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107-502: The most common activity requiring a minyan is public prayer . Accordingly, the term minyan in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service . The source for the requirement of minyan is recorded in the Talmud. The word minyan itself comes from the Hebrew root maneh מנה ‎ meaning to count or to number. The word is related to

214-467: A minyan is preferable or obligatory. Rashi is of the view that an individual is obligated to pray with a minyan , while Nahmanides holds that only if ten adult males are present are they obliged to recite their prayer together, but an individual is not required to seek out a minyan . Rashi and the Tosafot are both of the opinion that one is required to travel the distance of 4 mil to pray with

321-428: A minyan should consist of individuals who are obligated in performance of that particular precept. Some authorities deduce who may constitute a minyan by drawing on the verses which are brought as the basis for minyan and their implication. For example, the verse, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?" is referring to the ten spies, a congregation comprising Jewish adult males. It

428-566: A Torah scroll taken out for a scheduled Torah reading. In the event one of the prayers was missed inadvertently, the Amidah prayer is said twice in the next service—a procedure known as tefillat tashlumin . Many Jews sway their body back and forth during prayer. This practice, referred to as shuckling in Yiddish , is not mandatory. Many are accustomed to giving charity before, during (especially during Vayivarech David ) or after prayer, in

535-520: A cause of victory for them in wars. According to Ali , "Sakinah is a sweet breeze/wind, whose face is like the face of a human". Mujahid mentions that "when Sakinah glanced at an enemy, they were defeated", and ibn Atiyyah mentions about the Ark of the Covenant ( at-Tabut ), to which the sakina was associated, that souls found therein peace, warmth, companionship and strength. Shekhinah , often in plural,

642-579: A child is over six years of age and has adequate comprehension of the significance of the precepts, his status may change. His inclusion in minyan is thus subject of Talmudic dispute. Based on the Talmudic passage in Berachot, Rabbeinu Tam states that a minor can act as the tenth person and according to the Baal Ha-Maor , up to four minors would be permitted. Rosh explains that those who permit

749-645: A day he kneeled on his knees and prayed and offered thanks before his God just as he had done prior to this. The Talmud gives two reasons why there are three basic prayers each day: The earliest parts of Jewish prayer are the Shema Yisrael and the Priestly Blessing , which are in the Torah . Maimonides asserts that until the Babylonian exile , all Jews composed their own prayers. After

856-445: A day, and may not be required to recite a specific text. Traditionally, three prayer services are recited daily: Two additional services are recited on Shabbat and holidays: A distinction is made between individual prayer and communal prayer, which requires a quorum known as a minyan , with communal prayer being preferable as it permits the inclusion of prayers that otherwise would be omitted. According to tradition, many of

963-418: A factor. Maimonides delineates the confines which are placed on the arrangement of the people making up a minyan . Ideally all the members of the minyan should be gathered in one room. However, if they are within hearing distance of one another, it is permitted for the ten to be distributed in two adjoining rooms. Later authorities limit the extent of this opinion and rule that even if there is an opening between

1070-484: A foundation book of kabbalah, presents the shekhinah as playing an essential role in the conception and birth of Moses . Later during the Exodus on the "third new moon" in the desert, " Shekhinah revealed Herself and rested upon him before the eyes of all." In Kabbalah, the shekhinah is identified with the tenth sefirah ( Malkuth ), and the source of life for humans on earth below the sefirotic realm. The Shekhinah

1177-453: A minyan (contemporary authorities differ as to whether this is a distance or a time that it would have taken to travel this distance and with modern technology one would need to travel a lot further). The Mishnah Berurah writes that one who is sitting at home must travel up to one mil . There is much discussion in rabbinic literature on the matter of who is eligible to be counted in a minyan . Some discussions revolve around whether or not

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1284-516: A minyan. In 2002, the Committee adapted a responsum by Rabbi David Fine which provides an official religious-law foundation for women counting in a minyan and explains the current Conservative approach to the role of women in prayer. This responsum holds that, although Jewish women do not traditionally have the same obligations as men, Conservative women have, as a collective whole, voluntarily undertaken them. Because of this collective undertaking,

1391-472: A person may be a notorious and habitual sinner and has even committed a capital offense unless a person has been placed under a religious ban due to his sinful behavior, he is counted among the ten. The source provided for this sentiment is from the incident with Achan who, despite having been put to death for his transgression, was still referred to as a Jew. However, the Pri Megadim explains that this

1498-595: A possible parallel understanding, and where σκήνωσις skēnōsis "a tent-building", a variation on an early loanword from Phoenician ( Ancient Greek : ἡ σκηνή skēnē "tent"), is deliberately used to represent the original Hebrew or Aramaic term. In the Targum the addition of the noun term shekhinah paraphrases Hebrew verb phrases such as Exodus 34:9 "let the Lord go among us" (a verbal expression of presence) which Targum paraphrases with God's "shekhinah" (a noun form). In

