Introduction

Today, most people are not familiar with the idea of ordered prayer. This is common especially with non-Catholic Christians. Israelitism, for over 2000 years, has had ordered prayer, that is, prayer that has been set into a specific order to fulfill a specific need. Many scoff at this saying, "These are vain repetitions!", citing you- know- who. Others love it because in ordered prayer, there contains compilations of various parts of the Bible that are recited that match exactly with that worshipper feels.

Ordered prayer in the Israelite religion apparently came into being after the destruction of the First Temple. Structured prayer allowed the congregation to praise or petition God in a group fashion. It truly led to "synagogue-Judaism" which exists to this day.  From this idea came forth the idea of a quorum (or "minyan") as is called by the Rabbinite Jews, that a certain number of people must be present in order to perform certain prayers. Such an idea is found in Christianity, whereby many Christians use the phrase "Where ever two or more persons that are called in My Name shall be, there shall I be also". (That was a para-phrase, mind you).

Originally, prayer was up to the individual-- blessing and praising God as he/she saw fit as well as petitioning Him for a good harvest, health, protection or whatever. One of the earliest prayers of the Hebrews was not a prayer at all but rather a declaration: "Hear Israel, YHWH is our God, YHWH is One!".

Israelite Prayer for many many centuries now is bound as a SIDDUR- which means "order [of prayer]". Some of you word-lovers may recognize that the word SIDDUR is close to the word SEDER- as in a Passover Seder. Well, you're right! Both SIDDUR and SEDER mean the same thing (for two different things, of course). SEDER refers to the "order" in which the Passover story is told. (And you thought Hebrew was out of your reach!)

However, ordered prayer was not widely WRITTEN DOWN into prayer books (or siddurs) until some time after the destruction of the Second Temple. Until technology allowed everyone to have a siddur ot atleast share one, people had to memorize prayers or simply respond to the synagoggue chazzan (one who led the prayers) by saying "Amen" or "Ken y'hi ratzon". People also had to know how to read Hebrew or Aramaic, which is why Jews have always been adamant that their children be educated both in the Hebrew language and the language of the land they lived in.

When the Qaraites sought to separate from the Rabbinite sect, they created a siddur of their own. But as the Qaraite philosophy stands, one need NOT use a siddur to pray. Prayer may be spontaneous. However, it must be remembered that since there exists no Temple and offerings today, our confessions of personal and national sins along with recitations of certain sections of the Torah which coincided with daily offerings are encouraged. In the Qaraite Siddur, also recited are various Psalms that praise and extol God as Creator, Warrior, Messiah and Forgiver.

To sum it up, ordered prayer gives an outline which allows the worshipper to accomplish many things at a single time. This includes the duty to bless, praise and extol YHWH and acknowledge Him as Creator. After this, the declaration of God's Unity is proclaimed as well as the opportunity to confess the sins of the worshipper AND the People Israel. Finally, petitions are recited that ask YHWH to grant the worshipper health, necessities and peace. What else could you possibly want?

Introduction

If you have ever visited a Moslem mosque or a Sikh temple, you would notice something peculiar that you wouldn't find in any Christian or Rabbinite Jewish house of prayer. First of all, you are asked to take your shoes off, preferably your socks as well. Then you are asked to wash your hands and sometimes your feet. After, you are asked to wear a head covering. As you enter the sanctuary, you see that men and women are sitted at different sides without chairs. "What the heck is going on?" you ask. "Did I just step back 2000 years ago?"

The answer is no. What you see in both Islamic and Sikh temples is some thing that was and is very common in the Middle East. If you are privy to some religious history, you will notice that the Sikhs follow many Islamic customs- since they derived much of their monotheism from Islam. And just the same, Islam grew out of the fruit of Judaism- and with it, took many of its customs as well.

