JEWISH PRAYER: Why Do Jews Repeat the Same Prayers Three Times A Day? with Rabbi Yisroel Blumenthal

Main ideas / lessons

• Common misconception about prayer: Prayer is often imagined as spontaneous emotional expression—words that mirror whatever feelings someone has (gratitude, pain, helplessness, joy). If sincerity is measured by the strength of emotion, then repeating the same prayers daily (e.g., three times a day) can seem “mechanical” and emotionally empty.

• Primary answer: Jewish daily prayers are “national” prayer, not just “personal” prayer:

  • Jews relate to God on two levels simultaneously:
    1. Personal relationship (each individual’s relationship with God)
    2. National relationship (Jews collectively as a people interacting with God)
  • The three daily prayers (morning, afternoon, evening) are understood as the nation’s repeated expression of submission and service to God.
  • The goal is therefore not to substitute personal feelings into memorized words, but to:
    • Identify with the emotions/attitude of the nation
    • Pray with a sense of continuity—using the same text as father, grandfather, and future generations, and alongside Jews worldwide
  • Personal emotional prayer is encouraged separately, but it is not the function of these three fixed daily prayers.

• Second idea: Prayer’s sincerity doesn’t start with emotion—it starts with acknowledging God’s authority:

  • The speaker describes a conversation with a non-Orthodox / non-Jewish person who believes prayer should be spontaneous emotion.
  • That person saw a scene of group prayer and felt it looked mechanical and insincere because there was no visible outpouring.
  • The speaker’s principle:
    • If a person hasn’t internalized that God is the “king/boss” and the person is a “servant/subject,” then they have not truly begun prayer—even if they cry or feel intensely.
  • Following the proper synagogue worship framework can connect someone to the core foundation: God’s sovereignty.
  • Using prayer mainly to get God to do what the person wants is described as a misunderstanding of prayer (i.e., “God is the subject and you are the king”).

• Third idea: Repetition can support deep connection, especially in meditative prayer:

  • The deepest “heart of prayer” is described as a soul-level connection—quiet, still, and inward.
  • Overemphasis on words and emotions is not the deepest layer; emotions and words are not the “core.”
  • Using the same words repeatedly can work as a vehicle/method:
    • When emotions and words are externally aligned, attention can shift inward toward inner stillness
    • Spiritual energy can then flow more directly toward God
  • Therefore, repetition doesn’t contradict sincerity—it can enable sincerity and depth.

Speaker / sources featured

• Rabbi Yisroel Blumenthal (primary speaker)