Introduction
In Prayer
- Fundamental Principles, I explained that the primary purpose of prayer is
to focus our minds on Hashem and that He is the One who is ultimately in
control of all our needs and wants. It would thus seem most natural for our
prayers to be personal and not limited to a text written by others. However,
there are some conflicting factors that need to be taken into account.
Firstly, one of
the strongest influences on the strength of the Jewish People is our unity and
communal awareness. For that reason, Chazal tell us that Hashem never rejects
the prayers of multitudes.[1]
In order for us to unite in prayer, it is necessary to have at least some
common text to use.
Furthermore,
even for one unable to join in communal prayer, it would not be easy to compose
prayers spontaneously on a regular basis. Without a common fixed text, most
individuals would probably either design their own one or limit prayer to times
of great need. For those who are happy with their lives, it would be easy to
forget to daven at all.
The Shemoneh
Esrei
The above and
more is summed up by the Rambam at the beginning of Hilchos Tefila. He writes
that the basic Biblical obligation to daven every day has no fixed text, time
or amount. Only around the time of the building of the second Beis Hamikdash,
Ezra saw that standards of Hebrew literacy had fallen and that it would be
necessary to institute a fixed order of prayer. Thus the Shemoneh Esrei was
written, with instructions as to when and how often it must be said.[2]
However, it was
always understood that the Shemoneh Esrei could not satisfy the individual's
need for personal expression. To this end, Chazal allowed anyone to add their
own prayers at the end of an appropriate beracha, or to add any prayer in the beracha
of 'Shomeya Tefila,' where we ask Hashem generally to accept our prayers.[3]
What happens if
a person doesn't identify with a part of the Shemoneh Esrei, wanting to remove
rather than to add? For example, some are not willing to accept that the
restoration of the monarchy is something we need, and therefore have a problem
with the beracha relating to the Davidic dynasty.[4]
Our automatic reaction might be to say that this indicates a problem with the
person which halacha does not have to cater for, but I believe this is not
completely accurate.
The gemara tells
us that although the way we describe Hashem at the beginning of our Shmoneh
Esrei, הא-ל הגדול הגבור והנורא (the great, mighty and awesome G-d), was a language already
used by Moshe Rabbeinu,[5]
Yirmiyahu and Daniel were not comfortable with using all of these praises in
their times. They could not see Hashem's awe and strength when the Beis
HaMikdash was occupied by our enemies and the Jewish People were enslaved, and
they didn't want to lie to Hashem, whose 'seal is truth.' They therefore omitted
these words.[6] The
Anshei Kneses Hagdola later restored the full phrase, explaining that Hashem's 'resistance
of His urge' to punish our enemies and our preservation as a nation in exile, are
themselves evidence of Hashem's strength and awe.[7]
This passage
clearly shows that what might be perceived as a lack of faith can not only be
legitimate; it is much better than the intellectual or emotional dishonesty of
chanting mantras that one is unable to internalise. However, it is not
sufficient proof for the permissibility of a similar omission in our
generation. Yirmiyahu and Daniel lived in a time where the text of tefila had
not been formalised and thus were not required to use Moshe Rabbeinu's full
phrase;[8]
we, on the other hand, do have this obligation.
Does this mean
that we must say the words of the Shemoneh Esrei even if we don't believe in
them? In my view, for a simple reason the answer is no. Doing so would not
fulfil the obligation of tefila, which requires intent.[9]
In other words, we must both say the words and believe in them. One who
currently does not identify, must make every effort to correct this.[10]
If he is psychologically unable to do so, he is no different to any other
person who is unable to perform a mitzvah, whom the Torah exempts.
Other Tefilos
and Changing Times
The above is all
true regarding the Shemoneh Esrei, which since the days of Ezra is our main
obligation of prayer. The rest of our tefilos do not carry the same halachic weight,
mostly having the status of minhagim. With these, if it is necessary to alter
the wording this should pose far less of a problem.[11]
Many may be
asking what the relevance of all this is to them, being quite happy with our
existing tefilos. However, the truth is that the text of a number of our tefilos
has become increasingly removed from the reality of our lives, irrespective of
our philosophical view of the modern world.
The clearest
examples of this are found in Selichos. At several points, the text implies
that we are davening to Hashem at night. However, nowadays many say these
selichos after daybreak. The poskim note that those doing this should not say
these phrases.[12]
Similarly, one who is not fasting should not say any tefilos that imply that he
is.
