Judaism & Prayer in the Home (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note
Nature & purpose of prayer in the home
Prayer is an important part of Jewish life
Jews see it as a way to fulfil the mitzvot in the Torah:
‘Love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul’ (Deuteronomy 11:13)
Through prayer, Jews believe they build their relationship with God and serve God in their hearts
They believe that they can communicate with God directly through prayer and that he will hear and answer their prayers
Jewish prayer can be divided into two types:
Formal, set prayers where pre-written words are used
For example, the prayers in the Siddur
Informal prayers, where a person makes up the words they want to say to God
These types of prayers are often said privately and may be said in the home
The nature of prayer in the home
Jews will often pray and worship in the home
They will say private individual prayers and will also pray set formal prayers three times a day, which they may do with their family
This is because the Tenakh says:
‘Evening, morning and noon, I supplicate and moan, and He has heard my voice’ (Psalm 55:17)
The set times of formal prayer are:
Morning prayer, known as shacharit
Afternoon prayer, minchah
Evening prayer: arvit
The set prayers are included in the Siddur
Each prayer includes the shema, the amidah, and readings from the Torah and Nevi’im
Orthodox Jews may perform these prayers at the synagogue,
Many Jews cannot attend the synagogue daily and so will say these prayers and other private prayers at home, alone or with their family
Jews are encouraged to pray at home throughout the day, and much prayer and worship is centred on the home
In the morning:
Jews often pray as soon as they wake up by using water to purify themselves for the day ahead
They thank God for waking them
They recite the Shema and a morning prayer called the Modeh Ani to thank God for the gift of another day before they do anything else
Throughout the day:
The mezuzah on the door of each house is a reminder of God and the blessings they have received. Jews will touch the mezuzah as they enter and leave the room because the Torah says:
‘You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out’ (Deuteronomy 28:6)
Before meals:
Jews will say prayers before and after meals to thank God for his blessings
‘Blessed are you Lord our God, King of the universe who brings food out of the ground’
Evening worship:
Jews will recite the Shema followed by these words:
‘May it be Your will that You should lay me down in peace and raise me up to good life and peace. Blessed are You God who lights up the whole world with His glory.’
The purpose of prayers in the home
For many Jews, it is not possible to attend the synagogue every day, so prayer in the home is an opportunity to praise and communicate with God regularly
Regular prayer in the home allows Jews to build their relationship with God
It unites them with God, with their family, and with the wider Jewish community
It brings God to mind at different times of the day, especially in the morning, evening, and at mealtimes
The family is the heart of Jewish life and it brings the members of the family together in faith
Importance of different forms of prayer
Different forms of prayers are important for different reasons
Set prayers at specific times:
allow Jews to be part of the ongoing history of their faith by repeating words that have been said for centuries before them
make prayer easier because people do not have to think about what words to say or when they should pray
give order and purpose to a Jew’s life
give a sense of belonging to a local and global community of Jews
stop people being selfish in what they pray about and thinking only of their own concerns
make people feel secure because the words and rituals are familiar to them
Private prayers whenever people want to pray are also important:
because they believe God listens and responds to their prayers, Jews believe that they will develop their relationship with God through prayer
using their own words in private prayers in the home means that they can express themselves in their own words, rather than using set prayer words.
people can talk to God whenever they choose, rather than at set times
they can unburden themselves of their troubles and ask for God’s help for themselves and others
it enables them to express themselves to God and share emotions and thoughts they may not want to share with others
Worked Example
Explain two reasons why it is important for Jews to use different forms of prayer
(4 marks)
Jews might use set formal prayers because it makes prayer easier for them. They do not have to think about what words to say or when they should pray, they can follow the example and tradition set out for them (2 marks)
Jews might use private, informal prayers because they may want to express themselves to God in their own way and in their own time. It allows them to share emotions and thoughts they may not want to share in front of others (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Evaluation questions you might be asked on the topic of prayer in the home and private prayer might sound like this:
‘The most important form of prayer for Jews is prayer in the home.’
In responding to this statement, you may want to think about what you have learned about public worship for Jews and compare the two.
‘God doesn’t need people to pray to him.’
The focus of this question is slightly different. One way to discuss this statement would be to take prayer as a whole (formal, informal, synagogue and home) and evaluate the importance of prayer against other ways of expressing devotion to God. This might include other aspects of living in a way that would be pleasing to God. However, do remember that prayer itself is seen as a mitzvah.
You've read 0 of your 5 free revision notes this week
Sign up now. It’s free!
Did this page help you?