The synagogue of both modern and ancient Judaism was formed in reaction to the absence of a central place of worship. After the first exile, synagogues were built in Babylon in order to serve as a community place of gathering, study and prayer. After the second Temple was destroyed, the synagogue took over an even greater role- and to this extant, as far as the opinion of most Karaites are concerned, the synagogue is a microcosm of the Temple. This idea is taken from Ezekiel 11:16:

“Therefore say: ‘Thus said the Lord YHWH: ‘because I have removed them far among the nations and have scattered them among the countries, and I have become to them a little sanctuary in the countries where they have gone’

“Many of the practices we observe in the synagogue derive from the custom of treating the synagogue like the Temple” (An Introduction to Karaite Judaism, 132).

Therefore it goes without saying, that all the prerequisites that one would expect to fulfil prior to entering the Temple (although Hebrew laity were not allowed to enter- only the Levy and Kohen were), one must observe prior to entering the synagogue.

Ritual Purity and Impurity

Does ritual purity sound rediculous to you nowadays? It probably does. But God doesn't. In fact, He specifically rendered the Hebrew people as a HOLY nation. HOLY means separate and distinct. God also placed within the hands of Moses the means by which Israel may attain that holy state. This holy state is called "tahor". A state of ritual impurity is called "tameh".

Ways of attaining ritual impurity were (among others): eating unclean meat (Dt 14:21), menstruation (Lv 15:19-20) and sexual intercourse (Lv 15:16-18). A Hebrew was expected to be in the Presence of God at all times therefore purity was and is important. Although people would become impure, the general method of removing impurity was bathing in water prior to sunset- and at sunset, that person would be made pure.

Qaraites maintain that all should be pure (tahor) prior to entering the synagogue especially on Shabbath. Prior to sunset, all Qaraites are suggested to bathe so that they may be pure at sunset and enter the synagogue for evening prayers (and the morning prayers in the morning). This strict idea is not maintained by all Qaraites. However, it is maintained that prior to entering the synagogue, one should be in the highest state of purity. A woman who is menstruating may not enter, neither a man who has had a seminal emission and failed to bathe.

Some Qaraites wash their hands and feet prior to prayer. Entering into the sanctuary barefoot is a sign of reverence. It was for this reason that God told Moses to remove his shoes before the burning bush:

 'YHWH said: Do not come near to here, put off your sandal from your foot, for the place on which you stand-it is holy ground!' (Ex 3:5)

A head covering is worn by most Qaraites in the synagogue  as a sign of respect. It also hearkens back to the Levites and Priests who served on the temple grounds. They wore head coverings. Head coverings are a custom and are not mandatory. However, certain synagogues have communal expectations, most of which include covering the head during prayer. The name of the head covering, depending on the custom and region, varies. The most common is called the "kippa" (referring to its dome shape). Even the Pope wears a kippa, but we won't get into that!

Men and women are seated separately for good reason: impurity of thought. Qaraites kneel and prostrate during prayer. If a woman if in front of a man is bending over in prostration, the man may get an impure thought. Also, separating women from men maintain the concentration that should be used for prayer rather than for wild ideas. Separation between the sexes in regard to prayer is an ancient remedy to impure thoughts and actions- all those who oppose this time-tested custom are merely compromised in their own approaches to mental purity during prayer.

Additional Information

Attire for prayer should be modest- women should cover their shoulders, cleavage and legs. Men should cover at least down to their elbows and all of their legs. Prayer clothing should be respectable and modest yet comfortable.  

Qaraites put on a tallit before prayer. A tallit is a stylized ritual item worn as a shroud over the head and shoulders. The tallit echos the ancient everyday head shroud worn by Semetic peoples. When this went out of style (and out of that geographic area), a stylized version was made only for prayer.

