Prayer is called many things in the Torah. Jacob has an "encounter" on Mount Moriah; Pinchas conducts a "judgment" with G‑d; Isaac and Rebecca "entreat" for a child; Jonah "cries out" from the belly of the fish. The Midrash surveys the Five Books of Moses, the Book of Psalms and the Prophets, and finds 13 ways to say "prayer": cry, howl, groan, stricture, song, prostration, encounter, judgment, entreaty, standing, appeal and beseeching.
Of course, no two people cry alike. Judgment can be the judgment of self, of our place in the world, or of our relationship with G‑d. And certainly the tone and timbre of our prayers varies with the time and place of our beseeching, the reason for our entreating, and the object of our appeals. Thus each of the thirteen modes of prayer include numerous colors and textures, as we have attempted to demonstrate with this selection of 28 stories, essays and articles, culled from 125 issues of Chabad.Org Magazine.
Stories of Prayer:
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The Chassid and the Fool at the Leiptzig Fair
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Voices of Prayer:
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Essays on Prayer:
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Prayer Insights:
As I have been interested in all things I can find out about God, I started by trying to learn Hebrew. The word for prayer התפלל is a reflexive verb. I noticed the word for praying is only reflexive. A two way correspondence. While praying, is the person praying obligated to do what HaShem wants and desires to get the benefit of the prayer? Praying being a reflexive verb only, is praying two way action? I thought about this. Thanks, Sara.
Maybe praying is like being married, in that being married is a back and forth relationship between husband and wife. This is an extra comment from chewing on the matter. Sabbath Shalom.
When I pray in shul, I experience myself talking to Hashem and I also request forgiveness and strength. When pray the Hebrew prayers and don't fully understand the meaning, I read across the page in my siddur which helps me to gradually begin to know the Hebrew words. Shabbat Shalom. Sora
Yes Sora, I love that we converse. To me the verb to pray is a reflexive verb, htpael, implying a two way relationship. I myself study the verb meanings and roots. Today’s portion, Deuteronomy 24:5-13 has me just watching the girl going to Palestine and talking. זכור מא אשר ח׳ אלוהיך למרים.
I just relax and let HaShem handle the big situation.