Beyond the prayers of praise and petition, of thanksgiving and creedal affirmation, there is a pervasive quest to penetrate the darkness that encompasses us. In reverence and silence, we await a flash of light from the Master of wonders and the Mother of all souls to ease our burden, to enhance our understanding or to show us the way. To see, we need to stop running. Without this vital dimension of contemplation, the time spent in prayer for me would be unwarranted. In the morning, while donning our tallit , we bring it briefly over our head.
Prayer requires the exclusion of all distractions.
We withdraw from the world to take refuge beneath God's sheltering wing. That is the essence of Jewish prayer. In closing let me assure you that despite the size of the mahzor , the Rabbis put no special premium on length. Ismar Schorsch Home Browse Talk Shop Sign Up Search Courses Receive the JTS Torah commentary and Shabbat candlelighting times sent to you weekly by e-mail. Click here to sign up for free membership.