Tefillah

Primary source of communication with god and important for building up  a relationship with God

many instances of individual prayer- abraham praying for a heir and moses praying for Israel to be spread

no explict mitzvot to prayer

Yalmud refers to prayer as 'avodah shebalev' meaning service of the heart

siddur is the main prayer book

praying at regular times provides a timetable for devotion

3 services put on at the synagogue - sharcharit morning prayer - Minachab afternoon prayer and arvit evening prayer- daily services are intended to correspond with the times when sacrifices were offered at the temple

Amidah or standing prayer, central prayer of each of the three daily services and the congregation stands to recite - often known as the tefillah or shemonah esray meaning the eighteen - it is tradition before reciting the amidah to take three steps backhward

the 19 blessings are divided into 3 sectiosn - shevach - the first three blessings express praise for the paitarchs - in liberal synagogues the matriachs are also mentioned - Bakashah - the bulk of the prayer is petitionary and contains requests that both spirutal and phsyical needs are met - Hoda'ah - the prayer concludes with 3 blessings of thanksgiving and acceptance

Orgins of the prayer are uncertain - some suggest that it was introduced to identify heretics

Prayer as a means of a private communication between an individual and god can take place anywhere but its purpose within the communtiy and the culture is one htat has to be fullfilled as group

a minya\n is a group of ten men over the age of 13 that is needed before an act of communal prayer and the synagogue can take place, and this reuiqrment finds its source in the book of numbers 'how long with this wicked assembly grumble against me

no halakhic obligation to pray in a minyan yet rebbinic tradition encourages it

a person should make every effort to attent services with a minyan

apart from regular worship at the synagogue the minyan may gather in any suitable place

not all jewish share the same practices ocncerning the minyan - reform judaism has done away with the require - conservative rabbis seek to adress the lack of gender equality

Kavvanah means intention - prayer requires inner commitment that comes from the heart

"Prayer without kavanah is like a body without a soul.” - Pakudah - 11th century

In the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides includes kavanah as one of five essential elements of proper prayer - should empty his mind of all other thoughts and regard himself as if he were standing before the divine prececne

Repeating the words of set prayer on a regular basis can sometimes mean that the inner meaning is lost - Kavvanah in all aspects of life

Many levels of kavvanah starting with the basis sense of being able to understand the significance of the words that are being said and the awareness of being of God

'better a little supplication with kavvanah, than a great deal without it'