What is the meaning of prayer?
The Hebrew word for prayer —
tefillah — is derived from the word
pallel — to think. The reflexive form of this root —
lehispallel — to pray, therefore means
to make oneself think. The purpose of prayer is to bring into one's mind and to declare the fundamental truths about Hahsem, and man's relationship with Him. The classic work
Chovos Halevavos (Duties of the Heart) lists five goals that can be achieved by prayer:
To express the yearning of the soul to make contact with Hashem
To feel humility towards Hashem.
To recognize the greatness of Hashem.
To praise and thank Hashem for His many kindnesses.
To cast one's burden on Hashem by requesting all one's needs and realizing thatall one's affairs are in His hands.
In addition, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato writes that although Hashem knows exactly what we require, he will not bestow His blessings upon us until we ask for them. Even if a person has a multitude of merits, the gates of the Heavenly storehouses remain closed, and the only way that one can open them is through prayer.
It is no wonder that our Sages state that prayer stands at the peak of the universe, yet people belittle it. Prayer is an immense challenge, and if used correctly can be one of the greatest opportunities for spiritual growth.
Does prayer without thought have any value?
The problem of lip service is not a modern one. The prophet Yeshayahu berated the Jewish people in the name of Hashem, "Behold this nation approaches Me, they honor Me with their mouth and lips, but their heart is far from me" (29:13). Intelligent people will surely realize that prayer is not a mitzvah to be performed solely with one's mouth by reciting certain words found in the siddur, while one's thoughts wander to entirely different areas. Our Sages describe prayer as service of the heart, and this idea has become a well-known saying: "A prayer without thought is like a body without a soul". Although a person does not fulfill his obligation with a prayer recited without any thought, it is not regarded as a prayer in vain (see also questions 558 and 599).
What if a person does not understand the Hebrew words?
The Avudraham writes, "Most of the masses raise their voices in prayer before Hashem, but are aimlessly going about like a blind man in darkness, not understanding the words they are praying". The first step towards davening with thought must surely be to study a translation of the prayers. Only after mastering the meaning of the words can one hope to proceed to deeper levels of concentration.
May a person daven in English?
If he cannot read Hebrew, he may temporarily daven using a reliable English translation, until he is able to read Hebrew.
If he can read Hebrew, he should daven in Hebrew. In this day and age, when there is a proliferation of siddurim that provide a running translation, there is no excuse for davening in English. With persistent use of such a siddur, a person will soon master the Hebrew language, making his davening more meaningful.
In extenuating circumstances, a rav should be consulted.
Is a person obligated to pray daily?
The Torah commands, "And you shall serve Hashem your G-d" (Shemos 23:25). By linking this to the verse in shema, "And serve Him with all your heart" (Devarim 11:13), our Sages derive that this refers to prayer, which is service of the heart. According to Rambam (Maimonides), every man and woman is obligated by the Torah to pray once a day. Although the Torah does not require any particular text, the prayer must comprise three basic elements in this order: praise, request, and thanksgiving. According to Ramban (Nachmanides), there is only a Torah commandment to pray in times of distress, but not on a daily basis.
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