Jewish Prayer: Personal vs. Traditional

Jewish prayer allows Jews to create a relationship with G-d. Like in any relationship, this can have many aspects — bonding and conversing, making everyday practical requests, praising and giving thanks, and reflecting on the deeper aspects of our connection.

In Jewish faith there are a few ways to pray:

• Personal prayer that comes from the heart: We speak to G-d in our own words, expressing our feelings, thoughts, needs, our joys and pains. The Hassidic tradition, starting from the Baal Shem Tov, emphasized the importance of personal prayer, and how it can sometimes be more powerful than traditional prayer. Rabbi Nachman of Breslev introduced the practice of hitbodedut (solitude / התבודדות), which involves going out to the wild or an isolated place and speaking to G-d every day.
• Traditional prayers in the Jewish prayer book (siddur / סידור): These are prayers written in Hebrew, with specific structure, wording, and rules stating when and how they should be cited. Almost all the prayers in the Jewish prayer book were written by the Knesset Hagedola (כנסת הגדולה, Great Assembly), a body of 120 of the greatest spiritual personalities in the history of Judaism, including prophets and great leaders such as Mordechai (from the story of Purim), Daniel (from the book of Daniel), Ezra and Nehemiah (who led the Jewish return to Israel to build the second temple), Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi (from the book of Trei-Assar), and Shimon HaTzadik.
• Tehillim (Psalms) and other written prayers: Almost every Jew has, at some point in their life, opened a book of Tehillim (Psalms, written by King David) and said a chapter for a loved one in need. There are many prayers and spiritual texts created by Jews over the generations, which we can turn to in time of need. Besides Tehillim, other examples are Likutey Tefillot (assorted prayers / ליקוטי תפילות) by Rabbi Natan of Breslev, and a more modern example, A Jewish Woman’s Prayer Book by Aliza Lavie.

In this article:

• What Is the Most Powerful Jewish Prayer?
• Is Prayer a Commandment in the Torah?
• The Amidah (Shmoneh Esrei): The Core of Traditional Jewish Prayer
• The Jewish Prayer Cycle — Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv and Mussaf
• Where Do Prayers in the Siddur Come From?
• The Rules of Prayer
• Jewish Prayer for Healing (Refua Shleima)
• Mi Sheberach (He Who Blessed Our Fathers…)
• Tehillim for for Protection, Success, and Thanksgiving

What Is the Most Powerful Jewish Prayer?

There is no one answer, but many would agree it is Shema Israel (שמע ישראל). This is an ancient prayer, whose words are written in the Torah, which expresses our belief in the one G-d, His commandments, our liberation from Egyptian slavery, and the importance of our ancient tradition.

Jews have traditionally said the Shema as their dying words, including the Jewish martyrs who were killed only for being Jewish or for standing by their Jewish faith. It is the climax of the closing prayer (tefillat neila / תפילה נעילה) on Yom Kippur, considered the holiest prayer of the year, but is also recited every day, in the morning, while wearing Tefillin (for men), in the evening, and before going to sleep.

These are the opening words of Shema Yisrael:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ

And you shall love the Lord your G-d

בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ

with all your heart and with all your soul

וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶֽךָ

and with all your might

וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵֽלֶּה

And these words

אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם

that I command you today

עַל לְבָבֶֽךָ

shall be upon your heart

וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶֽיךָ

And you shall teach them to your children

וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם

and you shall speak of them

בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶֽךָ

when you sit in your home

וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּֽרֶךְ

and when you walk on the way

וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ

and when you lie down and when you rise up

וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶֽךָ

And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand

וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶֽיךָ

and they shall be an ornament between your eyes

וּכְתַבְתָּם

And you shall write them

עַל מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶֽךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ

on the doorposts of your home and upon your gates

There is really no need for any further explanation. Read these words. Feel their energy. By saying them, you connect to 3,000 years of Jewish spirituality, wisdom, suffering, and redemption. Even our greatest Sages, who knew the entire Torah and the secrets of the universe, would say these words every day, again and again, drawing meaning, inspiration, and strength from them, throughout their lives. And so can we.

