A young hostage, locked in a tunnel in Gaza did not know or remember the daily prayers required for all good Jews. He started talking directly to God as to a friend. He soon felt he was surrounded by light and warmth even in the darkness. When he was rescued, what happened? He was brought into the company of religious Jews and “shown the way.” But was this really “the way” when he had already felt the presence of the Eternal personally? I wonder if he will still feel the warm arms of the Eternal about him?
Did the repetition of pre-written, daily prayers save Jews during the Holocaust?
Did the increase in numbers of attendance at synagogues, where prayers are the main subject actually bring an end to the ongoing October 7 war?
Perhaps the more one feels the persecution of Antisemites, the more he or she prays! But what are these prayers anyway? Do memorizing the frequently repeated prayers actually bring Heaven to the rescue? Maybe, maybe not. What seems to happen is that praying together unites Jews to a common cause, but is the strength merely the strength of the community or is it God-given strength and blessing? And where did this all start? I call these Exile prayers.
What is prayer? Do we think that a cleverly and beautifully written prayer will somehow impress the Eternal when all He wants is the expression of the humble and contrite heart? Go ahead! Read someone else’s poems to me to impress me. Will this win my heart?
Psa 51: “17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
Isa 66: “2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
But what about memorized prayers? Do we have examples in the Bible of those who read memorized prayers and were actually heard? I don’t find any!
What did the forefathers and the prophets say to God when they prayed? Didn’t they simply ask God for wisdom or to help them? Where in the Bible is there an example of the poetic memorized prayers that are used in today’s religions? There aren’t any. What did Moses say to YHVH when he was afraid to return to Egypt?
When Moses was told to go and speak to Pharaoh, he complained that he was a man of slow speech. He pleaded to get out of the mission. Exo. 4:10
When Elijah felt he was the only one left in the land who didn’t worship the Baals, what did he say? “Even I only am left…” 1 Kings 19:10.
I don’t find anywhere a prayer where someone in the Bible quoted the prayers of another person.
Is prayer about real communication with the Creator or is it about flattering God to get what we want? Are we somehow doing our duty when we repeat the nicely-worded prayers thrice daily? Does it even matter? Was anyone ever chosen by God who relied on the communication of someone else?
In rereading what I have said it appears that I condemn all the communal prayers. Let me say, to the contrary, I believe that the Almighty hears the individual cry behind these prayers. He feels the need of the heart that drives people together. But should not our individual prayers be more about the expression of our own needs and thoughts rather than the thoughts of others? And if we prayed more in this way, would not our public gatherings see more of the blessing of Heaven?
I am not saying that it is wrong to use Psalms and other Bible verses to frame our worship and Shabbat meals. These verses set a framework around the special family time of coming together to enjoy that special time of welcoming of the Shabbat. We read the 23rd Psalm, Exodus 31, Exodus 20 and parts of Isaiah 56. It is even better if you understand the Hebrew so that the words mean something to you. Yet, how much beyond this do we need to go? When does private prayer lose it’s significance? Is God really impressed by our knowledge of how to read a prayer in a foreign tongue? Or would he rather hear us a loving parent hears their children speak to them?
Does the the victim mentality of many Jews perhaps come from not knowing the Almighty on a personal level? Why were we destined to Exile for 2000 years? When we got caught up in following paganism we were not listening on an individual level to the Eternal, so He sent us out of our land. Did we ever learn otherwise than to follow someone else’s ways and teachings? Can we learn to be thinkers rather than mere reflectors of what our great leaders have said?”
Do we know God only vicariously through the words of sages and others or is God a God that is available to all of us? Is he merely there when we are under the authority of wise men and sages? Will He indeed hear the prayer of the contrite and humble heart? Do we have that kind of Emunah (faith) and Bitachon (trust) that clings to the Eternal in the darkness, not willing to let go until we find the blessing.
Jacob clung to the one who fought with him just before dawn when he realized it was a divine being, He said: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Can we have that kind of Hutzpah with Hashem?
Pray until the light shines. It will happen!
Yours…
Ariella
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Well written and very relevant article.
I think communal prayers do have a certain place as in a group gathering together to pray for a certain outcome but the standardized form of prayers that are said with the utmost speed imo hold no relevance at all.
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Thank you for reading Exile Prayer’s
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The last Torah interpretation of ”t’shuva”, requires a follow up Talmudic study-examination that addresses the same subject. Important basis of understanding: A fundamental distinction which separates the Book of בראשית from the תולדות Books of שמות, ויקרא, ובמדבר — pre-revelation of the Torah at Sinai, the Gods in the Heavens; post-revelation of the Torah at Sinai-שם השם lives only within the Yatzir Ha-Tov within the hearts of the Chosen Cohen people for eternity thereafter.
