To Understand

[alon]

I was reading in my "Atrscroll Sabbath and Festival Transliterated Linear Sedur," mostly contemplating doing things, making observances and saying prayers for which I have no cultural or practical reference. I sometimes wonder what's the point. Often no idea if I'm really doing it right or just going through the motions. Many things, like the weekly Shabbath, I can't do completely because it would require the cooperation of my wife. So I observe the best I can and try to just glean as much of the meaning as I can find.

I did find this, under "SHIMONEH ESREI - AMIDAH":

Shimoneh Esrei (or the Amidah) is known as "Service of the Heart." By definition, it must be understood and comprehended. Failure to do so is compared by the Sages to a "body without a soul." Two independent kinds of awareness are necessary for the Amidah:

1. To understand the meaning of that which we are saying. ...

2. To visualize that we are privileged to literally be standing before God. ...

I think this is a good approach to everything I do in my search to become more observant. I'd guess the meaning, as we try to please Hashem, is the most important thing. I'm going to get it wrong, that is inevitable. But I can search out the meaning and try to apply it.

A good example is N'tilat Yadiyim: if my wife saw a Netti Cup on the sink, she'd have a conniption fit. I know the cup is to be kadosh, set apart for service alone. So as I wash, I pray that my hands be set apart this day and I then alternately wash each hand three times, saying the prayer in Hebrew then English as I shake and dry. Is this correct? I doubt any practicing Jew would say so, unless to be rid of the crazy Gentile asking stupid questions. But I do have a relatively good handle on the meaning, and it is all I can do for the time being. There is the point too that this comes from tradition, not as a biblical commandment- so I don't think I'm out of line in taking the liberty. The point is I took the time to look into this, tried to understand the meaning and imagery behind it before doing it. By the way, I do this not as some ritual I can copy from Judaism, but because it has meaning to me.

To do anything without understanding is just wasted motion. If I don't get it right, I at least want to "get it" and understand what I am trying to do.

Concerning #2, I'll say this; Christianity teaches us to "come before the throne." It is taught like this is only possible because Christ nailed the old ways to the Cross. Here again, we see that there is nothing new in the "New Testament." Jews still under the "Old" system not only come before God, but to my mind in a much more vivid manner, full of imagery and understanding. Christianity accuses the Jews of being ritualistic, and assumes they are just going through the motions. However I'd say they, under their dispensation of grace are the ones going through the motions. After all, Christ paid all their sins forward, so why all the fuss? Unless they are in trouble- LOL, thinking back though my focus back then was more on the devil on my tail than on getting to the throne!

Point is, understanding and visualization are more important than doing everything right. It's all new to most of us, so I'm sure we'll get it wrong from time to time. But the whole idea is to come closer to God, not just to do a ritual. At least this is how I see it.

Dan C

just a note: I must confess I don't always say the Amidah. I need to get back in the habit (if I ever really was) at least once a day. I also have an abbreviated version which has meaning/understanding for me. Not that abbreviated, but really rewritten. Part of understanding is knowing about it. Not a commandment either, however Yeshua would have done it as a practicing Jew. He did give us an abbreviated version as well. It was the practice of rabbis to give their talmidim an abbreviated version for times they were not able to do the Standing Prayer properly. We call it "The Lord's Prayer." Wow, another one that is not so "New."

[Questor]

May 8, 2014 20:02:21 GMT -8 alon said:

I was reading in my "Atrscroll Sabbath and Festival Transliterated Linear Linear Sedur," mostly contemplating doing things, making observances and saying prayers for which I have no cultural or practical reference. I sometimes wonder what's the point. Often no idea if I'm really doing it right or just going through the motions. Many things, like the weekly Shabbath, I can't do completely because it would require the cooperation of my wife. So I observe the best I can and try to just glean as much of the meaning as I can find.

I did find this, under "SHIMONEH ESREI - AMIDAH":

Shimoneh Esrei (or the Amidah) is known as "Service of the Heart." By definition, it must be understood and comprehended. Failure to do so is compared by the Sages to a "body without a soul." Two independent kinds of awareness are necessary for the Amidah:

1. To understand the meaning of that which we are saying. ...

2. To visualize that we are privileged to literally be standing before God. ...

I think this is a good approach to everything I do in my search to become more observant. I'd guess the meaning, as we try to please Hashem, is the most important thing. I'm going to get it wrong, that is inevitable. But I can search out the meaning and try to apply it.