One may adjust the tallit as they see fit. The tallit is worn because of the fringes that are placed on each of the four corners. These fringes are called "tsitsioth" and must have atleast one strand of blue running through them to fulfill the commandment of the tsithtsith. The donning of the tallit is always preceded by a blessing: "Blessed are you YHWH our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments to don the four corners of the tsitsith. AMEN"

The commandment of the tsitsitoth is found in the book of Numbers:

"YHWH said to Moshe, saying:  Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they are to make themselves tassels on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and are to put on the corner tassel a thread of blue-violet.  It shall be for you a tassel, that you may look at it and keep-in-mind all the commandments of YHWH and observe them, that you not go scouting-around after your heart, after your eyes which you go whoring after;  in order that you may keep-in-mind and observe all my commandments, and (so) be holy to your God!  I am YHWH your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, to be to you a God; I am YHWH your God!" (Nu 15:37-41).

Qaraites sit on a carpeted floor and do not have chairs in the sanctuary, except those for the elderly, ill, and handicapped who require one. In the front center of the synagogue in the east is the "Aron HaKodesh" or the Holy Ark which contains the Torah scrolls. Qaraites, like Rabbinites, always face east when praying because it is written that all Hebrews, while in exile, should face Jerusalem. This direction has always traditionally been east. However, in the proof text from which we get this practice, Solomon states that we are to turn towards God's Sanctuary:

"When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they do sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place" (1Kg 8:35).

Interestingly, there lived a man named Misawayh al-Ukbari, whom Jacob Al Kirkisani [Karaite sage] found ridiculous, stated that Jews should pray facing west” (Karaite Anthology, Nemoy, page 335, citation I.19). It is the opinion of this author that either west or east is acceptable as long as it is toward the Sanctuary, which would be today, the Temple Mount. One could prefer facing west because that is the direction in which worshippers at the Temple grounds would face. Furthermore, those Jews living in Exile in the east (Iraq, etc) would face west to pray. 

A chazzan (cantor) may lead the prayer service- he is the one who chants the prayers in their traditional melodies. One need not be a chazzan or hakham (sage) to lead the prayers. One who knows the prayers well may lead the congregation if needed. This may surprise some people. It is important to realize that a hakham, like a rabbi, is not a priest (unless they happen to be of the tribe of Levi), but functions as a type of "head executive" in the community.

Nowadays in the United States, a new trend is arising. There are many Gentile converts to Qaraite Judaism now more than ever in the history of Qaraism. Unfortunately, these converts are spread out hundreds and even thousands of miles from eachother without access to a Qaraite community.

It is my opinion that one should do the following if they cannot access a synagogue:

• Reserve a room or area of your dwelling where you may be least disturbed
• Try as best as you can to be facing east (or west...)
• Place a new carpet or rug in that area for your to pray on
• Maintain that this area be free of ritual impurity- make sure you let your family know that this place is off limits to the ritually impure
• Place within this area all of your prayer books and Tenakhs so as to make sure they are not liable to become impure through touch
• If you can, place in this area a small desk for you to study with. Be sure to prevent it from touching your carpet or rug

This is your "little sanctuary" as Ezekiel wrote. One should remember to be as ritually pure as possible when entering it. It is preferable that one leave the direction in which they pray clear of visual obstacles such as books.

What Happened?

It behooves us to ask why the drastic change occured in the Rabbinite synagogues, where seating was implemented and prostration became extinct. Orthodox synagogues did not change much. They retain the male and female division (often with a barrier between the two). As modern times emerged, synagogues began to place chairs in their sanctuaries.

The mixing of the sexes during prayer was first installed by the Conservative and Reform Jewish movements who sought a less traditional and more modern seating arrangement. These movements justify their mingling of the genders on the basis of removing the overt "sexism" in traditional Judaism.

All the Rabbinite movements, from Orthodox to Reform do wear shoes in the synagogue. The placing of seats and the retaining of shoes were probably in response to the Qaraite and Moslem forms of prayer as well as adapting to modern trends. Rabbinite Jews in times past did indeed prostrate during prayer (and is limited today only to the chazzan, depending on the custom, who prostrates during Yom Kippur), however Rabbinite leaders have had the time-honored tendency to abolish those things that made them resemble other Jewish or non-Jewish factions. This stems from the Hebrew name of their sect which was originally called the Pharisees (Perushtim) which means "separated ones".

