Notes for Religious Studies 369:

Introduction to Judaism

Prayer and the Prayer Book

• Traditional belief that God listens to prayer and responds.
• Most common Hebrew term is from a root meaning "judge" [PLL] in reflexive form.
• Bible does not describe or prescribe specific liturgy. Institutionalized worship focused on sacrifices.
• The initiation of 3 daily prayers was traditionally ascribed to the Patriarchs.
  • Shaharit, the morning prayer, initiated by Abraham as he set out to sacrifice Isaac.
  • Isaac started Minhah, the afternoon prayer.
  • Ma'ariv, the evening prayer, begun by Jacob as he fled from Esau.

On the Early Evolution of Formal Prayer

• Second Temple era: rotation of lay participants with Priestly families (Anshe Maamad --"Bystanders").
• After fall of the Temple: synagogues evolved into center for communal prayer, as well as inheriting some of the Temple rites.
• Sacrifices could not be offered, but other rites (e.g., shofar) were transferred to the synagogue.
• Rabban Gamaliel II helped to reformulate the order, content, and sequence of the obligatory prayers.
• The prayer's specific wording, though, was still left up to the congregation's prayer leader.
• All prayers were in the plural, as the "messenger" spoke for the entire congregation.
• The congregation responded and identified with each prayer by saying "Amen" at the end of each one.
• It was not until several centuries later that the prayers were canonized in the first prayer book, based on the prayer brook of the Gaon Rav Amram.

The Main Prayers of the Daily Services

• In addition to daily prayers (Shaharit, Minhah, and Ma'ariv), there are additional prayers for the Sabbath and holy days: Musaf "Additional" prayer corresponds to "Additional sacrifices."
• At all the services the Kaddish, the Amidah, and the Alenu are recited.
• The Sh'ma is recited at the evening and morning services.

Berakhah: The Blessing

• Basic structure: "Blessed are you, God, King of the Universe, who..."
• The berakhot are part of all communal synagogue prayers, as well as private prayer.

Components of Daily Services

The Shema serves to affirm god's covenant with the Jews as one people, liked to the One God.

Amidah: Petition ("standing")

• The Amidah consists of 19 berakhot<, divided into three sections.
1. The first contains the praises of God
2. the second, the individual's and community's needs
3. the third thanks God.

Additional components of the traditional liturgy:

Formal reading from the Torah is incorporated into some of the services.

Congregational prayer is introduced by a call to worship: "Bless the blessed Lord" [Barekhu]

The Kaddish: Sanctification

• A very old prayer, the Kaddish serves as a conclusion of all the daily prayers,. andor sections of public worship.

Alenu: Adoration

• Reflects the hope for a world where all humanity will worship God.

Psalms are recited before some services in order to enter into the appropriate mood.

The Synagogue: place of prayer

• Although prayer is required of individuals, it is preferable to worship as a community. Traditional definition of a "community" is: ten adult males [minyan].
• Origins of the institution are unclear. Probably began during late Second Temple period.
• Earliest references speak of it as a place of public assembly for reading and expounding the Bible.
  In ancient times it also housed the elementary school.
• Few structural requirements: Should face towards Jerusalem, an "ark" to house and and a platform read the Torah.
• In traditional synagogues, men and women are seated separately (to avoid distraction).

Dressing for Prayer

Certain special forms of dress for prayer serve as special, tangible reminders of belief and respect for God:

Tallit

• The Torah requires fastening "tzitzit" (fringes or tassles) on the corners of one's garments.
• Since cornered garments are rarely worn, special ones were developed for ritual use.
• A small fringed garment (tallit qatan is worn as a kind of undershirt at all times.
  a larger shawl with fringes is worn over the clothing during prayer and worship.

Tefillin

• The Torah commands: "And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."
  In ancient Jewish interpretation this was understood as a requirement to bind texts from the Torah on one's arm and forehead.
• Small parchment scrolls, with words about the love of God on them, are encased in a small black parchment cube attached to a leather strap.
• One of the tefillin wrapped around the left hand, the other attached high on the forehead, between the eyes.
• The tefillin serve as a visual reminder of the commandment to bind God's will and instruction upon oneself and one's actions
• The tefillin<> are worn during morning service on weekdays.
• The mezuzah, attached to the doorpost of a house, is another visual reminder -- this time to strive to make the house a sanctuary of God.

Head covering

• Jewish men traditionally keep their heads covered out of reverence, especially when at prayer, in the synagogue, during religious study-- or all the time for traditional Jewish men.
  Early sources mention this as a sign of special piety, but it became a standard custom.
• In traditional circles, married women are required to cover their hair for reasons of modesty.