).In general Jewish men pray at least three times a day -- upon waking, when putting on tzitzit, at meals and so forth. Women are not required to pray three times a day (women are exempt from time bound mitzvot). Jewish prayers are often sung and some of them have certain words repeated as part of the "song." However it is not the practice of Jews to repeat the same prayer over and over again.
סופי
And everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Bereshit (Genesis) 21:12
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UriYosef |
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Posts: 2070 (11/19/09 15:48:48) Director of Education |
mredd wrote:I find your question to be ambiguous. Are you asking whether a Jew repeats the same prayer over and over at a given point in time? Or, are you asking whether a Jew repeats the same set of prayers each day? If it is the former, the answer is "no". If it is the latter, the answer is "it depends on many factors". The reason is that, like in most other religions, Jews have prayer books that contain liturgy. Some liturgy is repeated at certain time periods on any given day that isn't a Sabbath or another Holy Day or special day, such as a new moon. Even on ordinary weekdays, there is special liturgy for Mondays and Thursdays during the morning prayers. The liturgy for the Sabbath is generally the same, except when it is a special Sabbath, such as a Sabbath that is part of a Holy Day or another special occasion, and the same applies to the liturgy for Holy Days and other special days - there are times when those liturgies vary, depending on the occasion. So, there are many variables that enter here, and one cannot say that a Jew repeats the same prayers each day. UriYosef
Our raison d'être:
WHOSOEVER DESTROYS A SINGLE SOUL OF ISRAEL, SCRIPTURE IMPUTES [GUILT] TO HIM AS THOUGH HE HAD DESTROYED A COMPLETE WORLD; AND WHOSOEVER PRESERVES A SINGLE SOUL OF ISRAEL, SCRIPTURE ASCRIBES [MERIT] TO HIM AS THOUGH HE HAD PRESERVED A COMPLETE WORLD. (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin, 37a) The fruits of our effort: The battle against spiritual terrorism is being won, one soul at a time!!!
Last Edited By: UriYosef
11/19/09 15:51:09.
Edited 1 times.
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ProfBenTziyyon |
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Posts: 2613 (11/20/09 07:29:08) |
There are many of the more "operatic" חַזָנִּים Ḥazzanim ("cantors" or "precentors") who delight in endless repetition of single words or even whole phrases, "to make the words fit the music". They appear to be particularly fond of doing this during the element of the מוּסָף musaf ("extra") services on Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim ("Holy Days") known as קְדֻשָּׁה K'dushah, where we emulate the angels in Y'shayahu (6:3) and Y'ḥezkél (3:12) − during K'dushah, the congregation are rooted to the spot, forbidden to move or interrupt by speaking even a single word, with the result that many Ḥazzanim consider that they have a captive audience and take advantage of the fact to show off! However, most Rabbanim throughout the ages have railed against such practices and forbid a Ḥazzan to repeat even one single word, and also prohibit the unnecessary prolonging of any prayers (especially those which have the restrictions on movementr and speaking that accompany K'dushah!) מִשּׁוּם טִרְחָא דְצִבּוּרָא ("by reason of [the prohibition against] imposing a burden on the community"). http://mordochai.tripod.com - פרופ' מָרְדֳּכַי בֶּן-צִיּוֹן, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל
Last Edited By: ProfBenTziyyon
11/21/09 12:50:11.
Edited 3 times.
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Pamela 1965 |
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Posts: 70 (11/21/09 18:47:40) |
Do you ever pray using your own words and thoughts? Like just talking to God like you would a friend or family member? Praying that you find a parking space?
Telling God had bad your day is or asking God to give you a good day? Asking God for wisdom on a certain situration?
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Sophiee1 |
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Posts: 12928 (11/21/09 19:47:32) Moderator |
Jews talk to G-d all the time. We have a very special relationship with Him. We argue with Him, too! If you read your bible surely you see that every Jew in
it from Avraham to Malachi talked to and argued with G-d!
Asking G-d for things is "prayer", and yes Jews pray. Prayer is bakashah. But Jews also communicate to G-d via tefillah, which is far more important than prayer. Tefillah means attaching one's self to HaShem. In bakashah we ask G-d to provide us with things. In tefillah we reach towards G-d seeking nothing but Him. Jews have a very special relationship with G-d. He is our King, but He is also our Father.
סופי
And everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Bereshit (Genesis) 21:12
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Pamela 1965 |
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Posts: 71 (11/24/09 13:32:43) |
Thanks so much Sophiee for sharing this with me. You believe in going deeper with Him and having a relationship with Him. I too believe in having a deep
relationship with Him but it does take lots of time praying before Him for hrs. The common people have jobs, and the cares of this world that they can not
spend hrs before Him like they would like. Have you ever spent hrs in prayer until you felt His presesenes?
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Sophiee1 |
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Posts: 12937 (11/24/09 14:09:53) Moderator |
Being close to G-d is a three fold process: tefillah, tzeddakah and teshuva.
Tefillah is communicating with G-d. Tzeddakah is being good to our fellow man. Teshuva is turning to G-d. Spending your life in prayer to the exclusion of living your life and helping others will move you farther from G-d, not closer to Him. G-d put you on this planet to learn and grow -- and you do so by being of and in this world. Hiding out and praying to the exclusion of living will drive you farther from G-d, not closer. G-d is everywhere. If you want to feel Him, do what He expects of you. If you do that you will feel His presence.
סופי
And everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Bereshit (Genesis) 21:12
Last Edited By: UriYosef
11/24/09 15:25:31.
Edited 1 times.
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Pamela 1965 |
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Posts: 76 (11/24/09 21:58:30) |
Spending your life in prayer to the exclusion of living your lifeWow!!! I never thought of it that way. But it does make since. You could pray and pray but sometimes God wants a person to be answered prayer to someone else.
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Sophiee1 |
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Posts: 12940 (11/24/09 22:15:03) Moderator |
Yep. G-d created this world for a reason. You actually become closer to G-d by fulfilling your role in the world.
סופי
And everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Bereshit (Genesis) 21:12
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