Some historical information about prostration in prayer and its absence in Rabbinic Judaism can be found in the page, "Postures in Prayer."

Introduction

It would be incorrect to say that Qaraite Judaism started the use of various postures of prayer. This is because that from the earliest times, prostration, bowing and kneeling were concomitant with Hebrew prayer, both before the standardization of prayer in the forms of books and afterwards.

A look into the Hebrew Bible will show us just how common it was to pray in these postures. It should also tell us that these postures are the proper way to worship and petition to YHWH. If King Solomon and Daniel did it- you ought to as well!

Remember, prostration and kneeling were common in the ancient near east and elsewhere. Catholics are familiar with kneeling as well as Moslems. If you are a Christian, maybe you used to kneel beside your bed as you recited your evening prayer prior to sleep.

Nowadays, however, much kneeling and prostration has remained solely in the realm of Islam and Qaraite Judaism. These two religions have kept what is traditionally considered to be the proper way to worship deity.

Rabbinic Judaism retained prostration only during Yom Kippur- and by the chazzan alone. They removed kneeling and daily prostration for reasons we shall see later. But right now, let’s see some Biblical references on these various positions and postures of prayer

Postures in Prayer

The following information and references are taken from “An Introduction to Karaite Judaism” pages 133-135. I have included the text of the references (JPS 1917 edition) for further clarification.

“Customarily, there are positions assumed during prayer; these are included in every service, whether the prayer is uttered alone or with a congregation, whether the service is for Shabbat, a Mo’ed [Holiday], a Hagh [Pilgrimage], or an ordinary weekday. They are as follows:

Qimah (standing up)

'Stand up and bless YHWH your God from everlasting to everlasting; and let them say: Blessed be Thy glorious Name, that is exalted above all blessing and praise’ Nehemiah 9:5

Hishtahawayah (Bowing down)

‘But as for me, in the abundance of Thy lovingkindness will I come into Thy house; I will bow down toward Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee.’ Psalms 5:8

Keri’ah and Berikhah (kneeling down and standing upon the knees)

‘O come, let us bow down and bend the knee; let us kneel before YHWH our Maker.’ Psalms 95:6

Nefilat Apayim (falling on the face)

‘And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him…’ Genesis 17:3

Nesi’at ‘Einayim (lifting up the eyes)

‘And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him’ Psalms 123:1

Perisat Yadayim (stretching forth the hands)

‘I spread forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a weary land. Selah’ Psalms 143:6

Hizdaqfut (Standing up straight)

‘I spread forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a weary land. Selah’ Psalms 145:14

‘YHWH openeth the eyes of the blind; YHWH raiseth up them that are bowed down; YHWH loveth the righteous’ Psalms 146:8

Nesi’at Yadaim (Lifting up the hands)

‘Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward Thy holy Sanctuary’ Psalms 28:2

Se’aqah and Qeri’ah (Crying out and calling out)

‘They cried, and YHWH heard, and delivered them out of all their troubles’ Psalms 34:18

In a response to a question regarding Qaraite postures during prayer, Hakham Meir Rekhavi ( a Qaraite sage from England) wrote:

“The act of genuflection is clearly stressed in the Miqra [Hebrew Bible] for it is written, “When Solomon finished offering to YHWH all this prayer and supplication he rose from where he had been kneeling,” (1 Kings 8:54) and again,  “Now when Daniel learned that the writing was signed, he went into his house; his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” (Dan. 6:11)

 As I pointed out above Karaites practice genuflection, which consists of:

1. Bowing
   1. Bending the torso forward from the waist with legs straight while placing the palms of the hands on the knees
2. Kneeling
   1. Resting on the knees with the thighs and posterior placed on the back of the legs while the torso is erect
3. Half Prostration
   1. From the kneeling position, placing the palms of the hands on the knees and bending the torso forward from the waist without the forehead touching the ground
4. Full Prostration
   1. From the kneeling position placing the palm of the hands on the ground and bending the torso forward from the waist with the forehead touching the ground