1605-1123: A precise meaning and a precise effect. Prayers thus literally affect the mystical forces of the universe, and repair the fabric of creation. This approach has been taken by the Chassidei Ashkenaz (German pietists of the Middle-Ages), the Zohar , the Arizal's Kabbalist tradition, the Ramchal , most of Hassidism , the Vilna Gaon and Jacob Emden . Hassidism , although incorporating the kabbalistic worldview and its corresponding kavanot, also emphasized straightforward sincerity and depth of emotional engagement in prayer. The Baal Shem Tov 's great-grandson, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov , particularly emphasized speaking to God in one's own words, which he called Hitbodedut (self-seclusion) and advised setting aside an hour to do this every day. Daven

1712-444: A series of kavanot , directions of intent, to specify the path the prayer ascends in the dialogue with God, to increase its chances of being answered favorably. Kabbalism ascribes a higher meaning to the purpose of prayer, which is no less than affecting the very fabric of reality itself, restructuring and repairing the universe in a real fashion. In this view, every word of every prayer, and indeed, even every letter of every word, has

1819-536: A special sense, a dwelling or settling of divine presence , to the effect that, while in proximity to the shekhinah, the connection to God is more readily perceivable. While shekhinah is a feminine word in Hebrew, it primarily seemed to be featured in masculine or androgynous contexts referring to a divine manifestation of the presence of God, based especially on readings of the Talmud . Contemporary interpretations of

1926-548: A tallit. Generally, the time when Maariv can first be recited is when the time for reciting Mincha ends. But there are varying opinions on this. Maariv should not begin before 1¼ hours before sunset . Others delay Maariv until after sunset or after dusk . If Maariv is recited prior to dusk, individuals repeat the Shema later in the evening. Shekinah Shekhinah ( Hebrew : שְׁכִינָה ‎ , Modern :   Šəḵīna , Tiberian :   Šeḵīnā )

2033-702: Is also present in some gnostic writings written in Aramaic, such as the writings of the Manichaeans and the Mandaeans , as well as others. In these writings, shekinas are described as hidden aspects of God, somewhat resembling the Amahrāspandan of the Zoroastrians . In Mandaeism , a škina ( Classical Mandaic : ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ ) is a celestial dwelling where uthra , or benevolent celestial beings, live in

2140-536: Is also reported as being present in other contexts: The Talmud states that "the Shekhinah rests on man neither through gloom, nor through sloth, nor through frivolity, nor through levity, nor through talk, nor through idle chatter, but only through a matter of joy in connection with a mitzvah ." There is no occurrence of the word "shekhinah" in pre-rabbinic literature such as the Dead Sea Scrolls . It

2247-400: Is asleep or intoxicated. Such a person has sufficient intelligence, but at present can neither hear or respond. Ideally he should be woken to the extent that he is dozing, but in extraneous circumstances where it impossible to arouse him, it is permitted to include the maximum of one sleeping person in the minyan . In the case of a drunkard, the accepted view is that even if he has not reached

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2354-415: Is based on the term "children of Israel" which appears in the following two verses: And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel ( Leviticus 22:32 ) And the children of Israel came to buy among those that came ( Genesis 42:5 ) Just as the "children of Israel" in the later verse refers to the ten sons of Jacob who descended to Egypt to obtain food during the famine, so too

2461-577: Is concluded with Malachi 3:4. Ashrei is recited, followed by half- Kaddish , the Amidah (including repetition), Tachanun , and then the full Kaddish. Sephardim insert a Psalm, followed by the Mourner's Kaddish. After this follows, in most modern rites, the Aleinu . Most Ashkenazim then conclude with the Mourner's Kaddish. In Ashkenazic, Italian and Yemenite communities, the service leaders often wears

2568-523: Is considered acceptable, but prayer with a quorum of ten Jewish adults—a minyan —is the most highly recommended form of prayer and is required for some prayers. An adult in this context means over the age of 12 or 13 ( bat or bar mitzvah ). Judaism had originally counted only men in the minyan for formal prayer, on the basis that one does not count someone who is not obligated to participate. The rabbis had exempted women from almost all time-specific positive mitzvot (commandments), including those parts of

2675-482: Is derived, š-k-n , means "to settle, inhabit, or dwell". In the verb form, it is often used to refer to the dwelling of a person or animal in a place, or to the dwelling of God. Nouns derived from the root included shachen ("neighbor") and mishkan (a dwelling-place, whether a secular home or a holy site such as the Tabernacle ). In classic Jewish thought, the shekhinah refers to a dwelling or settling in

2782-583: Is given in the Mishna, and among these only the Priestly Blessing is in use today, as the others are prayers that are to be said only in a Temple in Jerusalem , by a priest , or by a reigning King . Despite this, the tradition of most Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues is to use Hebrew for all except a small number of prayers, including Kaddish and Yekum Purkan in Aramaic , and Gott Fun Avraham , which

