Prayer in Temple Times

Question

Did people pray at home as well as visit the Temple during the Temple period? Were there set prayers or liturgy?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    During the First Temple period, private prayer was much less formal than nowadays. People would feel so connected to Hashem that they would compose their own prayers, based on their feelings and their love for Hashem. As the First Temple period drew to a close, the spiritual levels of the Jewish nation started to spiral downwards, and people were left less motivated and interested in praying. At that point, the “Anshei Kenneset HaGedolah – the Men of the Great Assembly” composed most of the prayers that we are familiar with today. In this way, people don’t have to grapple with finding the right words to express themselves. Rather, they and we can use the prayers of the Anshei Kenneset HaGedolah, and can concentrate on their intent while reciting them.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team