Give Prayer a Second Chance

Have you ever prayed the Amidah (Silent Prayer) and approached the end, only to realize you’ve been daydreaming the whole time? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. This is a frustrating and potentially demoralizing experience. Don’t despair! There is a solution: The repetition of the Silent Prayer, also known as Chazaras HaShatz.

There is an opinion that this repetition was instituted by the Sages so the uneducated could fulfill their prayer obligation by listening to the prayer leader and saying Amen. Since nowadays most of us know how to read the prayers and have access to a prayerbook, many of us view the repetition as an inconvenient waste of time. We may zone out and daydream or worse, look at our cell phones or think about getting to our day’s work. If this is your modus operandi, you are missing out on an amazing treasure. In the book Gates of Prayer, Rabbi Shimshon Pincus explains the importance of Chazaras HaShatz. The Ari Hakodosh says that the repetition is even more powerful than the initial recitation! Our sages say that if a person prayed and saw that he was not answered, he should go back and pray again. The Vilna Gaon says that this refers to Chazaras Hashatz.

Hashem does not despise the prayer of the public and pays special attention to the repetition. Rabbi Pincus says that someone who doesn't leverage this power is like someone who bought a new car and drives it the whole time in first gear. He was never taught how to shift! The Rambam views the repetition of the Amidah as much more than an aid to those unversed in prayer. Someone leading the congregation in prayer is what defines communal prayer and makes it much more meaningful than praying alone (Hilchot Tefillah, 8:1,4).

In an article entitled “Why Does the Chazan Repeat the Amidah?” Yehuda Shurpin states that the repetition holds great spiritual power and enables our individual prayers which we recited quietly on our own to reach even greater spiritual heights. This explains why our quiet prayers may be recited even without a minyan, but the repetition of the Amidah can be recited only in the presence of a minyan. It also explains why it is recited out loud.

The great power and sanctity of Chazaras Hashatz is underscored in the Code of Jewish Law. The Shulchan Aruch (124:7) cites Rebbeinu Yona, who warns that “someone who talks during the Chazarat HaShatz is a sinner; his crime is unbearable, and he should be chastised.”

Another great feature of the repetition of the Amidah is the opportunity to say “Amen” to each blessing. Each Amen is so precious and powerful – we can’t begin to imagine the impact on the effectiveness of our prayers.

There is a well-known story of the Baal shem Tov. He once visited a synagogue and told the local rabbi that the shul was so saturated with prayers that he could not even enter! The rabbi was initially pleased until the Baal shem Tov explained that this was not a good situation. A huge backlog of prayers had become trapped in the synagogue and had not ascended to Heaven. This was due to a lack of enthusiasm and power on the part of the congregants in saying Amen. They needed to say Amen consistently, and with concentration and feeling. The rabbi took this advice to heart and encouraged his congregants to improve. As a result, their prayers began to ascend on high.

The Gemara in Barachot, page 53b, explains that someone who says Amen is even greater than the one who recited the blessing. The Gemara in tractate Shabbos page 119b states that anyone who answers Amen with all his strength merits to have the gates of Gan Eden (Paradise) opened in front of him. By saying Amen with concentration and enthusiasm, we elevate our own personal prayers and the prayers of the entire congregation. We create a vessel worthy of receiving spiritual and material abundance.

How can we work to maximize our focus during Chazaras HaShatz? One way is to maintain our same standing posture with feet together and talis over the head. This approach is recommended in the Spanish and Portuguese prayer book.

One of my teachers suggests that during Chazaras HaShatz we point to each word as it is recited by the leader. This helps us to maintain our concentration and contemplate the meaning of each word and phrase, and when we say Amen, all of those thoughts and prayers also ascend with the rest of the prayers of the congregation.

Let’s remember the tremendous benefits of the repetition of the Amida. Let's be sure to utilize this wonderful second chance and maximize the power and efficacy of our prayers.