Read the full text of Kriat Shema (קריאת שמע):

• Read Kriat Shema in Hebrew (this is best if you can read Hebrew)
• Read Kriat Shema transliterated into English letters (with audio recording)
• Read Kriat Shema translated into English

Is Prayer a Commandment in the Torah?

According to the Rambam (Maimonedes / רמב״ם), there is a commandment (mitzvah / מצווה) in the Torah to pray to G-d, and both personal and traditional prayer fulfill this mitzvah. As it says: “And you shall worship the Lord, your G-d, and He will bless your food and your drink, and remove illness from your midst” (Exodus 22:25), and this “worship” is prayer. According to the Rambam, even by praying to G-d once a day, in your own words, you fulfill this mitzvah and create a spiritual connection to G-d.

In addition, we have guidance given to us from the Jewish sages to pray in the specific form and words laid down by the Knesset Hagedola — the prayers in the Siddur. A Jew who prays without being aware of the Siddur is missing out on one of the world’s greatest spiritual creations — a book that opens pathways to the soul and provides a way for personal growth and sanctification.

There are many religions and practices people around the world have used to develop their spirituality. Most of them involve a departure or disconnection from daily life in order to connect to some spiritual force. Our Jewish Sages had a different way. They told us: just recite these words, in this order, at these times. They are spiritual words, but connected to your everyday life — your needs, desires, joys, and sorrows. If you open yourself to them, they will open up to you, fill your heart, and create a pathway of spiritual awakening.

The Amidah (Shemoneh Esrei): The Core of Traditional Jewish Prayer

At the core of traditional Jewish prayer is the Amidah (standing prayer / עמידה), also known as Shemoneh Esrei (prayer of 18 blessings, שמונה עשרה). It is a series of blessings written by Jewish sages and prophets over 2,000 years ago, in which we begin by praising G-d, ask G-d for all our important needs, both physical and spiritual, and end by thanking G-d for everything he gives us. The text of the Amidah prayer is ancient and sacred, and cannot be changed, but we are encouraged to add our own personal requests inside its blessings.

Religious Jewish men say the Amidah prayer three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening. Religious Jewish women say it at least once a day. But even saying it once in a lifetime has tremendous spiritual value. According to Jewish custom, the Amidah is recited in whisper, standing with legs together (like the angels, who in our tradition have only one foot), facing in the direction of Jerusalem. It is best to pray in a synagogue or a holy place like the Western Wall, but you can say the Amidah in any clean, respectable place.

Despite its name, the Shmoneh Esrei has 19 blessings, one of which was added in a later generation. The order of blessings is:

1. Avot (ancestors): Praises G-d as the G-d of our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2. Gevurot (powers): Praises G-d for His power and might, and mentions His promise to heal the sick and resurrect the dead.
3. Kedusha (sanctification): Praises G-d’s holiness. When praying in a group, the prayer leader (chazzan, חזן) says an expanded form of this blessing, considered the holiest part of the Amidah prayer.
   (from here onwards, we begin asking G-d for our personal, community and national needs)
4. Binah (understanding): Asks G-d to grant wisdom and understanding.
5. Teshuvah (repentance): Asks G-d to help Jews to return to a life based on the Torah.
6. Selichah (forgiveness): Asks G-d to forgive us for our mistakes.
7. Geulah (redemption): Asks G-d to bring redemption to the people of Israel and salvation to the entire world.
8. Refuah (healing): A prayer to heal the sick. You can add the names of people who are ill, using their Jewish name, and pray for their recovery.
9. Birkat HaShanim (livelihood): Asks G-d to grant wealth and livelihood. You can add the names of people facing economic hardship. During the rainy season, this blessing includes a prayer for rain, “veten tal umatar libracha” (ותן טל ומטר לברכה).
10. Galuyot (diasporas): Asks G-d to gather all Jewish people and return them to the land of Israel.
11. Birkat HaDin (justice): Asks G-d to restore righteous judges, as in the days of old.
12. Birkat HaMinim (enemies): Asks G-d to destroy enemies of the Jewish people and those who act against the Jewish people.
13. Tzadikim (righteous individuals): Asks G-d to have mercy on all of us by virtue of the few righteous individuals who truly believe in Him, including the righteous converts (gerey tzedek, גרי צדק).
14. Boneh Yerushalayim (Jerusalem): Asks G-d to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Kingdom of David. Even though today Jerusalem is physically built, we still await its spiritual rebuilding with our Holy Temple.
15. Blessing of David: Asks G-d to bring the descendant of King David, who will be the Messiah and bring salvation to the entire world.
16. Tefillah (prayer): Asks G-d to accept all our prayers. In the middle of this prayer, you can add all your personal requests, for you, your loved ones, the Jewish people, and the world in general.
    (from this point onwards, we thank G-d for his goodness)
17. Avodah (service): Asks G-d to restore the Holy Temple and its spiritual services, which will connect all of humanity to G-d. On festive days like Rosh Hodesh, holidays, and Hol Hamoed, we add a special blessing related to the day (ya’ale ve’yavo / יעלה ויבוא).
18. Hoda’ah (thanksgiving): Thanks G-d for our lives, for our souls, and for God’s miracles that are with us every day. In a group, after this blessing is recited by the prayer leader, the Cohanim (priests, כהנים) approach the holy ark (aron hakodesh, ארון הקודש) to recite the ancient Priestly Blessing (birkat cohanim, ברכת כהנים).
19. Sim Shalom (peace): Asks G-d for peace, goodness, blessings, kindness, and compassion.