2889-405: Is obligatory when ten men are present. The few authorities who do permit ten women to use the zimmun be-Shem formulation explain that the necessity for ten in this case is unique and cannot be compared to other instances requiring minyan . Only Rabbeinu Simcha among these authorities mentions the possibility of one woman's joining with nine men to form a minyan for prayer. This isolated opinion

2996-572: Is only afterwards in the targums and rabbinic literature that the Hebrew term shekhinah , or Aramaic equivalent shekinta , is found, and then becomes extremely common. Martin McNamara (see notes) considers that the absence might lead to the conclusion that the term only originated after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, but notes 2 Maccabees 14:35 "a temple for your habitation", where the Greek text ( Koinē Greek : ναὸν τῆς σῆς σκηνώσεως ) suggests

3103-512: Is only true if he sins for self-satisfaction, but if a person sins to spite God or has openly severed their connection with the Jewish people by professing a hostile creed or by publicly desecrating the Shabbat, such a person is prohibited from constituting a minyan. Nevertheless, many contemporary authorities have been driven to adopt a lenient view in the face of widespread public non-observance of

3210-484: Is performed with the heart? This is prayer. Based on this passage, Maimonides categorizes daily prayer as one of the 613 commandments . He rules that the commandment is fulfilled by any prayer at any time in the day, not a specific text; and thus is not time-dependent, and is mandatory for both Jewish men and women. In contrast, the requirement to say specific prayers at specific times is based not on biblical law, but rather rabbinic decree . Additional references in

3317-429: Is recited in the morning. Halacha limits parts of its recitation to the first three (Shema) or four (Amidah) hours of the day, where "hours" are 1/12 of daylight time, making these times dependent on the season. Shacharit is generally the lengthiest prayer of the day. Its components include Birkot hashachar , Korbanot , Pesukei dezimra , the Shema Yisrael and its blessings, the Amidah , and Tachanun . Of these,

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3424-417: Is rejected by the codifiers. There are a number of cases, including reading of the megillah , where a limited number of authorities count women towards the minyan. However, in these cases the reason why women are counted is not because they constitute a "congregation," but rather because a public audience is required. A possible reason why it is men who were obligated to form a congregation in order to convene

3531-546: Is seen as the feminine divine presence of God descended in this world, dwelling with the people of Israel and sharing in their struggles. Moses is the only human considered to have risen beyond shekhinah into the sefirotic realm, reaching the level of Tiferet , or the bridegroom of the shekhinah. The concept is similar to that in the Gospel of Matthew 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in their midst." Some Christian theologians have connected

3638-400: Is subject to change—rather it is man himself who is changed. It is further consistent with Maimonides ' view on Divine Providence . Here, Tefillah is the medium which God gave to man by means of which he can change himself, and thereby establish a new relationship with God—and thus a new destiny for himself in life; see also under Psalms . Kabbalah (esoteric Jewish mysticism) uses

3745-674: Is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism . These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the Siddur , the traditional Jewish prayer book. Prayer, as a "service of the heart," is in principle a Torah-based commandment . It is mandatory for Jewish women and men. However, the rabbinic requirement to recite a specific prayer text does differentiate between men and women: Jewish men are obligated to recite three prayers each day within specific time ranges ( zmanim ), while, according to many approaches, women are only required to pray once or twice

3852-710: Is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God in a place. This concept is found in Judaism and the Torah , as mentioned in Exodus 25:8. The word "Shekhinah" is not found in the Bible . It appears in the Mishnah , the Talmud , and Midrash . The word shekhinah is first encountered in the rabbinic literature . The Semitic root from which shekhinah

3959-805: Is the English word for the Arabic meaning of sakīnah , yet it could be "an echo of the Hebrew shekeenah (the Holy Presence)." Another scholar states that the Arabic sakīnah derives from the Hebrew/Aramaic shekhinah. In the Quran, the Sakīnah is mentioned six times, in surah al-Baqara , at-Tawba and al-Fath . Their prophet further told them, “The sign of Saul’s kingship is that the Ark will come to you—containing reassurance from your Lord and relics of

4066-532: Is the originally exclusively Eastern Yiddish verb meaning "pray"; it is widely used by Ashkenazic Orthodox Jews. In Yinglish , this has become the Anglicised davening . The origin of the word is obscure, but is thought by some to have come from Arabic (from diwan , a collection of poems or prayers), French (from devoner , 'to devote' or 'dedicate' or possibly from the French 'devant'- 'in front of' with

4173-535: Is the stance taken by the Shulchan Aruch , who, although acknowledging some authorities do permit the inclusion of an astute six-year-old, writes that consensus rejects this view and only males over the age of thirteen may constitute a minyan . However, in extraordinary circumstances some are lenient and permit a minor over six years old holding a chumash or Sefer Torah to complete a minyan . Rabbi Moshe Feinstein says that we can rely on this because most of

4280-523: Is traditionally ascribed to the Great Assembly (in the time of Ezra , near the end of the biblical period), though other sources suggest it was established by Simeon HaPakoli in the late 1st century. Even in the 1st century, though, the precise wording of the blessings was not yet fixed, and varied from locale to locale. By the Middle Ages the texts of the blessings was nearly fixed, and in

