Noahides and Prayer
There are two general types of prayer in Judiasm; communal prayer and personal prayer.
…The fixed communal prayers require Jews to gather and pray three times each day facing toward Jerusalem. These prayers are not personal prayers, but are fixed prayers with specific texts that are said on behalf of the Jewish community. These prayers were established in place of thrice daily sacrifices offered in the temple. Personal prayer, however, is spontaneous and may be said in any language, using any words, and at any time one wishes.
Both forms of prayer are required and expected by G-d for the Jewish people.1
As Noahides, we have no specific obligation to pray. However, it is a mitzvah for any non-Jew to pray to HaShem, whether we are going to Him with our needs or circumstances, or going to Him with praises and thanks.2
As Rabbi Moshe Weiner states:
Therefore, a Gentile needs to serve G-d in his thought and emotions to motivate himself often to love and fear G-d. How does one serve Him? By arousing his will to focus his mind and heart, to direct his thoughts and opinions so that his actions will be in accordance with the will of the Creator, which will bring pleasure and satisfaction to Him…
The main part of this service of the heart and mind is prayer. Therefore, one should always pray before G-d, to make requests to Him for all of his needs, and he should thank and praise Him always according to his ability.3
The importance and benefit of personal prayer cannot be overstated. In fact, prayer among all people and nations is mention through out the Tanakh. For example:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Isaiah 56:7.
“Praise the L-rd, all nations, extol Him all the peoples.” Psalms 117:1.
So, even though there is no specific requirement of a Noahide for prayer, it is a necessity. Moreover, although communal prayer and specific prayers are not required, they are not prohibited. In fact communal prayer can be a very important aspect of building a strong Noahide community and praying from texts can give us the jump start we may need at times.
Siddurs – Prayer Books
Currently, there are several Noahide siddurs that have been developed. Most of these track the Jewish siddur in some sense and provide one with a good framework for instituting daily prayers. Again, there is no requirement for a Noahide to prayer at certain times or a certain amount of times. However, developing set prayer times, either personal, from texts, or both, can help immensely in one’s relationship with HaShem. A list of Noahide siddurs or prayer supplements that I am aware of can be found on the Noahide Resources page under books.
If one is uncomfortable using a Noahide siddur for prayer, but would still like something to read as part of their prayers, the book of Psalms is a collection of amazing prayers from some very righteous individuals such as King David. Many times one can find a list to help guide which Psalms are fitting for different occasions.
Finally, there is the Jewish siddur.
The core liturgy of the siddur was established in the 4th century BCE by the Anshei Kenesses HaGedola, the Men of the Great Assembly. This was a group of scholars and prophets under the leadership of Ezra who rebuilt and reestablished Jewish practice in the Holy Land following the destruction of the first temple. After the destruction of the second temple, the prayer book underwent a number of subsequent revisions to reflect the situation of diaspora Judaism.
The result is a prayer book specifically tailored to the unique obligations and needs of the Jewish community in exile. As such, most of the siddur is not relevant to Noahides.4
Even though the Jewish siddur is tailored to the Jewish community, it does not mean there are no parts applicable to Noahides. However, a Noahide should be careful when using the Jewish siddur. Specifically, if a Noahide uses a Jewish siddur, they should be sure to skip over non-applicable prayers and change certain phrasing, i.e. “G-f of our forefathers” to “G-d of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.” The important thing is to not pray things that are not true, i.e. as a non-Jew, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob are not our forefathers. Additionally, there are some prayers referring to “us” as part of Israel or the like. However, in those cases, “us” refers to Jews or the House of Israel, not non-Jews. Thus, those prayers would need to be omitted or revised accordingly. As Rabbi Avraham Chaim Bloomenstiel wrote:
The issue, however, goes beyond non-application; were non-Jews to use many of the prayers in the siddur, they would be praying falsely. For example, to say a prayer which includes the petitioner as part of Israel is a mistake because Noahides are not part of Israel. Though this seems like a minor detail, consider the verse from Psalms [101:7]:
One who utters falsehood shall not stand before me.
Therefore, before saying any prayers found in the siddur, a Noahide must assess whether or not the particular prayer is relevant to non-Jews.5
- Rabbi Avraham Chaim Bloomenstiel. The Noahide Laws. Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim, 2014, p. 138.
- The Noahide Laws, p. 141.
- Rabbi Moshe Weiner. The Divine Code. Expanded Second ed., Vol. I, Ask Noah International, 2011, p. 94.
- The Noahide Laws, p. 141.
- The Noahide Laws, p. 148.
