Q&A: Prayer
Prayer
Question
Rabbi, hello.
More than once I feel unable, or unwilling, to pray 3 times a day, both because of the number of prayers that the Sages instituted and because of the fixed wording. I simply don’t feel sufficiently “hungry” for prayer, and just as with physical food, if I don’t feel hungry enough, I don’t eat. So I also stopped praying 3 times a day. I am careful about the morning prayer. I see this as an autonomous decision regarding myself. What is the Rabbi’s opinion on this?
Answer
What could my opinion be? There is a halakhic obligation to pray. This is not a correct autonomous decision.
I completely understand the argument itself (even if I don’t agree), but the comparison to food is unfounded. In the same way, I could say that just as when I’m hungry I eat, therefore on Yom Kippur too, when I’m hungry, I’ll eat; or that if I feel like doing labor on the Sabbath, I’ll do it. You are ignoring the fact that there is no obligation to eat, but there is an obligation to pray.
Discussion on Answer
It seems, apparently, from Maimonides that there is no obligation of prayer for someone who is unable to concentrate.
It seems from the Rema that there is no obligation to repeat the prayer if you did not concentrate, but there is still an obligation to pray even though you know that you will not concentrate.
Perhaps the dispute depends on the question whether the meaning conveyed by signifiers (like a written or spoken word) is inherent in the signifier, or depends on the signified as grasped in thought. According to Maimonides (chapters 61-62 of The Guide for the Perplexed), the signifier has no meaning at all apart from grasping the signified. According to the Rema (in his book Torat HaOlah), there are languages (mainly the holy tongue, and perhaps to some extent Greek) in which the signifier itself inherently points to the signified. In my view, the Rema’s position borders on magic, and from that comes Maimonides’ sharp opposition to amulets.
Copenhagen, jubilant icon.
A very nice link. According to this, the Raavad and Nachmanides, who disagree with Maimonides, also join the Rema on this point.
But regarding the matter itself, I’m not sure you’re right. I assume that the Rema is making practical considerations, so that we not lose the whole idea of prayer—especially if there is partial concentration, which perhaps does not help fully according to the law, but still has value, and so on.
Thank you!
On the other hand, one could also assume that Maimonides is making practical considerations from his perspective—that we not lose the whole point and essence of prayer and sink into muttered abracadabra and think that there is wisdom in that (“your wisdom and your understanding”) or that such mutterings are good for anything.
Indeed.
Noam, seemingly, if you recognize the halakhic obligation to pray, then your question should be directed to the mashgiach in the yeshiva or to a psychologist, not to a halakhic decisor. What can a halakhic decisor tell you about the psychological phenomenon of boredom? He can tell you that despite the boredom, the obligation of prayer still applies to you.
What did you want him to tell you?