4387-424: Is understood from this that a minyan must likewise comprise ten Jewish adult males. Other classical sources base their rulings on discussions brought in the Talmud. Contemporary rabbinical authorities deal with a plethora of questions relating to qualification for minyan . Before a boy turns thirteen , he is considered a minor in Jewish law and is not obligated in the performance of religious precepts. However, if

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4494-587: Is used in the interests of gender neutrality. The concept of shekhinah is also associated with the concept of the Holy Spirit in Judaism ( ruach ha-kodesh ). The theme of the shekhinah as the Sabbath Bride recurs in the writings and songs of 16th century Kabbalist , Isaac Luria . The Azamer Bishvachin song, written in Aramaic by Luria (his name appears as an acrostic of each line) and sung at

4601-425: Is wide variation among Conservative congregations. In traditionalist congregations the liturgy can be almost identical to that of Orthodox Judaism, almost entirely in Hebrew (and Aramaic), with a few minor exceptions, including excision of a study session on Temple sacrifices, and modifications of prayers for the restoration of the sacrificial system. In more liberal Conservative synagogues there are greater changes to

4708-564: The Aramaic word mene , numbered, appearing in the writing on the wall in Daniel 5:25 . Babylonian Talmud The Babylonian Talmud ( Megillah 23b) derives the requirement of a minyan of ten shomer Shabbat for Kiddush Hashem and Devarim she-Bikdusha , "matters of sanctity", by combining three scriptural verses using the rule of [[[Talmudical Hermeneutics#Gezerah Shavah (גזירה שוה)|gezerah shavah]]] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) : The word "midst" in

4815-464: The Divine Presence descends and it is feasible to pronounce a Dvar she'bekedusha . This includes someone who is in the middle of his prayers but is precluded from responding to the hazzan ’s incantations and someone who is mute but can hear the prayers — someone who is deaf but has the ability and knows when to respond can also be included. There is however a dispute regarding someone who

4922-467: The Geonim of Babylonia ; "some were composed by respected rabbinic scholars at the request of far-flung communities seeking an authoritative text of the required prayers for daily use, Shabbat, and holidays." The earliest existing codification of the prayerbook was drawn up by Rav Amram Gaon of Sura, Babylon, about 850 CE. Half a century later Rav Saadia Gaon , also of Sura, composed a siddur , in which

5029-712: The Guide for the Halakhic Minyan , a compendium of halakhic sources supporting increased participation by women in services, as a basis for discussions of practices like the ten-and-ten minyan. Jewish services Jewish prayer ( Hebrew : תְּפִילָּה , tefilla [tfiˈla] ; plural תְּפִילּוֹת ‎ tefillot [tfiˈlot] ; Yiddish : תּפֿלה , romanized :  tfile [ˈtfɪlə] , plural תּפֿלות tfilles [ˈtfɪləs] ; Yinglish : davening / ˈ d ɑː v ən ɪ ŋ / from Yiddish דאַוון davn 'pray')

5136-538: The Hebrew Bible have been interpreted to suggest that King David and the prophet Daniel prayed three times a day. In Psalms , David states: Evening, morning, and noontime, I speak and moan, and He hearkened to my voice. And in the Book of Daniel : And Daniel, when he knew that a writ had been inscribed, came to his house, where there were open windows in his upper chamber, opposite Jerusalem, and three times

5243-500: The Shabbat Kallah , continues to this day. Kabbalah associates the shekhinah with the female. According to Gershom Scholem , "The introduction of this idea was one of the most important and lasting innovations of Kabbalism. ...no other element of Kabbalism won such a degree of popular approval." The "feminine Jewish divine presence, the shekhinah, distinguishes Kabbalistic literature from earlier Jewish literature." "In

5350-495: The World of Light ( alma d-nhūra ). In Mandaean priest initiation ceremonies , a škina refers to an initiation hut where a novice and his initiator stay for seven days without sleeping. The hut is called a škina since priests are considered to be the earthly manifestations of uthras , and the initiation hut represents the abode of the uthra on earth. In the work by anthropologist Raphael Patai entitled The Hebrew Goddess ,

5457-418: The congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy ( Leviticus 19:2 ) is also used in another verse: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? ( Numbers 14:27 ) Since the term "congregation" in the later verse refers to the ten spies , so too in the former verse: "You shall be holy" refers to a "congregation" of ten. The second source

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5564-442: The minyan for Kiddush Hashem and Hillul Hashem. However, traditional codifiers generally do not include women in the minyan for devarim shebkdusha . The Talmud ( Arakhin 3a) relates that women are required to recite zimmun of three participants, and Berakhot 45 says that women may recite the zimmun. However, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that ten women may not recite the additional form of zimun be-Shem , which

5671-471: The reflexive form of palal ( פלל ), to judge. Thus, "to pray" conveys the notion of "judging oneself": ultimately, the purpose of prayer— tefillah ( תפלה )—is to transform oneself. This etymology is consistent with the Jewish conception of divine simplicity . It is not God that changes through one's prayer—man does not influence God as a defendant influences a human judge who has emotions and

