The biblical concept of "prayer" is quite profound. Most people think of prayer in terms of begging, beseeching of imploring a divinity to do something for them. While that is certainly part of prayer, it is only a small portion.

The Hebrew word most commonly translated as prayer is tefilah (תפילה). Tefilah is the state of being in the precense of the Holy One, for whatever purpose. Certainly when tragedy strike our tefilot will reflect this, but this is, we hope, rare. Tefilot is more commonly a period or act of joy, of peace and inspiration. It is trough prayer that we commune with HaShem. We enter His Presence step by step, as it were, until arriving into His very Presence where we stand in awe and in love.

In Judaism there are two main forms of tefilah. The oldest is hitbodedut, individual, secluded prayer and meditation. The other is through the Jewish Prayer Book or Siddur. Both forms of prayer are powerful. Lets consider both with an eye with an eye towards increasing our devekut or attachment to the Blessed One.

Hitbodedut (Hebrew: התבודדות‎) or "self-seclusion" is the unstructured, spontaneous and individualized prayer and meditation style practiced since the beginning of time. It is the indivudal pouring out his or her heart to G-d. This is the natural calling forth from soul to Soul, created to Creator. Hitbodedut is the most personal form of prayer, both for praise and for appeal.

In Judaism this natural form of prayer waned during the Babylonian captivity due to the severity of the times. In order to maintain our people's connection with G-d during this tragic period, Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly created the rote prayers or Siddurim. In time the prayer book or siddur became the standard form of Jewish prayer. Among many the word Tefilah came to mean the recitation of the Siddur.

As intellectualism gradually replaced popular religion in the minds of many if not most leading Jewish authorities Tefilah (i.e. the recitation of the Siddur) became increasing mechanical. In time Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov came onto the scene decrying the lack of personal commune and experiential emunah (active, complete faith). The return to a more spiritual and participatory Judaism led to various conflicts with the established order as is well known and outside the field of our current considerations. Once the "spark" of the Baal Shem Tov was lit it spread throughout much of the Jewish world. The grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, turned that spark into a fire and his teaching of hitbodedut sparked a fire that, as he said, "My fire will burn until the coming of Mashiach. Personal, secluded, prayer and meditation had returned to our people.

During the Babylonian exile ...

* Rabbi Shlomo Nachman © March 03, 2019
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