 The parts of the service in which one should be in a sitting position are:

1. The confession of sins (full prostration)
2. Petitions (half prostration)
3. At the end of a section (bowing to the ground and immediately rising)
4. Less important parts of the service are said (kneeling)

 There are parts of the service where one should stay standing fully erect. They are:

1. Giving of praise (said standing with hands raised), recalling YHWH’s providence that He bestows upon us
2. Magnifying the divine name, declaring YHWH as creator, the giver of just laws, etc
3. The declaration of the divine unity, the recitation of the Shem’a
4. The reading of the Korbanoth (sacrificial service)”

We saw how kneeling, prostration and other positions are found in the Bible. Why should these be performed? Because it was the proper way to worship God.

Prostration indicated absolute humility and selflessness before God. Kneeling shows submission and subjugation. Raising one’s hands facilitates the joy one has in praising God--just watch Charismatic Christian tele-evangelism programs. Rolling around on the floor, however.... well, that's not in the New Testament either =)

What Happened to Prostration and Kneeling in Rabbinic Judaism?

In the confines of Rabbinic Judaism, kneeling and prostration are non-existent. Why is this so? Below are sections from the late Rabbi Hayim HaLevy Donin’s excellent “To Pray As A Jew”. This text, which outlines Rabbinic Jewish prayer down to the atom, tells us some facts about the Rabbinic view of prostration and why it is no longer performed:

“[Prostration is] A rare posture, once commonly practiced…Kneeling is totally absent from Jewish prayer except as a step in falling prostrate.” (41)

During the Rabbinic prayer, a section called Tahanun is recited when asking forgiveness for sins. Tahanun is also called “nefilat apayim” or “falling on the face”. Rabbi Donin explains:

“The posture assumed while saying this part of the daily Tahanun is to be seated, bent over, with the face lowered on the left forearm…This posture is symbolic of Temple practice, in which the people knelt and fell prostrate until their faces touched the ground- a gesture of absolute humility and total self-effacement indicating total submission to God.” (204, emphasis mine)

Donin then explains why the now common posture for Tahanun (seated and bent over with one’s face on the left forearm) has replaced the historical and Biblical posture of prostration:

“The modified way in which we now “fall on the face” has Talmudic precedent: ‘Said Rabbi Hiyya bar Abin: I saw Abaya and Rava supplicating,’ which Rashi [a famous Rabbinic commentator] interprets as ‘leaning over on their sides and not actually falling on their faces’ (Rashi, Megillah 23a Berakhot 34b). In the post-Talmudic period, a further modification (the posture we assume today) evolved.” (205)

From what we see here, the evolution from prostration to the Rabbinic substitute allegedly took place because Rashi’s ridiculous interpretation on a section of the Talmud.

Yemenite Rabbinic Jews Have a Custom of Prostration

Yemenite Rabbinic Jews however, have had a tradition of retaining the prostration during Tahanun/Nefilat Apayim.

An excellent Yemenite Rabbinic website has an entire study on why one should prostrate during confession and asking for forgiveness. See http://www.chayas.com/qidah.htm Be sure to check out the recipes on the home page.

After all the hoo-hah of researching authentic Yemenite sources and Talmudic opinions, the website finally shows Biblical evidence of kneeling and prostration:

 “Kings 8:54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

II Chron 6:13 for Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven

I Ezra 9:5 And at the evening offering I arose up from my fasting, even with my garment and my mantle rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God;

Josephus, describing this ceremony, says that the king (at the conclusion of his prayer) prostrated himself on the ground and in this posture continued worshipping for a long time.

