Q&A: Lengthiness in Prayer
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Lengthiness in Prayer
Question
Good morning,
What is the halakhic source for the unbearable lengthiness of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers in particular, and for lengthy prayer in general?
With the blessing of Torah, Benjamin
Answer
There is no source at all. In my view it is unnecessary. There are obligatory parts of the prayer (including Kingship, Remembrances, and Shofar blasts), but all the ceremony around it, which is mainly liturgical poems, is unnecessary and burdensome. Were it not for that, the prayer itself on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur should not be very long.
Among Sephardim there are no liturgical poems, and the Rosh Hashanah prayer ends at ten-thirty.