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Category: Understanding Prayer
What Do People Think About While Praying?
While Judaism tells us various ways to pray, we are not told what to think: Here are three different takes on the subject.
Rabbi Alex Braver
September 7, 2023
Every Day
Personal Prayer
The Times of Day for Prayer
A Talmudic Midrash obligates prayer three times a day, instituted in honor of our three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 17, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
The Interplay of Routine and Intention: Keva and Kavanah
Our prayers are almost always a mixture of both keva (oft-recited text) and kavanah (deeper layers of meaning).
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 16, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
What Prompts Change in Our Liturgy?
Changes in liturgy are born out of changes in the theological and historical life of a people, both the individual and the community.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 16, 2023
Every Day
Liturgy
Enhancing Prayer With Body Movement
Movement acts as part of prayer, orchestrated in traditional Jewish settings, thus putting us in touch with the ebb and flow of the liturgy.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 16, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
Creating a Sacred Physical Space
Halakhah demands that we invoke God’s name in prayer only in settings that are worthy of the sacred enterprise of prayer.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 16, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
Why Prayer Matters
Tefillah is more than the sum of its parts and encompasses far more than the obligation to recite certain specific daily prayers.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 16, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
The Language of Prayer
Jews are permitted to pray in any language and thus making our liturgy a link to Jews all around the world.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 15, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
The Value of Using Set Prayers
By the use of set prayers, are we ipso facto guaranteeing that some will be obliged to recite words they do not find true or ...
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 15, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
Connecting with God Through Prayer
We hear from God through our participation in liturgical prayer, and also through the study of religious texts.
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
,
The Observant Life (Book)
May 15, 2023
Every Day
Prayer
Prayer Expresses Petition, Praise, Anger, and History
Prayer is not just a recitation of words. But rather, prayer is an expression of a great many modes and experiences in Judaism.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
June 29, 2022
Every Day
Prayer
T’fillah/Prayer: A Mitzvah to Take a “Time Out”
T'fillah, Jewish prayer, is rooted in self-judgment, reflection, and connecting to something greater than ourselves.
The Observant Life (Book)
,
Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed
June 29, 2022
Prayer
Understanding Prayer