A good example it N'tilat Yadiyim: if my wife saw a Netti Cup on the sink, she'd have a conniption fit. I know the cup is to be kadosh, set apart for service alone. So as I wash, I pray that my hands be set apart this day and I then alternately wash each hand three times, saying the prayer in Hebrew then English as I shake and dry. Is this correct? I doubt any practicing Jew would say so, unless to be rid of the crazy Gentile asking stupid questions. But I do have a relatively good handle on the meaning, and it is all I can do for the time being. There is the point too that this comes from tradition, not as a biblical commandment- so I don't think I'm out of line in taking the liberty. The point is I took the time to look into this, tried to understand the meaning and imagery behind it before doing it. By the way, I do this not as some ritual I can copy from Judaism, but because it has meaning to me.



Concerning #2, I'll say this; Christianity teaches us to "come before the throne." It is taught like this is only possible because Christ nailed the old ways to the Cross. Here again, we see that there is nothing new in the "New Testament." Jews still under the "Old" system not only come before God, but to my mind in a much more vivid manner, full of imagery and understanding. Christianity accuses the Jews of being ritualistic, and assumes they are just going through the motions. However I'd say they, under their dispensation of grace are the ones going through the motions. After all, Christ paid all their sins forward, so why all the fuss? Unless they are in trouble- LOL, thinking back though my focus back then was more on the devil on my tail than on getting to the throne!

Point is, understanding and visualization are more important than doing everything right. It's all new to most of us, so I'm sure we'll get it wrong from time to time. But the whole idea is to come closer to God, not just to do a ritual. At least this is how I see it.

Dan C

just a note: I must confess I don't always say the Amidah. I need to get back in the habit (if I ever really was) at least once a day. I also have an abbreviated version which has meaning/understanding for me. Not that abbreviated, but really rewritten. Part of understanding is knowing about it. Not a commandment either, however Yeshua would have done it as a practicing Jew. He did give us an abbreviated version as well. It was the practice of rabbis to give their talmidim an abbreviated version for times they were not able to do the Standing Prayer properly. We call it "The Lord's Prayer." Wow, another one that is not so "New."

Alon, I pretty much assume that I am doing everything improperly, shrug it off, and do my best.  Ritual is both beautiful, full of symbology, and once memorized and practiced from childhood a blessing to those who have it built into their lives. Still,  I understand that many Jews are continually in guilt because of the inability of perfection, and their fears that they do not do the rituals properly.

I, only the other hand, come from a completely pagan place, where shedding everything has to come before I can add anything on, and I don't think I'll live long enough for that, particularly as I do it alone, but for the Ruach.

Everything that the Ruach was pointing out for me to begin focusing on was keeping Shabbat in my mind...under my attention...perhaps as you tell me, as a"Service of the Heart."...to be aware of what Shabbat was for.

"To do anything without understanding is just wasted motion. If I don't get it right, I at least want to "get it" and understand what I am trying to do."

I do not think that the Ruach ever meant for me to do much more than that, but having been told that much, I tried to follow it all to the end...learning what was the actual command in Scripture...not the ceremonies that developed as the Israelite customs developed, but just the plain commandment. And I have found it hard to do, until very recently, and it becomes still a place for temptation to rise to break the law as given...To rest, and do no work, to kindle no fire. I can't go to an 'Holy Convocation', having no synagogue, but Abba knows that. I gather together with Abba, and I am with Him as much as I can keep my mind on Him, His word, and other things having to do with Him.  I often write on the boards to be as close to a convocation as I can be.

I do not bother myself with all the possible permutations I could be maybe, just slightly, be doing, or not doing wrong...by default we are human, and faulty. Even at our best, we barely keep any commandment well. We don't do it perfectly. It used to bother me terribly, until I figured out that the Grace part was to make sure I didn't have to feel the condemnation from the Adversary at my every failure. I knew that I was in Yehoshua, and therefore safe from condemnation...and particularly my own.  The Adversary barely had to mention a trifling fault, and I was beating myself up brilliantly. I didn't need haSatan to help me at all to be miserable.

I too, however, want to understand what I am doing, and be sure that what I am doing is to honor YHVH...to commune with Him, and be close to Him.

I do my best, and I fight my human tendancies of impatience, or inattention to detail, and I still fail.   But Abba knows I keep giving it my best shot.   And Abba knows that of you as well, Alon.

Fortunately, I didn't know that the prayer given by Yehoshua was a condensed version of the Amidah...especially, since I rarely say it standing!  Standing is what I spend the least time doing in any day!  Alas, I've also rewritten it myself to suit how I pray, and leave a lot of space for amendments as I go!  But again, I know that Abba is looking at His three year old child on planet earth, barely lisping out the correct words, and is still pleased that I am trying to say them.  And then I thank Him for His infinite patience with me...I am such a slow learner!