Monday, September 11, 2006
Focus on Prayer by Francis Nataf
One of the most problematic features of our educational systems is that the period in our day that has the potential to be the most powerful formative religious experience has, in fact, become an exercise in drudgery.
The fact that the opportunity for a sustained direct encounter with spirituality provided by prayer does not exist anywhere else in our school day should give it our most serious attention.
The first problem is that our schools (and shuls) don't really teach prayer. We may teach our students the vocabulary and mechanics of the prayers but rarely is there a serious attempt at teaching the art and experience of prayer.
This is not the place to explain the various exercises possible at various age groups to help them truly pray. Suffice it to say that prayer as art and experience needs to be taught experientially.
If teaching the art of prayer may be difficult and uncomfortable, we have less of an excuse when it comes to teaching about prayer and its literature. The forte of our institutions is the teaching of text. Since we have so many teachers who are talented in making Tanakh and Talmud come alive by rigorous close readings, why don't we ever see these teachers use this methodology with the siddur? Lest we think of the siddur as some sort of basic primer lacking sophistication, I would strongly concur with Rab Shlomo Wolbe z'l's observation that the siddur is, in fact, not only the most profound, but also the most difficult text of the entire Torah
she be'al peh (Alei Shor I p. 28). I would also add that for the individual Jew it is the most important.
Equally valuable are organized courses on the nature of prayer. This topic is one of the most central ones in Jewish Thought. Our students must be versed in what prayer is all about and how it works.
Lastly, I have told my own students going into Jewish education that if they are forced by the school schedule to limit prayer education to the slot alloted for prayers, they should seriously consider (within halachic limits) making prayer education the primary focus of this period and actual prayer secondary. I feel that doing otherwise is a dangerous misreading of priorities.
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Rabbi Francis Nataf was ordained at Yeshiva University and also holds degrees in Jewish history and international affairs. He is the Educational Director of David Cardozo Academy in Jerusalem. Rabbi Nataf is a regular contributor to Lookjed and has just come out with his first book entitled "Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Genesis: Explorations in Text and Meaning" Urim Publications).
The fact that the opportunity for a sustained direct encounter with spirituality provided by prayer does not exist anywhere else in our school day should give it our most serious attention.
The first problem is that our schools (and shuls) don't really teach prayer. We may teach our students the vocabulary and mechanics of the prayers but rarely is there a serious attempt at teaching the art and experience of prayer.
This is not the place to explain the various exercises possible at various age groups to help them truly pray. Suffice it to say that prayer as art and experience needs to be taught experientially.
If teaching the art of prayer may be difficult and uncomfortable, we have less of an excuse when it comes to teaching about prayer and its literature. The forte of our institutions is the teaching of text. Since we have so many teachers who are talented in making Tanakh and Talmud come alive by rigorous close readings, why don't we ever see these teachers use this methodology with the siddur? Lest we think of the siddur as some sort of basic primer lacking sophistication, I would strongly concur with Rab Shlomo Wolbe z'l's observation that the siddur is, in fact, not only the most profound, but also the most difficult text of the entire Torah
she be'al peh (Alei Shor I p. 28). I would also add that for the individual Jew it is the most important.
Equally valuable are organized courses on the nature of prayer. This topic is one of the most central ones in Jewish Thought. Our students must be versed in what prayer is all about and how it works.
Lastly, I have told my own students going into Jewish education that if they are forced by the school schedule to limit prayer education to the slot alloted for prayers, they should seriously consider (within halachic limits) making prayer education the primary focus of this period and actual prayer secondary. I feel that doing otherwise is a dangerous misreading of priorities.
----
Rabbi Francis Nataf was ordained at Yeshiva University and also holds degrees in Jewish history and international affairs. He is the Educational Director of David Cardozo Academy in Jerusalem. Rabbi Nataf is a regular contributor to Lookjed and has just come out with his first book entitled "Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Genesis: Explorations in Text and Meaning" Urim Publications).
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I was pleased to read the posting by Rabbi Francis Nataf urging schools to teach the text of the Siddur in the same manner as they teach other Jewish texts. That was my goal three years ago when I began writing a weekly e-mail newsletter in which I trace the origin of the words and the
structure of the Tephilot.
Perhaps a few questions about the text of the Siddur will verify that the text of the Siddur is indeed difficult to understand as Rabbi Nataf pointed out by quoting Rab Shlomo Wolbe, z"l. Why do we begin Tephilat Schacharit with the words: Mah Tovu which were composed by a non-Jew, Bilaam? Who authored Adon Olam? Why do some recite Hodu before Baruch
Sh'Amar and some after? Is Mizmor Shir Chanukat HaBayit part of Korbanot or is it part of Pseukei D'Zimra or is its inclusion a publisher's error? Why do we recite Kaddish Yasom after Mizmor Shir Chanukat Habayit?
What are the sources for the prayers: Kaddish, Kedushah, Baruch Sh'Amar and Yishtabach? Little or nothing about each one is found in the Talmud Bavli and the Talmud Yerushalmi.