Read the full text of the Amidah (תפילת עמידה) for regular week days:

• Amidah prayer in Hebrew: Ashkenazi / Sfardi
• Amidah transliterated into English letters
• Amidah prayer translated into English

The Jewish Prayer Cycle: Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv and Mussaf

Let’s dive into the details of the Jewish prayer book (Siddur / סידור) and our traditional prayer customs.

In Judaism there are three prayers every day, 365 days per year. These are:

• Shacharit / שחרית — morning prayer, including the morning blessings (birkot hashachar / ברכות השחר), psalms of praise (psukei dezimra / פסוקי דזימרה), Shema Yisrael (kriat shema / קריאת שמע), and the Tefillat Shmone Esre (prayer of 18 blessings, also called Amida / עמידה).
• Mincha / מנחה — afternoon prayer, which is much shorter and includes only the prayer Ashrei Yoshvei Beiteicha (Psalms, chapter 145) and the Shmone Esre (Amida)
• Maariv / מעריב — evening prayer, which includes Shema Yisrael and the Shmone Esre.

On special days we, like the Shabbat and Jewish holidays, we add a fourth prayer called Mussaf / מוסף (literally, “the additional one”), also in the morning, which commemorates the additional sacrifice we would bring to G-d in the template in Jerusalem on those days.

On the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, we add a fifth prayer, Neila / נעילה (the closing prayer). Neila is the culmination of our prayers and aspirations during the entire year, a last chance to ask for forgiveness and pray for the good in the year to come.

Where Do Prayers in the Siddur Come From?

The content of our written prayers are made up of three main parts:

• Psalms: Much of the morning prayer, Shacharit, is made up of Psalms from the Book of Psalms written by King David.
• Shema Yisrael: In the morning and evening prayers we say all three parshiot of Shema Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, and Numbers 15:37–41).
• Blessings: Apart from the above, most of the text in the siddur is blessings written by the Great Assembly of 120 Sages and Prophets (Knesset Hagedola / כנסת הגדולה).

According to our tradition, these are not regular texts. They were either dictated directly by G-d to Moses (in the case of Shema Yisrael), or written with divine inspiration (Ruach Hakodesh) by individuals as great as King David of Israel, Mordechai, Daniel, Ezra and Nechemia.

So, while it is a good idea to learn and understand the words of the prayer, we must realize this is only a superficial understanding. The words are divine and carry much deeper, spiritual meanings, some of which are completely beyond human understanding. These meanings could open up to us over time, as much as our spiritual capacity will allow.

The Rules of Prayer

Our Sages created a complex system of rules, a spiritual “technology” if you will, that ensures these prayers will have their full spiritual effect. They include rules about the times of prayer, accessories like tefillin and tzitzit, the place of prayer, praying in a group (minyan / מניין), and your personal disposition while praying.