5778-478: The Divine Presence is that women were individually considered sufficiently holy and did not require the combination of a group and special prayers to achieve added holiness deficient in men. Due to the righteousness of the women in the wilderness, they did not suffer the same deadly fate as their male counterparts, and despite the spies’ negative report about the holy land, wished to enter it. Others point to

5885-664: The Divine Presence" The ordinary Arabic use of the word's root is "the sense of abiding or dwelling in a place". A story in Tafsir and Isra'iliyyat literature relates how Ibrahim and Isma'il, when looking for the spot to build the Kaaba found sakīnah. Newby writes that it was like a breeze "with a face that could talk", saying "build over me." "Associated with piety and moments of divine inspiration, sakinah in Islamic mysticism signifies an interior spiritual illumination." Sakina in

5992-653: The Fine responsum holds that Conservative women are eligible to serve as agents and decision-makers for others. The responsum also holds that traditionally-minded communities and individual women can opt out without being regarded by the Conservative movement as sinning. By adopting this responsum, the CJLS found itself in a position to provide a considered Jewish-law justification for its egalitarian practices, without having to rely on potentially unconvincing arguments, undermine

6099-530: The Quran can refer to God's blessing of solace and succour upon both the Children of Israel and Muhammad. Al-Qurtubi mentions in his exegesis , in explanation of the above-mentioned verse [2:248], that according to Wahb ibn Munabbih , sakinah is a spirit from God that speaks, and, in the case of the Israelites , where people disagreed on some issue, this spirit came to clarify the situation, and used to be

6206-522: The Second Temple period there existed "liturgical formulations of a communal nature designated for particular occasions and conducted in a centre totally independent of Jerusalem and the Temple, making use of terminology and theological concepts that were later to become dominant in Jewish and, in some cases, Christian prayer." The structure of the modern Jewish prayer service was established during

6313-463: The Shabbat, on the presumption that it does not indicate a deliberate denial of faith, but is rather a result of ignorance and succumbing to the pressure of social and economic conditions. Even though Tosafot deduce from the Talmud in Sukkah 38b that wherever the verse states “children of Israel” it comes to exclude a proselyte unless there is specific clause for inclusion, here with regard to minyan

6420-459: The Shechinah become a crown through the six loaves on each side through the doubled-six may our table be bound with the profound Temple services A paragraph in the Zohar starts: "One must prepare a comfortable seat with several cushions and embroidered covers, from all that is found in the house, like one who prepares a canopy for a bride. For the Shabbat is a queen and a bride. This is why

6527-410: The Talmud concludes that "sanctification" should occur in the "midst" of a "congregation" of ten. Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud (Megillah 4:4) offers two sources for the requirement, also using a [[[Talmudical Hermeneutics#Gezerah Shavah (גזירה שוה)|gezerah shavah]]] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) : The word "congregation" in the verse: Speak to all

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6634-682: The Talmudic phrase, " ka davai lamizrach ", 'gazing wistfully to the east'. Kevin A. Brook cited Zeiden's suggestion that the word daven comes from the Turkic root tabun- meaning 'to pray', and that in Kipchak Turkic , the initial t morphs into d , but also cited Beider's opinion that Zeiden's etymology is unlikely. In Western Yiddish, the term for pray is oren , a word with clear roots in Romance languages , similar to Spanish and Portuguese orar and Latin orare . Individual prayer

6741-636: The assembly, ten for the congregation, and ten for Israel.) According to some Talmudic authorities, women counted in the quorum of 30 for offering the Korban Pesach (e.g. Rav, Rav Kahana, Pesachim 79b). It was the firm belief of the sages that wherever ten Israelites are assembled, either for worship or for the study of the Law, the Divine Presence dwells among them. In rabbinical literature, those who meet for study or prayer in smaller groups, even one who meditates or prays alone, are to be praised. However,

6848-489: The author argues that the term shekhinah refers to a goddess by comparing and contrasting scriptural and medieval Jewish Kabbalistic source materials. Patai draws a historic distinction between the shekhinah and the Matronit . In his book Patai also discusses the Hebrew goddesses Asherah and Anat-Yahu . American poet Gustav Davidson listed shekhinah as an entry in his reference work A Dictionary of Angels, Including

6955-522: The concept of shekhinah to the Greek term parousia , "presence" or "arrival," which is used in the New Testament in a similar way for "divine presence". Lois Roden , whom the original Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventist Church acknowledged as their teacher/prophet from 1978 to 1986, laid heavy emphasis on women's spirituality and the feminine aspect of God. She published a magazine, Shekinah , often rendered SHEkinah , in which she explored

7062-583: The concept that the shekhinah is the Holy Spirit. Articles from Shekinah are reprinted online at the Branch Davidian website. Sakīnah ( Arabic : سكينة ) signifies the "presence or peace of God". As "support and reassurance" it was "sent by God into the hearts" of Muslims and Muhammad , according to John Esposito . A modern translator of the Quran , N. J. Dawood , states that "tranquility"

