FAQs: Prayer Service
Why do you use liturgy?
Liturgy has been used in the Temple and in synagogues for thousands of years. The prayers we use are based heavily on Scripture and most were in use in the Temple and synagogues of Yeshua's time. The early apostolic community used liturgy extensively, and it is a hallmark of authentic Messianic Judaism.
Many at Beth Immanuel have found that the traditional liturgy expresses our thoughts in a way that is poetic and deeply meaningful. Its broad scope enables us to widen our perspective and directs our attention to those issues that are most important. Liturgical prayer also grants us unity and focus as a congregation.
For those who prefer not to pray liturgically, we offer a contemporary service later on Saturday morning.
What is a Siddur?
A Siddur is a prayer book containing prayers and scripture read by the community.
Where do these prayers come from?
The core prayers date back to Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly. (410 BCE to 310 BCE). These prayers have evolved slightly over time, but they are basically the same prayers Jesus and the disciples would have prayed in the Temple.
Why do you pray some prayers in Hebrew?
Hebrew is considered to be the Holy Tongue, since it is the language that God used to speak the world into existence, and to speak the words of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. However, the majority of people attending Beth Immanuel don't know Hebrew. For this reason we recite the prayers in English, and all Hebrew has an English translation. We encourage people to learn Hebrew to increase their understanding of the Scriptures, and to pass this understanding along to the next generation.
The Cantor repeats of the English "Standing Prayer" (Amidah) in Hebrew so that those who cannot read or speak Hebrew also have an opportunity to participate in the original Hebrew prayers by responding with the word "Amen" after each blessing.
Why do you face east when you pray?
From here in Wisconsin, east is the direction facing Jerusalem. Facing Jerusalem while praying is based on 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 6. In these passages, King Solomon said that whenever people repented from their sins and prayed toward the city of Jerusalem, God would hear them and forgive them and answer their requests. Scripture says that Daniel also prayed three times daily facing Jerusalem.
What is the Shema?
The shema is a group of passages from the Torah that are recited twice daily. The passages included are Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. The word shema is the first word of Deuteronomy 6:4, which means, "hear". The statement "Hear O Israel" has the sense of "Obey O Israel" and is thus a reminder to be obedient to our God and King. The Shema is considered Judaism's central declaration of faith. In reading it we acknowledge, among other things, that the LORD is our God, He is one, there is no other god besides Him, we are to love Him with all of our person and everything we have, He is the source of blessing, and He rewards the obedient and punishes the disobedient. Since the Torah says, "you shall speak of them when you lie down and when you rise up," the Shema is said once in the morning and once in the evening.
What is the Amidah?
In the fifth century B.C.E., Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly composed a prayer consisting of eighteen blessings known as the Amidah, or standing prayer. The Amidah is given this name because it is prayed while standing, and is also known as Shemoneh Esrei (eighteen), or Tefillah (The Prayer). Three times each day, observant Jews pray the Amidah, offering praise to God for who He is, and laying their requests before Him. Jesus and his disciples would have prayed and earlier form of the Amidah when in the Temple and synagogues. On the Sabbath, the eighteen blessings are reduced to seven to avoid making certain types of requests of God on the day of rest.
Why do people cover their eyes and mouths during certain prayers?
At Beth Immanuel, some people cover their eyes with their hand as they recite the beginning of the Shema: "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." This is done to help us concentrate on what we are saying.
Reciting the Shema is known as accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven upon oneself. When we recite the Shema, we are accepting God as our King every day. We cover our eyes to help us concentrate as we acknowledge that the LORD alone is our God. The next section, "Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom for ever and ever," is recited softly with our mouth covered as a reminder that God's Kingdom is not yet fully established on the earth (and as a reminder that those words are not part of the original text from Deuteronomy).
Why do people bow at certain points during the prayers?
Bows are made at certain times during the liturgy. Bowing is simply a physical way of acknowledging God. If you want to know more about how and why people do this, feel free to ask someone after the service or during the greeting time. When you see people worshiping God in these ways, do not at all feel that you are expected to do the same. The important part is that we worship and praise God for all that He is, offering Him our requests from a pure heart, and growing closer to Him and His will for our lives through the process.
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