Monday, February 15, 2010

How communal prayer helps community

[This week's Haveil Havalim is here]

Back in Weeks 1-2 we discussed how communal prayer helps prayer. This week (Week 6), our Wednesday night Tzibburology class will look at the ways in which tefillah b'tzibbur [communal prayer] helps to build community. Here is the source sheet we will use:

Community aids prayer, as well as religious practice
1. D. E. Saliers, Liturgy and Ethics: Some New Beginnings, Journal of Religious Ethics (Fall 1979)
Worship both forms and expresses persons in the beliefs, the emotions and the attitudes appropriate to the religious life.

The mitzvah of communal prayer
2. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefillah 8:1
תפלת הציבור נשמעת תמיד ואפילו היו בהן חוטאים אין הקב"ה מואס בתפלתן של רבים, לפיכך צריך אדם לשתף עצמו עם הציבור, ולא יתפלל ביחיד כל זמן שיכול להתפלל עם הציבור, ולעולם ישכים אדם ויעריב לבית הכנסת שאין תפלתו נשמעת בכל עת אלא בבית הכנסת, וכל מי שיש לו בית הכנסת בעירו ואינו מתפלל בו עם הציבור נקרא שכן רע.
The prayer of the community is always heard; even if there are sinners among them, Gd does not reject the prayer of the many. Therefore, one must always join himself with the community, and not pray alone so long as he could pray with the community. One must always rise early and go in the evening to the shul, for his prayer will not be heard at all times other than in the shul. One who has a shul in his city and does not pray there with the community is termed a ‘bad neighbor.’

3. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 90:9
ישתדל אדם להתפלל בב"ה עם הציבור, ואם הוא אנוס שאינו יכול לבוא לב"ה, יכוין להתפלל בשעה שהציבור מתפללים, (והוא הדין בני אדם הדרים בישובים ואין להם מנין, מ"מ יתפללו שחרית וערבית בזמן שהציבור מתפללים, סמ"ג).
Mechaber: One should always endeavor to pray in shul with the community. One who is forced such that he cannot go to shul should specifically pray when the community prays. Rama: And people who dwell in outlying areas where there is no minyan should still pray in the morning and evening when the community prays.

4. Midrash, Yalkut Shimoni 871
מעשה באשה אחת שהזקינה הרבה ובאת לפני רבי יוסי בן חלפתא אמרה ליה רבי הזקנתי יותר מדאי ומעכשיו חיים של נוול הם שאיני טועמת לא מאכל ולא משקה ואני מבקשת להפטר מן העולם, א"ל מה מצוה את למודה לעשות בכל יום, א"ל למודה אני אפילו יש לי דבר חביב אני מנחת אותו ומשכמת לבית הכנסת בכל יום, א"ל מנעי עצמך מבית הכנסת שלשה ימים זה אחר זה, הלכה ועשתה כן וביום השלישי חלתה ומתה,
A greatly aged woman came before R’ Yosi ben Chalafta and said, “My master, I have become too old, and my life is now repellent to me. I do not taste food or drink; I wish to leave this world.”
He asked her: What mitzvah do you practice daily? She replied: My practice is that even if I have something beloved to do, I leave it and rise early for shul each day.
He said: Keep yourself from the shul for three consecutive days. She did this, and on the third day she fell ill and died.

5. Mishneh Berurah 687:7
ואפילו היתה ת"ת של חבורה גדולה של ק' אנשים שלומדים באיזה בית אפ"ה צריך לבטל ולילך לקרותה בצבור משום ברב עם הדרת מלך.
Even if there is a great group of 100 men studying in a house, they still must cease and go to read megilah in the community, because of the principle, “The glory of the king is in a great nation.”

6. Talmud, Rosh haShanah 35a
אמר רב אחא בר עוירא אמר רבי שמעון חסידא: פוטר היה רבן גמליאל אפילו עם שבשדות.
Rav Acha bar Avira cited R’ Shimon Chasida, saying that Rabban Gamliel ruled that the chazan [in repeating the amidah] even exempted the masses out in the fields.

Communal prayer is meant to draw people together
7. Bamidbar 10:2
(ב) עשה לך שתי חצוצרת כסף מקשה תעשה אתם והיו לך למקרא העדה ולמסע את המחנות:

8. Esther 4:15-16
ותאמר אסתר להשיב אל מרדכי: לך כנוס את כל היהודים הנמצאים בשושן וצומו עלי ואל תאכלו ואל תשתו שלשת ימים לילה ויום...

9. Talmud, Yoma 12a
והאי תנא סבר ירושלים לא נתחלקה לשבטים דתניא אין משכירין בתים בירושלים לפי שאינה שלהן ר' אלעזר בר שמעון אומר אף לא מטות.
That authority theorized that Yerushalayim was not divided among the tribes, as we learned, “They may not charge rent for homes in Yerushalayim, for it does not belong to them. Rabbi Elazar bar Shimon said: Beds, too.”