If you didn’t grow up religious, reading the rules (halachot / הלכות) of prayer can be a bit overwhelming. I’ll cover only the very basic things here. It’s okay if you start with the basics and miss some of the details, at least at first. Our Sages said that if someone misreads the words of prayer, it is accepted with love by G-d (Shir Hashirim Raba 2:4).

You shouldn’t view these rules as strict and uncompromising — it’s like learning to paint. There are basic things you need to know like how to hold the brush and use colors to create a simple picture. Beyond that, you can get better and better at it to create beautiful paintings, or even, after years of learning, master works of art.

The Time of Prayer

The times of Jewish prayer change depending on your geographical location and the time of the year, because they are based on the times of sunrise and sunset. In most places and times of year, you can pray:

• Shacharit between 6am and 10am
• Mincha between 1pm and 4pm
• Maariv between 8pm and midnight

To know exact times of prayer, and if you live in places with very early or late sunrise and sunset, such as Canada or the Nordic countries, search Google for “Jewish times of prayer [my location]”.

Prayer is also different on different days. There are special additions to the prayer service on days such as Roch Chodesh (the first day of the Jewish month), on Jewish holidays, Hol Hamoed (חול המועד), and especially on the High Holidays, Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur.

During morning prayers on regular week days, it is customary for men to wear tefillin (תפילין, phylacteries).

Learn more in my detailed guide to tefillin

The Place of Prayer

As for the place of prayer — it’s important to pray in a place that is quiet, clean, and free of unpleasant smells. You can pray anywhere you want, but there are spiritual places where prayer can be stronger and more easily accepted by G-d:

• The synagogue — over thousands of years Jews have built synagogues, which are known as “small temples” (mikdash me’at, מקדש מעט), because they are similar to the holiness of our holy temple in Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt soon. Synagogues have a special energy that is conducive to prayer and spiritual learning.
• Jewish holy places — Israel is full of holy places such as the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me’arat Hamachpelah / מערכת המכפלה), and Mount Meron, the burial place of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Even outside Israel there are tombs of Tzadikkim, such as the Lubavicher Rabbi in New York, the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhbizh, Ukraine, and Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan in Ouezzane, Morocco. Visiting these holy places, not as a tourist attraction, but to pray and connect to G-d, can be a very powerful experience.
• The Western Wall (Hakotel Hama’aravi / הכותל המערבי) — thanks G-d, in our generation it is easy to visit Jerusalem and pray at the Western Wall, the only remnant of our holy temple. Rabbi Shlomke of Zvil (a renowned Hassidic leader who lived in Jerusalem in the 1930s) once said that the Western Wall is the “central post office” — all prayers in the world are taken by angels and delivered there, and only then go up to heaven. When you pray there, your prayer arrives via the express route. Millions of people from around the world, many of them non-Jews, visit the temple to pray and insert written requests between its ancient stones. I strongly urge you to visit the Kotel and pray there, at least once in your life.

Group Prayer (Minyan / מניין)

It’s interesting that most Jewish prayers are in the plural, and are recited on behalf of all of the Jewish people, or in some cases the entire world. This shows us Jewish prayer is a collective activity.

It’s okay to pray alone, but there is special value to praying as part of a Jewish community. When G-d appeared in Mount Sinai to give us the ten commandments, he waited until all of us gathered, united, “as one person, with one heart” (Rashi on Exodus, 19:2). Our Sages said that G‑d never rejects the prayers of a congregation, even if they do not pray with the proper intention and even if there are sinners in the crowd. However, when you pray alone, every prayer is considered on its individual merit.

A complete prayer service cannot be conducted without a quorum (minyan / מניין) of at least 10 adult Jewish men. A minyan is required to recite special prayers such as Kaddish (קדיש), Kedusha (קדושה), the repetition of the Amidah (chazarat hashatz / חזרת הש״ץ), and the Priestly Blessing (see below). These are the holiest part of a prayer service and can be a very special spiritual experience, and praying in a minyan will allow you to experience them.

To ensure you get the most out of your daily prayers, it’s important to find a community and minyan that you connect with, both on a social and spiritual level, and pray with them as much as possible, especially on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

Jewish Prayer for Healing

Just saying “Refua Shleima” (רפואה שלמה) is a powerful prayer that can help others recover from illness.

