Origin of Communal Prayer

Hi,

"From the time of our master Moses until the Great Assembly, the Shechinah was revealed at the site of offerings, and prophecy remained in Israel, and each individual's prayer and blessing to G-d for his benefit from this world was heard. 

"To me, this is why Jews did not gather in their places of dwelling in those days, evening and morning and afternoon, at a special site, to pray as a community. Rather, each one prayed individually wherever it happened – for we do not find in the Prophets or Writings a communal prayer, until after the destruction, when the Great Assembly enacted eighteen blessings and the sacred recitations that requre a minyan.

"Granted that Moses enacted for Israel that they should read from the Torah… but as far as prayer, which did not have one form for all but rather each person spoke according to the purity of his tongue, it appears that each person prayed privately, wherever he could."

(Mabit, Beit Elokim, Shaarei haYesodot 38)

המצפה לישועה,

Mordechai

Communal Prayer: Lean on me

Hi,

"It is rare for an individual's prayer to be complete, without error or carelessness. Therefore, they established that individuals should pray communally, and that our communal prayer should be with a group of no fewer than ten where possible.

"Thus, some of the community will complete that which others are lacking due to error or carelessness, and so that they will collectively achieve a complete prayer, with pure intent, and blessing will rest upon all, and each individual will receive a portion thereof."

מעט הוא שתשלם תפלה ליחיד מבלי שגגה ופשיעה, ומפני כן קבעו לנו שיתפלל היחיד תפלת הצבור, ושתהיה תפלתו בצבור בעוד שיוכל לא פחות מעשרה, כדי שישלים קצתם מה שיחסר בקצתם בשגגה או בפשיעה, ויסתדר מהכל תפלה שלמה בכונה זכה, ותחול הברכה על הכל ויגיע לכל אחד מהיחידים חלקו ממנה.

(Kuzari 3:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A benefit of communal prayer: Distracted prayer is discounted?

Hi,

"Apparently, when one prays with the community his prayer is effective even if he has foreign thoughts while praying. The nature of communal prayer is that one wishes to join his prayer with the community, and G-d joins it for the good, not for the bad. This means that only the words he says, and not the foreign thoughts he has in the middle, are joined with the community."

נראה דכשמתפלל בציבור מועיל אפי' כשמהרהר במחשבות זרות בתפלתו, דתפלה בציבור שענינו שרוצה לצרף תפלתו עם הציבור, אז הקב"ה מצרף לטובה ולא לרעה והיינו שמצורף לציבור רק תיבות התפלה שאמר ולא המחשבות זרות שהרהר באמצע 

(Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, Teshuvot v'Hanhagot 5:42)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pray with the community

Hi,

"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

The value of prayer in the synagogue

Hi,

"Abba Binyamin said: A person's prayer is heard only in the synagogue, as it is written, 'To listen to the song and the prayer' - in the place of song, there will be the prayer.

"Ravin bar Rav Ada cited Rabbi Yitzchak: How do we know that Gd is found in the synagogue? It is written, 'Gd stands in the congregation of Gd.' And how do we know that Gd is present when ten pray? It is written, 'Gd stands in the congregation of Gd.'"

תניא, אבא בנימין אומר: אין תפלה של אדם נשמעת אלא בבית הכנסת, שנאמר: לשמוע אל הרנה ואל התפלה, במקום רנה שם תהא תפלה. אמר רבין בר רב אדא אמר רבי יצחק: מנין שהקב"ה מצוי בבית הכנסת שנאמר: אלקים נצב בעדת א-ל; ומנין לעשרה שמתפללין ששכינה עמהם - שנאמר: אלקים נצב בעדת א-ל

(Talmud, Berachot 6a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The value of communal prayer

Hi,

"Rabbi Yitzchak said to Rav Nachman: Why didn't your honour come to the synagogue to pray? He replied: I couldn't. Rabbi Yitzchak said to him: Should we gather ten to your honour, for him to pray? He replied: It is too much of a burden for me. Rabbi Yitzchak asked: Should your honour tell the chazan to inform him when the community is praying?