10. Netziv, Haameik Davar Vayyikra 7:13
דתכלית התודה שבא על הנס הוא כדי לספר חסדי ה' שגמל עליו, ומטעם זה ריבה הכתוב בלחם ומיעט בזמן אכילת תודה מכל שלמים היינו כדי שיהיה מרבה ריעים לסעודה אחת ביום הקרבה ויהיה סיפור הנס לפני רוב אנשים וארבע חלות לכהנים שהן המה תלמידי חכמים.
The goal of the todah that is brought in response to a miracle is to tell of the great generosity Gd performed for him. Therefore the Torah increased the amount of bread and decreased the time for the todah’s consumption beyond that of any other shelamim, so that he would increase his friends for one meal on the day he brought the korban, and so he would tell of the miracle before many people. Four loaves would go the kohanim, who were the scholars.

11. Tur, Orach Chaim 90
ואין די לו במה שיקבע לו ב"ה להתפלל בה תדיר אלא גם בב"ה שקובע בה צריך שיהיה מקומו קבוע וידוע ולא ישב היום כאן ולמחר במקום אחר דהכי איתמר בירושלמי א"ר תנחום בר חייא צריך אדם לייחד לו מקום בב"ה שנאמר ויהי דוד בא עד הראש אשר ישתחוה שם השתחוה לא נאמר אלא ישתחוה משמע שהיה תדיר משתחוה שם
It is insufficient to establish a shul in which one always prays; even within the shul, one should establish a known place for himself, and not sit here today and there tomorrow. This is what we learned in Yerushalmi, “Rabbi Tanchum bar Chiyya said: One must designate a place in shul for himself, as it is written, ‘And David came to the front where he would bow’ – It does not say ‘bowed,’ but ‘would bow,’ which indicates that he always bowed there.”

12. Maharil (R’ Yaakov ben Moshe Moellin), Minhagim, Hilchot Yom Kippur 11
אין לשנות מנהג המקום בשום ענין אפילו בניגונים שאין מורגלים שם.
One should not change any aspect of local minhag, even to introduce unfamiliar tunes.

13. Mishneh Berurah 619:7
כי עי"ז מבלבל דעת הקהל
Because that would confuse the congregation.

14. Machzor Vitry 190
וזוכר את המתים שרבו תורה ותקנות בישר' ואותם שהניחו שום דבר בקהל ושהניחו אחרים בשבילם.
And we remember the dead, who increased Torah and enactments in Israel, as well as those who left anything to the community, and those for whom others left something.

15. Talmud, Taanit 14a
על אלו מתריעין בשבת: על עיר שהקיפוה גייס או נהר, ועל ספינה המטורפת בים
For the following situations we are matria even on Shabbat: For a city surrounded by soldiers or an overflowing river, and for a boat that is being tossed in the sea.

16. Talmud, Rosh haShanah 34b
תניא, אמרו לו לרבן גמליאל: לדבריך, למה צבור מתפללין? אמר להם: כדי להסדיר שליח צבור תפלתו. אמר להם רבן גמליאל: לדבריכם, למה שליח צבור יורד לפני התיבה? אמרו לו: כדי להוציא את שאינו בקי.
They said to Rabban Gamliel: According to you, why does the community daven? He replied: To give the chazan a chance to order his prayer.
Rabban Gamliel said to them: According to you, why does the chazan descend before the Ark? They replied: To fulfill the mitzvah for those who are not expert.

Secular sociology shows that communal prayer helps community in general ways
17. Sosis and Ruffle, Religious Ritual and Cooperation: Testing for a Relationship on Israeli Religious and Secular Kibbutzim, Current Anthropology 44:5 (2003)
Hypotheses: If religious ritual impacts solidarity and cooperation as many anthropological theories suggest, then we should expect members of religious kibbutzim to exhibit higher levels of cooperation than members of secular kibbutzim. Although there is no agreement on the details, these theories maintain that it is collective ritual that promotes solidarity and cooperation, whereas no theory proposes a similar functional role for privately performed rituals. Private rituals appear to serve a different purpose, such as communicating with oneself (e.g., Rappaport 1999, Sosis 2003). Thus, we also expect that religious males will exhibit higher levels of cooperation than religious females because of their greater participation in collective ritual, especially daily prayer. Lastly, we expect the frequency of participation in collective ritual to affect an individual’s cooperativeness positively. Therefore we predict that men who participate in communal prayer most frequently will exhibit the highest levels of cooperation.