7169-428: The current standard prayers were composed by the sages of the Great Assembly in the early Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). The language of the prayers, while clearly from this period, often employs biblical idiom. The main structure of the modern prayer service was fixed in the Tannaic era (1st–2nd centuries CE), with some additions and the exact text of blessings coming later. Jewish prayerbooks emerged during

7276-419: The demand for their inclusion in all areas of religious life. The Talmud itself does not directly address the question of whether women may count as part of a minyan for devarim shebkdusha. Since the Talmud uses the same gezerah shavah for Kiddush Hashem as it uses for devarim shebkdusha , one may expect the laws for those two cases to be the same. Many authorities are of the opinion that women are included in

7383-449: The differences are minor compared with the commonalities. Most of the Jewish liturgy is sung or chanted with traditional melodies or trope . Synagogues may designate or employ a professional or lay hazzan (cantor) for the purpose of leading the congregation in prayer, especially on Shabbat or holy holidays. According to the Babylonian Talmud , prayer is a biblical command : You shall serve God with your whole heart' – What service

7490-414: The differences between all these customs are quite minor compared with the commonalities. Reform Judaism also has its own version. According to halakha , all individual prayers and virtually all communal prayers may be said in any language that the person praying understands. For example, the Mishnah mentions that the Shema need not be said in Hebrew. A list of prayers that must be said in Hebrew

7597-404: The early Middle Ages during the period of the Geonim of Babylonia (6th–11th centuries CE). Over the last 2000 years, traditional variations have emerged among the traditional liturgical customs of different Jewish communities, such as Ashkenazic , Sephardic , Yemenite , Eretz Yisrael and others, or rather recent liturgical inventions such as Nusach Sefard and Nusach Ari . However

7704-515: The evening meal of Shabbat is an example of this. The song appears in particular in many siddurs in the section following Friday night prayers and in some Shabbat song books: Let us invite the Shechinah with a newly-laid table and with a well-lit menorah that casts light on all heads. Three preceding days to the right, three succeeding days to the left, and amid them the Sabbath bride with adornments she goes, vessels and robes ... May

7811-514: The exile, however, when the exiles' understanding of Hebrew diminished and they found it difficult to compose prayers in Hebrew, Ezra and his court composed the Amidah prayer. Modern scholarship dating from the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement of 19th-century Germany, as well as textual analysis influenced by the 20th-century discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls , suggests that dating from

7918-417: The face of my shekhinah...." The 17th blessing of the daily Amidah prayer concludes with the line "[Blessed are You, God,] who returns His Presence ( shekhinato ) to Zion" ( הַמַּחֲזִיר שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְצִיּוֹן ‎). The Liberal Jewish prayer-book for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ( Machzor Ruach Chadashah ) contains a creative prayer based on Avinu Malkeinu , in which the feminine noun shekhinah

8025-412: The family of Moses and the family of Aaron, which will be carried by the angels. Surely in this is a sign for you, if you ˹truly˺ believe.”. Sakīnah means "tranquility", "peace". "calm", from the Arabic root sakana : "to be quiet", "to abate", "to dwell". In Islam, Sakīnah "designates a special peace, the "Peace of God". Although related to Hebrew shekhinah , the spiritual state is not an "indwelling of

8132-501: The form in which they are still used today. Readings from the Torah (five books of Moses) and the Nevi'im ("Prophets") are specified in the Mishnah and Talmud , as are the order of blessings surrounding the Shema . Other parts of the service, such as Pesukei dezimra , have little mention in early sources, but became established by custom. The oldest prayer books date from the time of

8239-463: The former verse refers to sanctification among the “children of Israel” in the presence of ten. Some rituals require a minyan; the presence of a rabbi (a teacher, not a priest ) is not essential—it is said that "nine rabbis do not constitute a minyan, but ten cobblers can". The following instances which require a minyan are listed in the Mishnah in Megillah (4:3): Other instances which require

8346-528: The hopes that this will make their prayer more likely to be heard. According to the Talmud , during prayer one should face toward Jerusalem , and specifically the site of the Temple in Jerusalem . This is based on Solomon 's prayer "...and they will pray to You toward their land, which You gave to their fathers; the city which You have chosen; and the house which I have built for Your name" ( 1 Kings 8:48 ). The Shacharit (from shachar , morning light) prayer

8453-533: The idea that the person praying is mindful of before whom they stand), Latin (from divin , 'divine') or even English (from dawn ). Others believe that it derives from a Slavic word meaning "to give" ( Russian : давать , romanized :  davat' ). Some claim that it originates from an Aramaic word, de'avuhon or d'avinun , meaning 'of their/our forefathers', as the three prayers are said to have been invented by Abraham , Isaac and Jacob . Another Aramaic derivation, proposed by Avigdor Chaikin , cites