Hence when the corrupt false Messiah JeZeus taught his ‘disciples’ how to pray, this Harry Potter fictional messiah did not know the basic distinction between how the Avot called upon יה, האל, אל, אלהים, אל שדי, או איש האלהים – all these Divine Names of the bnai brit soul, they thrive in the Heavens above, or עולם הבא; for example Avram cut the brit between the pieces with אל שדי touching the future born birth of all his children, but most specifically his chosen first born Cohen children – all of whom lived only in the world to come in Heaven.
Post Sinai: the שם השם – (דברים ל) — לא בשמים היא, instructs a radically Sinai “shock” distinction. Post Sinai the local tribal god of the chosen Cohen people rules only within the borders of the promised land – the eternal inheritance of the chosen Cohen people alone; the jurisdiction of the Great Sanhedrin – likewise limited and restricted to within the borders of the 12 Tribe Cohen Republic; and despite the farcical false prophet Muhammad which taught that prophets sent to all peoples and nations, and these prophets speak in the native tongues of ‘all peoples and nations’, this fraud denies the simple Talmudic understanding that only the 12 Tribes of Israel accepted the Revelation of the Torah at Sinai. The proof for the Talmud’s instruction: Goyim pray to their Universal Gods who live in the Heavens.
The fictional Harry Potter false messiah of the noise NT fraud taught his “disciples”: Matthew 6:9-13 – Our Farter in Heaven; the NT: a Protocols of the Elders of Zion – Roman fraud counterfeit because of its complete and total ignorance of the revelation of the Torah at Sinai which makes an eternal הבדלה distinction between how pre-Sinai Avot prophets called upon their local tribal god in heaven; from how the post Sinai – the chosen Cohen eternal seed of the Avot – call upon the exact same but different local tribal god, who dwells only in the Earth. This fundamental תורה עיקרי distinction, the stinky Noise NT Roman authors did not know that pre-Sinai our local god lived in the Heavens whereas post Sinai our local god lives only within the Yatzir Ha-Tov within the heart; according to how rabbi Yechuda Ha’Nasi explains the k’vanna of קריא שמע תפילה דאורייתא.
The primary Talmudic locus for t’shuva is Masechet Yoma, which dissects Yom Kippur’s atonement mechanics but roots them in the post-Sinai heart. T’shuva “remembers”: A) the sworn oaths wherein the Avot cut a oath alliance brit touching the future born birth of the Chosen Cohen children of the Avot. Each Av swore a unique oath to cut the identical oath alliance brit which תמיד מעשה בראשית creates the Chosen Cohen People יש מאין על ידי את החכמה של זימן גרמא מצוות שנזקוק כוונה. Toldot positive and negative Torah commandments and Talmudic halachot do not require k’vanna. However employing these secondary commandments and halachot as בניני אבות precedents to other Torah commandments, this action raises/elevates these secondary commandments to primary time-oriented commandments. Based upon the precedent distinction which separates the Divine Names wherein the Avot of the Book of בראשית prayed to their local god in the heavens to the שם השם Sinai revelation wherein the local god of the Chosen Cohen seed of the Avot lives within the Yatzir-Tov of the heart. B) HaShem on Yom Kippur annulled His vow to profane the Torah oath alliance cut with the Avot, and establish Moshe Rabbeinu as the Father of the chosen Cohen people. Herein the Torah differentiates between oaths which neither HaShem nor Man can cancel; opposed by Vow which both Man & HaShem can annul.
T’shuva’s primary Talmudic locus in Masechet Yoma (especially 86a-b), where Resh Lakish’s teachings—”Great is t’shuva, for intentional sins become unintentional” (via fear) and “intentional sins become merits” (via love/ahavah)—embody post-Sinai heart-work. T’shuva “remembers” in two layers. The sworn oaths cut by the Avot – as contained withing the opening p’suk of קריא שמע tefillah as contrasted by Tehillem prayers, this chochmah of זמן גרמא מצוות distinct and apart from toldot prayers, commandments and halachot.
Tefillah – opens with שמע wherein אלהים separates HaShem from HaShem; wherein Israel accepts the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven-the Written and Oral Torah revelations at Sinai & Horev. Tehillem prayers do not require k’vanna because they do not qualify as time-oriented commandments as does tefillat kre’a shma. Translating the רוח הקודש שם השם to other words, regardless יה, האל, אל, אלהים, אל שדי, איש האלהים, JeZeus, or Allah etc, precisely duplicates the Av tumah avoda zarah of the Sin of the Golden Calf wherein the ערב רב שאין להם יראת אלהים translated Elohim for the רוח הקודש שם השם לשמה.
