The Phenomenology of Prayer pt.2 11/04/2022

 

Once again on pages 38-39 I found something that stood out to me, “ Whatever be the ultimate meaning of prayer…, it is collective prayer… which opens this ultimate meaning (DF 270). That is (and here is a first sense of this assertion): In Judaism you do not primarily pray alone, you need a minyan (a quorum), a minimum of ten men. While one may pray privately, there is special merit in praying with others as a part of a congregation; this is underscored by that fact the Jewish prayers are formulated in the plural rather than in the singular.” There is an example in this from another reading, In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo; In Cairo, Dreaming of Baghdad. “They moan in prayer, and the perfumed smoke of that

floats into heaven, and the angels say, “Answer

this prayer. This worshiper has only you

and nothing else to depend on. Why do you go first

to the prayers of those less devoted?”

Here you can see this could be true not just in Judaism but across other religions too.