It’s even better to add the sick person’s Jewish name and mother’s name, and ask for their healing among all Jewish sick, because a prayer for all Jewish people is more likely to be heard. For example: “Refua Shleima le-Miriam Bat Esther Betoch Sh’ar Choley Yisrael”.

If you have time and are able to read Hebrew, there is an ancient formula of prayer for the sick—I have tried it personally when people I knew were seriously ill and it really helped.

Recite the following thirty-six chapters of Psalms: 20, 6, 9, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 39, 41, 49, 55, 56, 69, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 102, 103, 104, 107, 116, 118, 142, 143, and 148 (Chabbad offers an online book of Psalms in Hebrew and English).

After this, read Psalm 119, which is organized according to the Jewish alphabet. Say the verses that correspond to the letters of the sick individual’s Jewish name, and then those that correspond to the letters “ק-ר-ע ש-ט-ן”, which means, “destroy the prosecutor”. Here is a web page that gives you all the verses of Psalm 119 for someone’s name.

Mi Sheberach (He Who Blessed Our Fathers…)

Mi Sheberach is a public prayer that is traditionally said in the synagogue, when reading the Torah, but you can also say it anytime on your own. It’s another ancient formula you can use to pray for anyone’s healing, success, or well being.

This is the Mi Sheberach prayer for healing, but you can substitute the healing for any other request.

English:

May the One who blessed our ancestors,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah —

bless and heal the one who is ill:

____ son/daughter of ____

May G-d have compassion for him/her,

to restore him/her,

to heal him/her,

to strengthen him/her,

to enliven him/her.

May G-d send him/her, speedily,

complete healing from heaven —

healing of the soul and healing of the body —

along with all the sick of Israel,

soon, speedily, without delay,

and let us all say Amen

Transliteration:

Mi Sheberach Avoteinu,

Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov,

Sarah, Rivka, Rachel v’Leah,

Hu yevarech verapei

et hacholeh/hacholah

____ ben/bat ____

HaKadosh Baruch Hu

yemalei rachamim alav/aleha,

l’hachalimo/l’hachlimah,

u-l’rap’oto/u-l’rap’otah,

l’hachaziko/l’hazikah,

u-l’chay-oto/u-l’chay-otah.

V’yishlach lo/lah bimhera

r’fuah shlemah min hashamayim,

r’fu-at hanefesh u-r’fu-at haguf,

b’toch sh’ar cholei Yisrael,

hashta ba’agalah u-vizman kariv,

v’no-mar Amen

Hebrew:

מי שבירך אבותינו, אברהם יצחק ויעקב

הוא יברך וירפא את החולה

____ בן/בת ____

להחלימו/ה ולרפאותו/ה

להחזיקו/ה ולהחיותו/ה

רפואה שלמה מן השמיים

רפואת הנפש ורפואת הגוף

בתוך שאר חולי ישראל

השתא בעגלא ובזמן קריב

ונאמר אמן

Tehillim for for Protection, Success, and Thanksgiving

While you can pray for anyone in your own words, there are certain chapters in the Tehillim (Psalms) that are recommended for specific needs. Here are a few such chapters:

• For anyone in trouble: Tehillim Chapter 20, “לַמְנַצֵּחַ מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד יַעַנְךָ ה׳ בְּיוֹם צָרָה”
• For success in any endeavor: Tehillim Chapter 57, “לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם”
• For success in livelihood: Tehillim Chapters 23, 104, 128, or 145 (see Chabbad’s online book of Tehillim)
• For thanks to G-d: Tehillim Chapter 100, “מזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה: הָרִיעוּ לַה׳ כָּל-הָאָרֶץ”

Conclusion

Jewish Prayer is a gift given to us by our ancestors and the Jewish sages. It is a powerful spiritual technique that can help us connect to G-d and elevate ourselves to a higher plane of existence. And yet it is simple and down to earth, letting you express your thoughts and emotions and pray for the things you care about most. Whether you pray from your heart, in your own words, to the one G-d of the Jews, or learn the traditional rules and texts of Jewish prayer, you are connecting to a beautiful spiritual route paved by our people for over 3,000 years.