The Different Ways We Pray

There are so many diverse ways people come to express their desire and yearning for God, the one that transcends all description and language. Throughout all of the methods and techniques utilized by people of faith around the world there is one common denominator: an attempt to connect to a force greater than ourselves and a desire to become a better human being through that process. Zev Chafets in the New York Times magazine discusses the ways in which some communities, most notably a 3,500 seat church in downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Tabernacle, goes about doing that. I would like to expand upon a Jewish approach to the different ways we as people can come to a deeper relationship with God.

The Talmud (Berakhot 26b) presents two opinions as to the source for the concept of prayer. The one opinion which we will focus in on is that of Rabbi Yosi the son of Rabbi Hanina who states that prayer began with the life stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was through their triumphs and difficulties, their ups and downs and their own personal "aha!" moments that we have before us the different modalities of prayer.

Let's begin to look at this piece of Talmud:

אברהם תקן תפלת שחרית – שנאמר +בראשית י"ט+ וישכם אברהם בבקר אל המקום אשר עמד שם, ואין עמידה אלא תפלה

Abraham instituted the morning (shaharit) prayer, as it is stated: “And Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood (Genesis 19:24).” And “standing” in the verse refers to nothing other than prayer

Abraham embodied in the very life he led, the iconoclast (which means a destroyer of idols, Abraham being literally the very first iconoclast in recorded history), the man of mission and vision who followed God into a land he did not know because of the call of faith and responsibility he so profoundly heard. Abraham more than anyone else represents a "morning person." The morning symbolizes new opportunities and renewed hope. One "arises" and "stands" in that hope proclaiming a new day full of possibilities and opportunities. This is the prayer of promise.

The Talmud continues:

יצחק תקן תפלת מנחה – שנאמר +בראשית כ"ד+ ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה לפנות ערב, ואין שיחה אלא תפלה

Isaac instituted the afternoon (minha) prayer, as it is stated: “And Isaac went out to speak in the field towards evening (Genesis 24:63).” And “speech” in this verse meaning nothing other than prayer

Upon the passing of a great, charismatic founder of any movement there exists the possibility for that movement to wither and falter eventually being left in the pages of history. To be able to assume leadership and simply carry on what the founder had begun is no simple feat and characterizes an incredible human being, one of endurance and stamina. Isaac was that person. Upon the death of his father Abraham, he continues the life work of his father. He makes sure the wells of water his father had dug remain sources of vitality for all those who rely upon them. The ability to continue through the day, when the vigor of the morning, with its newness and potential, begins to wear off, is a tremendous feat. This is the afternoon and this is what Isaac was able to accomplish. To be able to go out into the field, continue the work, remain "speaking," in conversation with God even when so many hours have passed and fatigue begins to set in is the challenge and opportunity presented to us by the afternoon prayer.

Lastly, the Talmud in this section concludes:

יעקב תקן תפלת ערבית – שנאמר +בראשית כ"ח+ ויפגע במקום וילן שם, ואין פגיעה אלא תפלה

Jacob instituted the evening (maariv) prayer, as it is stated: “And he encountered the place and spent the night there (Genesis 28:11).” And the term encounter in this verse refers to nothing other than prayer

The moment that Jacob was transformed into Israel where he wrestles throughout the night with an unidentified person, presumably an angel, and overcomes albeit hurt in the process, is paradigmatic for who Jacob was. He was a man who forged ahead and was the father to twelve sons who would become the twelve tribes of Israel. He was also a man deeply impacted by the events that transpired in his life. From running away from home in the cover of night from a revengeful and angry brother to being led to believe he had lost his beloved son, he had experienced much pain and fear in his life. Jacob was a Jew who lived in exile; whether the exile from physical space or the exile from family. He taught us much about how to live in a world that is in need of serious repair and also how to strive to bring that world closer to how it should be and not be content with the world as it is. Imagine night time prior to the advent of electricity. It was a fearful and scary time, especially if you were vulnerable. Yet, it was in this night time that Jacob "encounters" God and realizes that God was "in this place and I did not realize it." In the darkness, in the difficulties and pain God is there. It can be difficult to perceive and appreciate but once we do, once we "encounter" God even there it is transformative. There is a Hasidic teaching that exile is not the absence of God, the absence of light, but rather being blinded by an overwhelming amount of light and when our eyes adjust to the brightness we can then see God even in that place. This is what it means to pray like Jacob, to pray the evening prayer.

As we begin Rosh HaShanah this weekend and begin the days of examination leading up to Yom Kippur, let us think about the different ways we, as individuals and as a community, pray. Let us be conscious of those times when we are praying like Abraham, Isaac or Jacob and tap into those different existential states of spiritual depth and meaning.