I find the concept of prayer very difficult to understand because. . . . We will see that the Hebrew word for praying denotes some concepts that are different from or additonal to the English definition. Even though this is not grammar class, a careful analysis of this Hebrew word is in order. Thus the Hebrew word for prayer implies communion, as does the English. This is a very important clue about one special feature of Jewish prayer.
Jewish prayer can be a very personal exercise.
Thus to our dictionary definition of prayer, we must add the conceptual element of internal communication and reflection to the brew as we attempt to define Jewish prayer. Thus the Hebrew word for prayer, and similarly the Jewish concept of prayer, is a much broader one than its English counterpart. To challenge oneself to become a better person, and to invite Divine participation in this process. Up until this point, we have been alluding largely to the rather amorphous activity of personal prayer. Jewish prayer, however, includes much more than that.