8560-470: The imagery of the Kabbalah the shekhinah is the most overtly female sefirah , the last of the ten sefirot , referred to imaginatively as 'the daughter of God'. ... The harmonious relationship between the female shekhinah and the six sefirot which precede her causes the world itself to be sustained by the flow of divine energy. She is like the moon reflecting the divine light into the world." The Zohar ,

8667-462: The inclusion of a minor maintain that it is the Divine Presence which actually constitutes the tenth member, thereby validating the minyan — this may explain why some of these authorities require that the minor represent this fact by holding a chumash . However the majority of poskim follow the conclusion of the Ri who holds that a minor can never be counted in a minyan under any circumstances. This

8774-634: The last 2000 years, the various branches of Judaism have resulted in small variations in the Rabbinic liturgy customs among different Jewish communities, with each community having a slightly different nusach (customary liturgy). The principal difference is between Ashkenazic and Sephardic customs, although there are other communities (e.g., Yemenite and Italian Jews , and in the past Eretz Yisrael ), and rather recent liturgical inventions such as Hassidic , Chabad and other communities also have distinct customs, variations, and special prayers. However,

8881-544: The laws of Shabbat (including a traditional prohibition on playing instruments) are inapplicable to modern circumstances, Reform services often play instrumental or recorded music with prayers on the Jewish Sabbath . All Reform synagogues are Egalitarian with respect to gender roles. In Jewish philosophy and in Rabbinic literature , it is noted that the Hebrew verb for prayer— hitpallel ( התפלל )—is in fact

8988-427: The laws of Minyan are Rabbinical in nature, so one can conclude that when dealing with a Biblical law of Minyan (such as Sanctifying God's name in public) one would not be able to count a child. Although the issue of whether women are permitted to make up a minyan has been noted in early works, the matter has only come to the fore in the past few decades, a reaction to an enhanced role of women in modern society and to

9095-526: The masters of the Mishna used to go out on the eve of Shabbat to receive her on the road, and used to say: "'Come, O bride, come, O bride!' And one must sing and rejoice at the table in her honor ... one must receive the Lady with many lighted candles, many enjoyments, beautiful clothes, and a house embellished with many fine appointments ..." The tradition of the shekhinah as the Shabbat Bride,

9202-418: The minyan. Those Reform and Reconstructionist congregations that consider a minyan mandatory for communal prayer, count both men and women for a minyan . All denominations of Judaism except for Orthodox Judaism ordain female rabbis and cantors. There is a publicly said prayer, called Birkhat HaGomel , for giving thanks for surviving an illness or danger. which, in addition to needing a Minyan , also needs

9309-485: The period of the Tannaim , "from their traditions, later committed to writing, we learn that the generation of rabbis active at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) gave Jewish prayer its structure and, in outline form at least, its contents." This liturgy included the twice-daily recitation of the Shema, the Amidah , and the cycle of public Torah reading . The Amidah (or Shemoneh Esreh ) prayer

9416-437: The post-temple era usage of the term shekhinah may provide a solution to the problem of God being omnipresent and thus not dwelling in any one place. In the Hebrew text of Exodus 33:20, as another example, Moses is told "You will not be able to see my face, for no human can see Me and live." Once again, using of the term shekhinah provides a solution to the corporeal idiom, so Targum Onkelos reads: "You will not be able to see

9523-507: The prayer that cannot be recited without a quorum, due to women in the past being bound up in an endless cycle of pregnancy, birthing and nursing from a very early age. Orthodox Judaism still follows this reasoning and excludes women from the minyan. Since 1973, Conservative congregations have overwhelmingly become egalitarian and count women in the minyan . A very small number of congregations that identify themselves as Conservative have resisted these changes and continue to exclude women from

9630-409: The prayers, while clearly being from the Second Temple period, often employs biblical idiom, and according to some authorities it should not contain rabbinic or Mishnaic idiom apart from in the sections of Mishnah that are featured. Conservative services generally use the same basic format for services as Orthodox Judaism, with some doctrinal leniencies and some prayers in English. In practice, there

9737-456: The presence of a minyan include: While the required quorum for most activities requiring a quorum is usually ten, it is not always so. For example, the Passover sacrifice or Korban Pesach (from the days of the Temple in Jerusalem ) must be offered before a quorum of 30. (It must be performed in front of kahal adat yisrael , the assembly of the congregation of Israel. Ten are needed for

9844-605: The recitation of Shema Yisrael and the Amidah constitute the core of the Shacharit service. Those Jews who wear tallit and tefillin generally only do so during the Shacharit prayer. Mincha or Minha may be recited from half an hour after halachic noontime, until sunset. Sephardim and Italian Jews start the Mincha prayers with Psalm 84 and Korbanot , and usually continue with the Pittum hakketoret . The opening section

9951-433: The religious importance of community and clergy, ask individual women intrusive questions, repudiate the halakhic tradition, or label women following traditional practices as sinners. The question of whether a sinner can be counted for a minyan has become much more pertinent in recent generations, where a general malaise in religious observance among the majority of Jews has occurred. The Shulchan Aruch states that though