For exactly the
same reason, I believe that many parts of our selichos, as well as other parts
of our tefila during the year, need to be closely examined for anachronisms. Many
of these reflect the fact they were composed at times when Jews lived in
constant fear of pogroms, disease and other problems which are almost unheard
of in today's civilised world. Nowadays, asking Hashem to pity us because of how
poor and downtrodden we are is for the large part simply inappropriate.
Many will object
to this, out of the often legitimate fear of strengthening those who seek to
'modernise' our religion in destructive ways. There is also a practical problem
on a communal level, as we currently have no way of making universal changes to
the text of our tefilos. However, on an individual level these concerns are not
significant. Each individual who pays attention to what he is saying is capable
of making adjustments where necessary, without publicising it to all.
Theological
Problems
Some of our
tefilos may be difficult for a completely different reason. Also featuring in
our selichos is the well-known prayer that starts 'Machnisei Rachamim.' The straight-forward
reading of this passage (and other similar ones) would seem to indicate that we
are asking the angels to intercede in front of Hashem on our behalf. Although
this tefila is over a thousand years old and appears in the Seder of Rav Amram
Gaon (9th century!), it would seem to be profoundly problematic.
In the Rambam's
5th principle of faith, he states that we must not serve angels and
similar beings, as they do not have any power or choice. We must not use them
as an intermediary to reach Hashem, rather we must direct ourselves to Hashem
and leave all others.
On this
occasion, the Rambam's view is far from a lone one. The Ramban writes that
davening to angels is a form of idolatry, and this was the first stage of the
downfall of mankind before the flood.[13]
Maharal, often one of the Rambam's strongest critics, also says that the
language of this prayer should be changed to the third person. Thus we daven to
Hashem that He should instruct the angels to bring Him our prayers.[14]
Similar
entreaties to angels and metaphorical beings appear in many other areas of our
liturgy. Some do not say the verse 'Barchuni Leshalom' on Friday night, as it
is a request to angels to bless us.[15]
A similar argument could be made against some of the verses of Lecha Dodi,
where we turn to Yerushalayim and ask it to rise from the dust.[16]
However, my feeling is that these passages were only ever meant as poetry and not
as real prayers. As no worship is involved, there should be no need to omit
these sections.[17]
May Hashem help
us find the right words and proper concentration, and accept all our tefilos.
[1] Berachos 8a
[2] Hilchos Tefila 1:1-5
[3] Avoda Zara 8a
[4] It may be possible to reconcile this beracha with a more modern
form of government, but this is not our topic here.
[6] Based on Yirmiya 32:18 and Daniel 9:4.
[7] Yoma 69b
[8] Although the gemara there refers to the 'institution of Moshe
Rabbeinu,' it appears that this was not a formal institution as we know it.
[9] This is unrelated to the question as to what level of kavana
(concentration) is required during davening. Even if a tefila said while
daydreaming is valid (while being far from ideal), this is only if the
daydreamer subconsciously believes in the words he is saying. Otherwise his
words cannot be called prayer.
[10] Regarding the philosophical question of how it is possible to
obligate someone to a belief system, it seems clear that Chazal were convinced that
if a person genuinely is seeking the truth, at least in the majority of cases
he will find it. The obligation is to seek the truth and thus to arrive at the
correct conclusions.
[11] See Brachos
on Mitzvos.
[12] See Mateh Efraim 581:11. One
example which many may not realise is the pizmon that starts באשמורת הבוקר, "At the morning watch". See Rashi to Shemos 14:24,
that the 'morning watch' refers to the last third of the night, closest to
morning (see also Berachos 3a). It is not 100% clear whether for these
purposes, the night ends at Alos Hashachar (in which case almost everyone will
have this problem) or at sunrise (see The
Twilight Zone, footnote 17 and Biur HaGra, Orach Chaim 459:2).
[13] Shemos 20:12.
[14] Nesiv Ha'Avoda, chapter 12. This small change will only be
noticeable to the discerning ear. When it comes to the piyut in Ne'ila of Yom
Kipur (also in selichos of Erev Yom Kipur) addressed to Hashem's attribute of
mercy, a bigger effort is required (although some versions of the Koren Machzor
do in fact have an amended text).
[15] Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim 5:43, in the name of his father.
[16] Interestingly, when the talmidim of the Gra started the First
Aliya, they stopped saying these sections for a different reason. They believed
that this rise had already started.
[17] Similar arguments have been made to justify 'Machnisei Rachamim' as
well, although to me it would seem extremely strange to recite mere poetry as
part of our selichos.
