אתגרש מס 6: מחשבות על סידור תפילה.

אתגרש מס 6: מחשבות על סידור תפילה.

תגובה למאמר לכול יהודי הסידור כספר יסוד                                                            

If the sidur is based on faith and belief in religion, can it be  relevant to secular Jews?

Firstly we have to understand that there is no real definition for a secular Jew. There are Jews who have very liberal thoughts about religion  or are skeptical about religion. There are those that respect religion but do not outwardly perform mitzvot. There are those who are connected to the Land of Israel and Jewish history and culture. There are those that are spiritual, love the Hebrew language and prayers but also do not perform Mitzvot.

According to the article, the Sidur and Machzor deal not only with relations between man and God but also the experiences of Jews for generations. This includes our history and culture. We hear about the wanderings of the Jews , The Story of our Fathers, miracles, the Promised Land and conquering of the Land. The sidur is therefore not only a prayerbook for daily prayers , Shabbat and special occasions but also a book that encapsulates the concept of Judaism.

A few weeks ago there was an television interview with the manager of the teenage pop star Justin Bieber. Justin was brought up by a religious Christian mother. Justin's manager ( who is a secular Jew) revealed that before every concert Justin prays. His Jewish secular manager decided he will also pray before a concert and he chose one of the most important Jewish prayers The Shema. When Justin performed in Israel he also recited the Shema.

Another example that comes to mind is the prayer of thanks to God Brachat Hagomel. Recently when I was in synagogue a very secular family recited this blessing.

This shows us that no matter how secular or non-believing a Jew is, in times of weakness, trouble or gratitude we turn to God or some divine force and the sidur has a prayer for every occasion be it thanks or praise. Prayer is talk from the soul and the sidur has arranged beautiful blessings which can be recited in private or in public.