10058-536: The rubrical matter is in Arabic . These were the basis of Simcha ben Samuel's Machzor Vitry (11th-century France), which was based on the ideas of his teacher, Rashi . Another formulation of the prayers was that appended by Maimonides to the laws of prayer in his Mishneh Torah : this forms the basis of the Yemenite liturgy, and has had some influence on other rites. From this point forward, all Jewish prayerbooks had

10165-567: The same basic order and contents. The siddur was printed by Soncino in Italy as early as 1486, though a siddur was first mass-distributed only in 1865. The siddur began appearing in the vernacular as early as 1538. The first English translation , by Gamaliel ben Pedahzur (a pseudonym ), appeared in London in 1738; a different translation was released in the United States in 1837. Over

10272-563: The service, with up to a third of the service in English; abbreviation or omission of many of the preparatory prayers; and replacement of some traditional prayers with more contemporary forms. There are some changes for doctrinal reasons, including egalitarian language, fewer references to restoring sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem , and an option to eliminate special roles for Kohanim and Levites . The liturgies of Reform and Reconstructionist are based on traditional elements, but contain language more reflective of liberal belief than

10379-639: The sociological reality that women were traditionally expected to care for the house and children. The Jewish tradition did not require women to leave their social role to engage in public prayer. In 1845, rabbis attending the Frankfort Synod of the emerging Reform Judaism declared that women count in a minyan, a formalization of a customary Reform practice dating back to 1811. In 1973, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of Conservative Judaism voted to count men and women equally as members of

10486-437: The sources state that there is no reasoning to exclude a full-fledged proselyte. Since such a person is permitted to act as a prayer leader, obviously they can count towards a minyan . As long as a person is of sufficient intelligence, he can be included in the minyan , even if he is unable to respond to the prayers which make the presence of ten a necessity. According to some sources, this is because as long as ten are gathered

10593-510: The stress is put upon the merits and sacredness of the minyan of ten. The codifiers, such as Maimonides , his annotators, and the author of the Shulkhan Arukh , have unitedly given strength to this sentiment, and have thus, for more than a thousand years, made the daily attendance at public worship, morning and evening, to be conducted with a quorum of ten. There is a disagreement between the medieval commentators on whether prayer with

10700-522: The term shekhinah commonly see it as the divine feminine principle in Judaism. The prophets made numerous references to visions of the presence of God, particularly in the context of the Tabernacle or Temple, with figures such as thrones or robes filling the Sanctuary. The shekhinah is referred to as manifest in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem throughout rabbinic literature. It

10807-614: The term used by the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance for those groups that consider themselves part of the Modern Orthodox community is partnership minyan . Many of these groups have adopted the custom initially instituted by Shira Hadasha in Jerusalem to wait for a "ten-and-ten minyan", made up of ten men and ten women. Shira Hadasha has based many of its decisions on the writings of rabbis like Mendel Shapiro and Daniel Sperber . Some also use

10914-429: The traditional liturgy. Doctrinal revisions generally include revising or omitting references to traditional doctrines such as bodily resurrection , a personal Jewish Messiah , and other elements of traditional Jewish eschatology , Divine revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai , angels , conceptions of reward and punishment, and other personal miraculous and supernatural elements. Services are often from 40% to 90% in

11021-462: The two rooms, the two groups are still considered separate entities. Only in unusual circumstances is it permitted, as long as some of the men in each room can see each other. Over the last decade or so, some very liberal Modern Orthodox communities have formed an attempt to combine commitment to traditional Jewish law with a push for increased participation and recognition of the role of women. While many are simply referred to as independent minyanim ,

11128-466: The vernacular. Reform Judaism has made greater alterations to the traditional service in accord with its more liberal theology including dropping references to traditional elements of Jewish eschatology such as a personal Messiah , a bodily resurrection of the dead, and others. The Hebrew portion of the service is substantially abbreviated and modernized and modern prayers substituted for traditional ones. In addition, in keeping with their view that

11235-560: The verse: And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel ( Leviticus 22:32 ) also appears in the verse: Separate yourselves from the midst of the congregation ( Numbers 16:21 ) The term "congregation" is also used in another verse that describes the ten spies (of a total of twelve) who brought back a negative report of the Land of Israel : How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? ( Numbers 14:27 ) From this combination,

11342-400: The “drunkenness of Lot ”, he still cannot be included. A minimum of six of those gathered in the minyan have a duty to listen attentively and respond appropriately to the additional prayers and that at least nine are required to respond for the repetition of the Amidah . It is not just the status of the individual which dictates eligibility; the physical arrangement of the minyan is also

11449-476: Was written in Yiddish. In other streams of Judaism there is considerable variability: Sephardic communities may use Ladino or Portuguese for many prayers, although usually only for added prayers and not for the established prayers; Conservative synagogues tend to use the local language to a varying degree; and at some Reform synagogues almost the whole service may be in the local language. The language of

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