Yom Kippur, framing teshuva as an internal, post-Sinai act that “remembers” the Avot’s oaths—sworn alliances creating the Cohen people yesh me’ayin (from nothing) through chochma of zman grama mitzvot, which demand kavana to align the heart’s yetzer ha-tov with the Sinai revelation. Resh Lakish teaches: “Great is teshuva, for it causes intentional sins to be reckoned as unintentional” (when motivated by fear/yirah), and “intentional sins to be reckoned as merits” (when from love/ahava)—embodying the heart’s return that heals backsliding (Hosea 14:5). This duality reflects post-Sinai immanence: teshuva from love fully integrates sins into the yetzer ha-tov’s divine spark, unlike pre-Sinai external britot (e.g., Avram’s with El Shaddai, touching future heavenly seed). Contradictions in verses (e.g., “Return, backsliding children, I will heal” vs. “I will heal their backsliding”) resolve as love (erasing sin as if never occurred) versus fear (healing but remembering sin), or even teshuva compelled by suffering.
Yoma 86b’s baraita categorizes atonement introduces other interpretations of t’shuva based upon the kabbalah of ישעיהו כב:יד, מט:ג וגם ויקרא טז:ל. Based upon the floods of Noach profaning a Torah oath threatens the existence of the entire World. Discernment defines judgment. The dedication of a barbeque unto Heaven – the rejected offering made by Cain – the rejected first born Cohen son. Korbanot, like tefillah require שם ומלכות – an oath sworn dedication of Oral Torah middot לשמה. Ideally the tefillah oath sworn while standing before a Sefer Torah; whereas the korban the שם ומלכות Torah oath sworn while standing before the altar. Obviously if a person lacks the חכמה which discerns between the k’vanna distinctions that separates ה’ from ה’ from אל from רחום from חנון etc, such an עם הארץ lacks k’vanna just as a person who observes Shabbat but fails to discern – not doing acts of מלאכה on the day of Shabbat dedicates doing these חכמה מלאכות throughout the 6 days of Shabbat. Doing mitzvot as מלאכה defines the k’vanna of time-oriented commandments which create מלאכים in the Heavens. The creation of מלאכים through tohor time-oriented Av commandments defines the intent of מגן אברהם.
Rabbi Eliezer calls upon a Bat Kol from heaven. This Mishna of כלים addresses the most complex and difficult subject in the whole of the Sha’s Bavli – tohor vs tumah. Rabbi Meir perhaps the most profound authority on this exceptionally difficult subject; ; שם מ”ב – האל – removes av tuma avoda zara spirits from the Yatzir Ha-Raw, similar to חמץ on Pesach. Rabban Gamliel showed a tuma lack of respect to both rabbi Meir – capable of adducing 48 proofs for purity or impurity on any matter, Eruvin 13b – by expunging his Name from the Mishna and Rabbi Yehoshua – which broke the camel’s back and caused the Nassi’s own public humiliation of being replaced as Sanhedrin head. Rabbi Yehoshua understood רשות as a Torah חיוב כוונה.
The dispute between Rashi & Rabbeinu Tam appearance of 3 stars vs. פלג המנחה defines the distinction which separates how Rabban Gamliel vs. rabbi Yehoshua interpreted the k’vanna of רשות. Tefillah דאורייתא – Kre’a Shma. This tefillah ideally a person sits while wearing tefillen. Tefillen like a Sefer Torah in matters of swearing oaths. Rabbi Yehoshua understood תפילת ערבית as a רשות mitzva. Meaning the k’vanna of saying קריא שמע ערבית בזמן של פלג המנחה – its still day, therefore a person has רשות to place tefillen and affix the Kre’a Shma ערבית to the מנחה Shemone Esrei, and the ערבית תפילה to the קריא שמע המיטה, said prior to sleeping; at that time for sure 3 stars have appeared in the Heavens.
This ties into t’shuva because נידוי learns from ger tzeddik. Where the ger tzeddik qualifies as a tohor new creation’ so too the person placed into the curse of נידוי too qualifies as a “tuma new creation”. For example, if a רשע refuses to give his ex-wife her Get, a Torah court could place the curse of נידוי upon that arrogant man, who publicly profanes his קידושין made before kosher witnesses and a minyan of 10 men, and issue a Get to the enchained ex-wife. Gittin 88b: Courts may compel a get, even with rods if needed. ר”א died in cherem, so this Torah curse not limited to 30 days, shamata, like a standard nazir vow.
The Sages burned his tahor declarations and excommunicated him for not yielding; he remained isolated, with his death marked by final words of “tahor” (Sanhedrin 68a; various aggadic accounts). Post-death, Rabbi Yehoshua revoked the ban, affirming his ultimate purity (tearing garments in mourning). This shows nidui can function as a lifelong “curse” for profound communal threats, yet teshuva (or posthumous recognition) restores. The court may authorize agents to issue the get if he persists (Yevamot 90a; Ketubot 77a).
Earthly courts wield nidui as a tool of coercion and transformation, annulling vows/oaths of profanation within Israel’s borders—rejecting heavenly appeals (as in Rabbi Eliezer’s bat kol) while restoring the yetzer ha-tov’s divine spark. Rabbi Eliezer’s enduring nidui until death highlights the gravity of refusing communal authority, yet his story ends in purity, affirming teshuva’s ultimate triumph.
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