The RCA DeSola Poole Siddur and the RCA Artscroll Siddur differ as to one word in the text of Baruch Sh'Amar. Although it is only one word, it affects the meaning of a sentence. Do you know what is behind the disagreement and where you stand on that issue?
Do you know that Kedushah was recited in Eretz Yisroel only on Shabbat until the time of Rav Saadiya Gaon? Do you know that during that same period, only 18 Brachot were recited as part of Shemona Esrei in Eretz Yisroel and not 19 as were recited in Bavel? Do you know the other differences between Minhag Eretz Yisroel and Minhag Bavel?
Do you know that Rashi put together a Siddur and that the Rambam included one in his Mishna Torah? Do you know that you can go to any decent sized Jewish bookstore and buy some of the earliest versions of the Siddur, the Seder Rav Amram Gaon and the Siddur of Rav Saadiya Gaon? In fact you can find Siddurim from almost every century beginning with the 800's CE and you can compare the texts for each part of the Siddur.
Do you know that each year scholars are uncovering handwritten manuscripts
of ancient Siddurim and are putting them into book form? Do you know that we can now enter text from the Siddur into a computer and electronically
search thousands of books for references to those words?
When I do my research, I feel like I am participating in an archaeological dig except that I am not bending over, working in the hot sun nor getting my hands and feet dirty. I never know where my research will lead me.
Sometimes it is to the Gemara. Other times it is to a Midrash, to the Zohar, to a Rishon or to an Acharon. Still other times it might be to a scholarly work. All in all, the study of the Siddur has required me to do research in every type of Jewish text.
I think that students will find the study of the Siddur a fascinating subject. But more than that-students will find that if they spend a little time doing research, they can make important contributions to the field because it is such an undeveloped area.
Compilations of my newsletters including an introduction to Tefila, Birchot Hashachar, Kriyat Shema and Birchot Kriyat Shema, an introduction to Shemona Esrei and the first three Brachot of Shemona Esrei are available for downloading from the library section of this website.
Abe Katz
Executive Director
The Beurei Hatefila Institute
[To locate Abe Katz' material on our website, search the library at
http://www.lookstein.org/library.php]
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structure of the Tephilot.
Perhaps a few questions about the text of the Siddur will verify that the text of the Siddur is indeed difficult to understand as Rabbi Nataf pointed out by quoting Rab Shlomo Wolbe, z"l. Why do we begin Tephilat Schacharit with the words: Mah Tovu which were composed by a non-Jew, Bilaam? Who authored Adon Olam? Why do some recite Hodu before Baruch
Sh'Amar and some after? Is Mizmor Shir Chanukat HaBayit part of Korbanot or is it part of Pseukei D'Zimra or is its inclusion a publisher's error? Why do we recite Kaddish Yasom after Mizmor Shir Chanukat Habayit?
What are the sources for the prayers: Kaddish, Kedushah, Baruch Sh'Amar and Yishtabach? Little or nothing about each one is found in the Talmud Bavli and the Talmud Yerushalmi.
The RCA DeSola Poole Siddur and the RCA Artscroll Siddur differ as to one word in the text of Baruch Sh'Amar. Although it is only one word, it affects the meaning of a sentence. Do you know what is behind the disagreement and where you stand on that issue?
Do you know that Kedushah was recited in Eretz Yisroel only on Shabbat until the time of Rav Saadiya Gaon? Do you know that during that same period, only 18 Brachot were recited as part of Shemona Esrei in Eretz Yisroel and not 19 as were recited in Bavel? Do you know the other differences between Minhag Eretz Yisroel and Minhag Bavel?
Do you know that Rashi put together a Siddur and that the Rambam included one in his Mishna Torah? Do you know that you can go to any decent sized Jewish bookstore and buy some of the earliest versions of the Siddur, the Seder Rav Amram Gaon and the Siddur of Rav Saadiya Gaon? In fact you can find Siddurim from almost every century beginning with the 800's CE and you can compare the texts for each part of the Siddur.
Do you know that each year scholars are uncovering handwritten manuscripts
of ancient Siddurim and are putting them into book form? Do you know that we can now enter text from the Siddur into a computer and electronically
search thousands of books for references to those words?
When I do my research, I feel like I am participating in an archaeological dig except that I am not bending over, working in the hot sun nor getting my hands and feet dirty. I never know where my research will lead me.
Sometimes it is to the Gemara. Other times it is to a Midrash, to the Zohar, to a Rishon or to an Acharon. Still other times it might be to a scholarly work. All in all, the study of the Siddur has required me to do research in every type of Jewish text.
I think that students will find the study of the Siddur a fascinating subject. But more than that-students will find that if they spend a little time doing research, they can make important contributions to the field because it is such an undeveloped area.
Compilations of my newsletters including an introduction to Tefila, Birchot Hashachar, Kriyat Shema and Birchot Kriyat Shema, an introduction to Shemona Esrei and the first three Brachot of Shemona Esrei are available for downloading from the library section of this website.
Abe Katz
Executive Director
The Beurei Hatefila Institute
[To locate Abe Katz' material on our website, search the library at
http://www.lookstein.org/library.php]
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