A recent survey found that close to 50% of Americans pray every day, and at least 37% of those believe that their prayers have been answered. They pray for health, prosperity, and the well-being of their loved ones. Some even pray for their favorite sports team to win or to find a good parking space. Jews are commanded to commune with G-d three times a day and voice various supplications at times in between. What do they pray for?
This verse from the prophet Yeshaya, as interpreted by Rabbi Dovid Kimchi (a biblical commentator known as Radak, 1160-1235) highlights the enduring role of prayer for redemption throughout Jewish history:
The prophet says: Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set sentries, who shall never be silent by day or by night [Yeshaya 62:6].
Radak explains: There are those who interpret the sentries to refer to the mourners of Zion, who pray day and night for Jerusalem. It can also be interpreted to refer to the entire Jewish people in exile, who constantly watch for and anticipate the rebuilding of Jerusalem. They mention the rebuilding of Jerusalem day and night in their prayers and blessings... And as Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel interprets the next verse, “And give no rest to G-d” [Yeshaya 62:7]: They will not cease to remind Him, until He will establish and make Jerusalem the praise of the earth.”
A Jew’s morning prayers begin with praise and thanks to G-d, followed by a contemplation of His unity during the Shema. Three times a day, we recite the silent Amidah, a deeply personal moment in which we approach G-d to express our innermost desires. It is a sacred time to pour out our hearts and commune with the Divine.
Similar to the structure of the morning prayer, the Amidah begins with three blessings expressing praise and thanks to G-d. It is then followed by one personal request each for wisdom, healing, sustenance and forgiveness.
Perhaps surprisingly for a personal prayer, no less than seven of the nineteen blessings in the Amidah are requests for Moshiach. From the 10th blessing, “Sound the great shofar of our freedom,” to the 15th blessing, “Speedily cause the offspring of Your servant David to flourish,” the hope for Moshiach is woven throughout our entreaties.
Praying for Moshiach appears to be a communal, even global concern, something that transcends individual needs. Given the personal and introspective nature of the Amidah, why are prayers for Moshiach given such an outsized role?
Bereishit Rabbah (13:2) and the Jewish Preoccupation with Redemption
Bereishit Rabbah (13:2) observes the preoccupation of Jews with Moshiach over their personal needs:
All of the people's conversation is about the land. They say, “Did the land produce? Did it not produce?” All other people's prayers are about the land: “L-rd, may the land produce; L-rd, may the land flourish.” All of Israel’s prayers are only regarding the Temple: “L-rd, may the Temple be built; L-rd, when will the Temple be built?”
The world is preoccupied with matters of the land: in an agricultural society, it is whether the crops will succeed or fail; those involved in business worry if the stock market will rise or fall. For security they rely on the tangible and physical, and their hopes for sustenance and success are bound up with earthly reality, which to them is the essence of existence.
The Jewish people are not governed by the natural order in the same way other nations might be. Our victories, often against overwhelming odds, defy rational explanation. Our tragedies as well cannot be fully understood through the lens of worldly logic.
For the Jewish people, reality is defined not by nature but by the presence of G-dliness in the world. This Divine revelation is the very foundation of existence and the purpose of life. All efforts are directed to achieving this goal.
Why Requests for Moshiach Are Central in Prayer
This is why requests for Moshiach form such a central part of the Amidah prayer. Requests for personal needs are not merely a demand for material comfort. These prayers express a yearning for the well-being of the soul and the fulfillment of G-d’s ultimate plan. For a Jew, spiritual and material needs are intertwined: physical well-being is required in order to carry out the Divine purpose and bring G-d’s light into the world. When this spiritual alignment is achieved, material blessings and security will naturally follow, as they are necessary for the soul's fulfillment.
Jews pray for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, even in the most personal moments of prayer. The Temple represents the focal point of G-d’s presence on earth. Praying for its restoration acknowledges that this is the true reality—the core of what is genuinely happening in the world. From this perspective, there is no distinction between personal, communal or global needs. All these requests serve the same ultimate goal: the realization of G-d’s vision and purpose in creation.
Praying for Moshiach is profoundly personal, as it embodies the soul's deepest longing to fulfill G-d's ultimate purpose for creation.
For a Jew, spiritual and material needs are intertwined.
About Rabbi Dovid Kimchi (Radak)
Rabbi Dovid Kimchi (1160–1235), also known as the Radak, was a medieval Jewish scholar, grammarian, and biblical commentator born in Narbonne, France. He came from a distinguished family of scholars, of whom it was said, "Were it not for the Kimchis, there would be no Torah," a play on the Hebrew saying, "Where there is no kemach (flour), there can be no Torah." His incisive Torah commentaries have left an enduring imprint on Jewish scholarship.
Prayer as Connection
Prayer (tefillah) literally means to bind or join. It is G-d’s personal invitation to the Jewish people to approach and connect with Him. Three times a day, during the Amidah prayer, pause and reflect more deeply on a prayer for Redemption. Visualize the rebuilt Jerusalem and pray for its safety and sanctity.
Sources & Further Reading
- Talmud Bavli, Megillah 17b-18a
- Tashbetz Responsa, no. 161
- Beit Yosef on Orach Chaim, vol. 20, pg. 456
Dedicated for the speedy recovery of Rabbi Yosef Shlomo ben Risha
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