"Rav Nachman asked: Why go to such an extent? Rabbi Yitzchak replied: For Rabbi Yochanan cited Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on the verse, 'My prayer to You, at the time of desire' - When is a time of desire? When the community prays."

אמר ליה רבי יצחק לרב נחמן: מאי טעמא לא אתי מר לבי כנישתא לצלויי? אמר ליה: לא יכילנא. אמר ליה: לכנפי למר עשרה וליצלי. אמר ליה: טריחא לי מלתא. - ולימא ליה מר לשלוחא דצבורא, בעידנא דמצלי צבורא ליתי ולודעיה למר. - אמר ליה: מאי כולי האי? אמר ליה: דאמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי, מאי דכתיב ואני תפלתי לך ד' עת רצון - אימתי עת רצון - בשעה שהצבור מתפללין.

(Talmud, Berachot 7b-8a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Traveler's Prayer

Hi,

"One who travels must recite tefilat haderech. What is tefilat haderech? 'May it be Your will, my Gd, that You lead me towards peace, direct my steps toward peace, support me toward peace, and rescue me from the hand of any enemy or ambush on the way, and send blessing upon my handiwork, and give me favour, generosity and mercy in Your eyes and the eyes of all who see me. You are blessed, Gd, who listens to prayer.'

 
"Abbaye said: One should always merge himself with the community [by wording his prayer in the plural, on behalf of the community]."

(Talmud, Berachot 29b-30a) 

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The community that prays together

Hi,

"What is the 'time of desire' referred to in the verse (Yeshayah 49:8), 'So speaks Gd: In the time of desire I will answer you?'

"This is the time when a community prays together."

(Talmud, Berachot 8a, modified somewhat for readability)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Quarrels within a synagogue

Hi,

"One may not pray in a place which will distract him, or at a time when he will be distracted. Therefore, an individual or group experiencing open or concealed enmity, or anger, or a quarrel with the community will not be able to pray in an acceptable way, and they are not permitted to pray there, for their thoughts are distracted and they cannot focus in their prayers. This is certainly true if people overtly antagonize him, constantly. This is all the more true if the anger is with the leaders of the community. Were I not afraid to say it, I would say that it would be better to pray privately than to pray with a group of people with whom his mind was not at peace."

(Responsa of Radvaz 3:472)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Does Gd listen to the prayers of the wicked?

Hi,

Mishlei 15:29 – “Gd is distant from the wicked, and He will hear the prayers of the righteous.”

“Rabbi Acha bar Chanina said: Come and see how Shlomo’s wisdom is so much harsher than the wisdom of his father. David said, ‘Gd is close to all who call Him, to all who call Him in truth (Tehillim 145:18),’ and Shlomo said, ‘Gd is distant from the wicked,’ meaning those who do not repent, ‘and He will hear the prayers of the righteous’ when they pray with the community.”

(Midrash Mishlei 15:29)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Community and Individual, in prayer

Hi,

"Among the benefits of [praying in] a community is this: A community does not pray for the harm of an individual, but an individual might pray for that which will harm other individuals. It is even possible that there may be, among the individuals [who make up the community], some who will pray for that which harms themselves."

(R' Yehudah haLevi, Kuzari 3:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

We pray as a community, and we leave as a community

Hi,

"The Sages enacted a special additional blessing (Magen Avot) to be recited at the end of the Friday night Maariv service...

"Why did they do this? Because many people come to pray, and there might be someone who arrived late and won't be done when everyone else finishes, and he might remain alone in the synagogue and be endangered [upon leaving by himself].

"Therefore the Chazan recites this additional blessing, in order that the entire congregation should remain until the late one finishes. They will then all exit together."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 9:10-11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Power of Communal Prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav... How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"For it is written, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we [plural] call Him.'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The power of communal prayer

Hi,

"Rav Shmuel bar Unya said, citing Rav...How do we know that even if Gd decrees punishment for a community, the decree may be torn up?

"The Torah says, 'Who is like HaShem, our Gd, who responds whenever we call Him!'"

(Talmud, Yevamot 105a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai