Our older Hebrew classes have recently been engaged in dialogue about the significance of prayer. Several of the most difficult questions Jewish people have struggled with over the ages -- such as “Does God hear my prayers?” and “Why do bad things happen to good people?” -- have been raised and discussed.
Judaism provides no one definitive answer to these basic questions. The Downtown Jewish Community School is inclusive and pluralistic in both philosophy and composition. We serve a diverse community of Jewish families and our school is enriched by children and families representing a wide range of Jewish belief and practice. We respect this diversity due to our deeply held conviction that there are many ways to be a Jew.
That being said, we are a Jewish religious school. As such, we affirm the strong connection between Judaism and God. We respect the many different conceptions of God within Jewish tradition while understanding that the ultimate concept of “God” is beyond human comprehension.
Light is a
sign of God. When I speak to children in a sanctuary, I use the example of the
eternal light hanging above the ark. Why is light a symbol of God? Because
light itself cannot be seen. What we
see is not light, but light bouncing off other things – walls, clothes, faces,
even particles in the air.
The same is true of God in this world. We cannot see
God. God becomes real to us through other things. God becomes real through the
beauty of the world, through the actions of people. But God’s self, God’s
essence, remains invisible – or, really, intangible.
Just like
light, like justice, like goodness, we cannot see God, but we can know God and
bring God into this world. I cannot show you goodness, but I can show you an
act of goodness. I cannot show you God, but an act of godliness makes God
somehow tangible. That is our responsible in the partnership. We carry the
light so that it can be seen.
Some Quotes on Prayer and God
Prayer is less about
changing the world than it is about changing ourselves. The Hebrew word for “to pray,” l’hitpallel, is reflexive. The root means “to judge” or “to clarify,”
so prayer is self-judgment or self-evaluation.
When we see what we pray for, we understand ourselves better. With prayer, children can begin the great
process of self-knowledge, which is so important to a life of spiritual depth.
Rabbi David J. Wolpe, Teaching Your Children About God
Berakhah is a fixed formula of
blessing for the various situations in life. A Jew, partner in God’s covenant,
is called upon to make his or her life authentic. He may not walk through his
years routinely. He must develop kavanah,
attunement, springing from an ever-renewed wonder at the work of creation and
placing him in never-ending dialogue with God and the world. A Jew must feel
himself addressed individually and constantly and may not shirk or evade his
duty to respond.
Leo Trepp, Jewish Observance
Blessings keep our awareness of life’s holy potential
ever present. They awaken us to our own lives, Every blessing says, “I am
grateful to be a creature and to remind myself and God that life is good.”
Lawrence Kushner, The Book of Words
The rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk once asked his
students, “Where does God dwell?” Thinking the answer obvious, one of them
said, “ God dwells everywhere!” “No,” said the rabbi, “ God dwells wherever we
let God in.”
There is
one more place we must teach our children to look for God. They must look, to
be sure, on the beginning of things; and in the community. But it is also
critical that each of us, including children, be able to look for God inside
ourselves.
God is evoked inside of us when we demonstrate those
qualities that we know God wishes us to exemplify in our lives: qualities of
compassion and of conscience.
David J. Wolpe, Teaching Your Children about God
Why is Praying Important?
I think you pray to become closer to G-d or
maybe if you want something or want to thank G-d or when someone is sick you
can pray for that person to recover.
When praying you are trying to talk to G-d. Also in the Torah it says you should pray, to respect G-d and to
show we are Jews.
By Jacob
We pray to God for help, thanks or
forgiveness. When I pray I think about
nothing in particular. When we pray we
respect God and tell we are Jews.
Praying is a symbolic way of remembering. Prayers have been passed on through the generations.
By Allison
When you pray you get closer to God and thank God for everything, including food, shelter and comfort. When I pray I think of God and people who died. We pray because it is commanded in the Torah. We respect things that are written in the Torah because it was written by G-d.
By Jesse
750 Spadina Ave. Toronto, ON, M5S 2J2
Tel: 416-924-6211 Fax: 416-924-0442
joan@djcs.org