18. Sosis, The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual, American Scientist 92
Abstract: Why do Hari Krishnas shave their heads? Why do Mormons abstain from coffee, tobacco and alcohol? And why do so many religious groups have strict initiation rites, ranging from bathing in icy water to painful scarification, hair plucking and genital mutilation? In other words, why all the ordeals and sacrifices? Most attempts to explain religious rituals and taboos have focused on the spiritual benefits of these practices, but anthropologist Richard Sosis thinks there's a more fundamental reason. They signal commitment to the group, and prevent those who are uncommitted from gaining the benefits of membership. After all, who but a believer would engage in these costly acts?

Also see: Ruffle and Sosis, Does it pay to pray? Costly Ritual and Cooperation, The Berkeley Electronic Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy 7:1 (2007)

Communal prayer helps community in highly specific ways: Communal Structure
19. R’ Yosef Teumim, Pri Megadim to Orach Chaim 94: Mishbetzot Zahav 2
עיין ט"ז דיעמדו בית הכנסת לא ממש נגד המזרח רק נטוי קצת לצד דרום, ולפי זה מקום הרב בבית הכנסת בצד דרום הארון ואינו צריך להדרים דבלאו הכי כן הוא. ומי שעושה ממש נגד המזרח טוב מקום הרב לצפון ארון הקודש, שידרים, דבדרום נראה כהופך עורף מארון קודש.
See the Taz’s statement that they should establish the shul not precisely opposite the east, but inclined a little to the south. According to this, the place of the rabbi in the shul should be on the south side of the Aron; he would not need to face south, for even without facing that way he would be in the south. One who establishes it precisely opposite the east should then have the rabbi north of the Aron, so that he will face south; if he would be south then he would appear to be turning his back upon the Aron.

20. Talmud, Megilah 32a
ואמר רבי שפטיה אמר רבי יוחנן: עשרה שקראו בתורה - הגדול שבהם גולל ספר תורה.
Rabbi Shefatiah cited Rabbi Yochanan: When ten read from the Torah, the greatest among them rolls the Torah.

Communal prayer helps community in highly specific ways: Teaching children to value community
21. Vivienne Mountain, Prayer is a Positive Activity for Children, International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 10:3 (Dec 2005)
The data displayed a sense of joy in, and appreciation of, aspects of communal worship. The sense of identity connected to communities of faith was part of the prayer experience for about two-thirds of participants. To pray together in the positive sense of praise and worship was perceived as a meaningful activity where children found a sense of identity and belonging. The praying community was also valued in intercessory prayer (prayer for others), where the community of faith was identified as a resource. As care for others was expressed through prayer, children could understand a sense of unity where prayer was also available for them.

Communal prayer helps community in highly specific ways: Coping with death
22. Sinead Donnelly, Folklore Associated with Dying in the west of Ireland, Palliative Medicine (1999)
In their grief, the community was supported by the loose formality of the wake (torramh), funeral procession, keening (caoineadh) and music. In all these, the men and women of the community and its leaders had distinct and respected roles to play.

Communal prayer helps community in highly specific ways: Announcing communal needs
23. Talmud, Bava Metzia 28b
תנו רבנן: בראשונה, כל מי שמצא אבידה - היה מכריז עליה שלשה רגלים, ואחר רגל אחרון שבעת ימים, כדי שילך שלשה ויחזור שלשה ויכריז יום אחד. משחרב בית המקדש, שיבנה במהרה בימנו, התקינו שיהו מכריזים בבתי כנסיות ובבתי מדרשות.
Initially, whoever found a lost item would announce it for three festivals, and for seven days after the third festival, so that he could travel three days, return three days, and announce one day. When the Beit haMikdash was destroyed – it should be rebuilt speedily in our days – they enacted that people should announce in the shuls and study halls.

24. Talmud, Shabbat 150a
ואמר רבי יעקב בר אידי אמר רבי יוחנן: מפקחין פיקוח נפש ופיקוח רבים בשבת, והולכין לבתי כנסיות לפקח על עסקי רבים בשבת.
And R’ Yaakov bar Idi cited R’ Yochanan as saying: They look after lives and they look after the community on Shabbat, and they go to shuls to look out for communal needs on Shabbat.

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like an interesting talk. I personally learned to value communal prayer by going daily after my father died. When the 11 months was over, I felt something was missing, so I've continued to go when I can. You've probably heard this story over and over again (as I am hearing of it from others who attend daily). I get a feeling of belonging and purpose (in addition to learning and spiritual benefits). Furthermore, I have friends now that I didn't have before!

    I would be curious to hear how the talk is received.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Fruma,
    Yes, it is familiar - but I never tire of hearing it, because it means we're doing something right!
    Gd-willing, audio of the talk will be in the shiur archive of www.torontotorah.com as of Wednesday night or Thursday morning, and video on koshertube.com shortly thereafter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just downloaded the shiur yesterday. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Neil - Must have been a different shiur; I'm giving this one tonight!

    ReplyDelete