Question: Does reciting Jewish prayers lead to forgiveness?
Answer: Most people in the course of growing from childhood to adult make a variety of mistakes in judgement, including minor crimes such as shoplifting, treating others badly, swearing, etc. According to Judaism, if we admit to ourselves that we truly have done the wrong thing, if we repent and pledge to not repeat these mistakes and crimes, if we make restitution to those who have been harmed (perhaps by giving back what was stolen or its value), then God will forgive us and we will once again be a citizen in good standing in the Jewish People.
Christianity and Islam rely upon faith in a prophet or personality, but Judaism is far more practical IMHO. In Judaism, acknowledgement of our sins is the first step toward forgiveness. Admission of sins is part of the High Holy Day prayer services, especially on Yom Kippur.
When participating in a prayer service that asks for forgiveness, it is important to know what it is that we are admitting. If the Hebrew isn't clear, reading the prayer in English is a positive act.
In Judaism, praying is communal. When we pray for forgiveness on Yom Kippur, one stands with his/her community and not alone. One is not alone in admitting to having sinned. And it helps us to admit our wrongs knowing that we are not the only person to have made bad decisions or sinned.
I believe prayer at its best is not about asking God for things and promising/sacrificing/inducing God to get what we want. Prayer is a state of mind, asking for strength of character, praying that we do what we should instead of what is easy or self-serving. Prayer is a relationship with God, with the divine as the highest moral and ethical standard of which we are aware. When we pray we are aligning ourselves with the highest standard of human conduct, human choices, human values.
Prayer requires a certain amount of study, because these pieces of
literature are not simple. They are often verses - or portions of verses - of Bible, joined together by poets to create emotions. The way in which they are structured, alphabetical, meter, rhyming and word play all help to direct our hearts and minds to what ought to be, how we ought to behave and feel in order to be sacred human beings doing the work of God.
Yes, sometimes we pray in English because comprehension is very important, and yet at other times singing and chanting are music that calms us, that unites us, that builds a community spirit, that is a sharing. I've used chanting myself during bio-feedback to calm myself just as some of the Eastern mystics chant mantras. I can tell you a true story about this: we always put our children to sleep at night chanting Shema and the first paragraph with them. After during this for years, I realized that whenever my youngest child was in the synagogue and we chanted Shema, he very often fell asleep! :-)
In conclusion, forgiveness begins with you forgiving yourself through acknowledgement, repentance, restitution of damages or making a contribution to charity if restitution to the one who was hurt isn't possible, returning to God as much as you hope for God to relate to you.
Secondly, prayer is an experience for both the individual and also the community (from a minyan of ten to a larger worship group). With both study and more prayer experiences, Jewish prayer can become meaningful and fulfilling for you.
One looking for forgiveness shouldn't hesitate to approach their Rabbi and share your feelings. You are not the first one to ask these questions and your Rabbi will be complimented that you want his/her advice.