Daniel 6:11: And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house--now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem--and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Next, The author of this web page writes his own conclusions about prostration saying:

 “The ancient rabbis taught: The Temple was only built in the merit of prostration. And the future Temple will only be rebuilt in the merit of prostration (paraphrased from Yalkut Shimoni on 1 Samuel 1:28). If this is so, I ask myself, why are we not prostrating? If you look in the prayerbook, numerous prayers, particularly psalms, refer to prostration. But the word histahhawaya is not always translated properly. For example, in the morning prayers: "prostrate to God in the beauty of holiness." This is often translated "bow," but prostrate means fully flat on the ground, not just bowing. There was frequent prostrating in the ancient Temple -that is why the Temple will be rebuilt in the merit of prostration. But perhaps the point is that we have to start prostrating and then God will give us back the Temple.

What is the meaning of prostration? Utter submission to God's will; complete humility. It says in Pirke Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, as one of the miracles of the Temple: "that although they were crowded when standing, they had room when prostrating" (5:7). The miracle is that when we are humble before God, when we utterly submit to Him, we make room for everyone else around us. Rabbi Akiba bowed and prostrated so much he was all over the room when he prayed (Berachot 31).” (Emphasis mine).

Why would the authors of prayer books, Sages and fluent in Hebrew, mistranslate hishtahawayah (prostration)?

Why Prostration is Missing From Rabbinic Judaism

The “fossils evidence” of kneeling and prostration in Rabbinic Judaism can be seen every day in prayer.

During the Barkhu (the Rabbinic ‘call to prayer’) and the Amidah (a series of blessings and petitions), Rabbinic Jews will bend at their knees (almost resembling a ‘bob’), straighten up and then bow at the waist.

What is the point of this? I personally believe that this is leftover evidence of kneeling and prostration in Rabbinic prayer. Consider this:

o    The bending (or bobbing) of the knees was once the kneeling down on the ground

o    The bending at the waist was once the act of prostration, that is “falling on the face”, with one’s face touching the ground

The question of why the Yemenite Rabbinic Jews prostrated and knelt while the Ashkenazim and Sefardim Rabbinic Jews did not is probably the result of being out of the influence of tradition.

Rabbinic Judaism is characterized by its rich tradition. As we read in “To Pray As A Jew”, if people saw the Sages and authorities doing something, it would become a common practice and then law. This is how many of the traditions developed.

If certain Rabbinic Sages stopped prostration and did something else, it would probably legislate into law- thus becoming part of the Oral Law and binding. The creation of a law from a long-time tradition or custom is called “T’kanot” by the Rabbis.

Since the Yemenite Rabbinic Jews were isolated for such a long time, they probably were not influenced by this prostration-turned-resting on the arm custom.

The most probable reason why prostration is absent from Rabbinic Judaism is because of the Rabbinic Tefillin (commonly known as Phylacteries). These are little leather boxes in which were sections of Scripture written on parchments. These boxes were strapped on to the hand and the forehead. The creation of the Tefillin was derived from a faulty interpretation of parts of the Torah, as can be seen in another section of the website.

The Tefillin were and are the characterizing mark of the ancient Pharisee sect and its descendant Rabbinic Judaism. Jesus spoke of Tefillin/Phylacteries in the Gospels:

"But their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries [tefillin] , and enlarge the borders of their garments [tsitsits]..." (Matthew 23:5).

Prostration requires that the forehead touch the ground. Obviously, it would be damaging to the “Tefillin Shel Rosh”, or “Head Phylactery” to perform full prostration. This may be the reason why the Rabbinic Jews ceased prostration, and also the reason why Rashi interpreted what Rabbi Hiyya saw the way he did. Of course Rashi, who wore Tefillin, would be biased in his interpretation since he himself probably did not prostrate.

Further evidence of this theory is that the Rabbinic “falling on the face” posture requires one to lean his head on his forearm- this does not risk damaging the Head Tefillin!

Given the evidence, we can say that the Rabbis dropped a Biblically prescribed form of worship in exchange for the continuation of their own man-made tradition.

Another theory for the omission of prostration and kneeling may be because the Rabbis saw that both Moslems and Qaraites performed these postures during prayer. Because of this, the Rabbis ceased the practice of prostration and/or confined it to the “bobbing and bowing” technique that exists until this day.