"The prayer of the community is always heard; even if there are sinners among them, Gd does not reject the prayer of the masses. Therefore, one must join himself with the community and not pray alone if he can pray with the community. One should always rise early and go late in the evening to the synagogue, for prayer is not heard at all times, only in the synagogue. And one who has a synagogue in his city and does not pray there with the community is called a 'bad neighbour'."
תפלת הציבור
נשמעת תמיד ואפילו היו בהן חוטאים אין הקב"ה מואס בתפלתן של רבים, לפיכך צריך
אדם לשתף עצמו עם הציבור, ולא יתפלל ביחיד כל זמן שיכול להתפלל עם הציבור,
ולעולם ישכים אדם ויעריב לבית הכנסת שאין תפלתו נשמעת בכל עת אלא בבית הכנסת, וכל
מי שיש לו בית הכנסת בעירו ואינו מתפלל בו עם הציבור נקרא שכן רע.
(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefillah 8:1)
Have a great day,
Mordechai
What does this mean?
ReplyDeleteObviously, the prayers of many communities are not answered with a "yes". Anyone living in the shadow of the Shoah knows this.
Also obviously, if we're not talking about being answered, Hashem hears EVERY prayer. (And everything else.)
Now, had chazal (as quoted by the Rambam) said something more of a comparative term than "tamid"...
I wonder if this should not be taken as a statement of emunah, of that which we consider an article of faith even when we do not see it played out.
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