Prayers Will the format of our prayers change in the time of Redemption?

The order and format of the prayers will remain essentially the same, except that our requests will be transformed to thanks to G-d for having fulfilled our needs.

Our sages say:  “All prayers will be nullified in the world to come, but thanksgiving will not be nullified.”  Nowadays, our prayers consist partly of requests and partly of praise and gratitude to G-d.  In the future, the prayers of request will be abolished, since we will no longer lack anything.  However, we will continue to offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

At first glance, it seems that out of the prayers that we are accustomed to saying today, we will continue to say only the prayers of praise and thanksgiving.  We will no longer recite the middle thirteen blessings of the Amida, which include requests for health, sustenance, strength, knowledge, etc. We will also omit the requests in the blessings of Shma, etc.

However, the Mabit, Rabbi Moshe Trani, holds that we will continue to recite the same blessings, but in slightly modified form.  For example, instead of saying, “Break the yoke of the nations from upon our necks,” we will say “We thank you for having broken the yoke of the nations… You are leading us speedily to our land…”  Instead of the blessing of “Sound the great Shofar for our freedom,” we will say, “Thank you, G-d, for having blown the great Shofar of our freedom… and for gathering us from the four corners of the earth…”  Instead of “Restore our judges like before and our advisors like it was in the beginning,” we will say “Thank you G-d for having restored our judges, etc.”

In short, the order and format of the prayers will remain essentially the same, except that our requests will be transformed to thanks to G-d for having fulfilled our needs.

(Vayikra Rabba, 9:7.  Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim, Remez 454.  Avudraham, Seder Tefilot shel Chol, end of Shaar 2.  Beis Elokim, Shaar Hayesodot, ch. 61)

4:16 PM in New Brunswick, NJ
Shabbat Ends 5:18 PM
Friday, 22 Nov 2024
Parashat 

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