7

King Solomon, who built the 1st Temple, said during its inauguration, (I Kings 8:30):

וְשָׁ֨מַעְתָּ֜ אֶל־תְּחִנַּ֤ת עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽתְפַּֽלְל֖וּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְ֠אַתָּה תִּשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מְק֤וֹם שִׁבְתְּךָ֙ אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ וְסָלָֽחְתָּ׃

(My modifications to Sefaria)

And you shall listen to the supplication of your servant, and your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; and you shall hear in your dwelling-place in the sky; and when you hear, you shall forgive.

From here, we see that sacrifices did not totally abolish prayers in the Temple, but prayers were done in the Temple in addition to sacrifices.

I'm assuming that when the 3rd Temple will be built, soon, prayers will resume in the temple.

My question is, would any of our current prayers be recited during this period, for those who do not attend the Temple, or for those prayers said in the Temple itself?

Is it correct to assume, particularly that current prayers that we recite that make references to the destroyed temple, such as the "Retze" - the 1st of the last 3 prayers at the end of the Amidah, which deals with restoring the service to the Temple, would be deleted?

6
  • Probably at least amended.
    – Daniel
    Commented Nov 24, 2015 at 16:56
  • I assume they would revert to how they looked during the second Beis Hamikdash for some of them. Others might get changed by the Sanhedrin at that time.
    – Yishai
    Commented Dec 3, 2015 at 0:31
  • related judaism.stackexchange.com/q/43298/759
    – Double AA
    Commented Dec 3, 2015 at 6:30
  • related judaism.stackexchange.com/q/7869/759 cc @Yishai
    – Double AA
    Commented Dec 3, 2015 at 6:32
  • I believe I've heard that the reason retze is in the 3 birchot hodaa (rather than the bakashot) is because it was originally an expression of gratitude for the avoda, when it was still practiced. Also, I believe Rav Nachum Rabinovitch, shlitah, already ammends the references in nachme that refer to the ruins of Jerusalem (a view of which I believe Rav Yaakov Kamintesky also approved).
    – Loewian
    Commented Dec 4, 2015 at 15:10

2 Answers 2

4

The Mabit (Beis Elokim, Shaar HaYesoidos Chapter 61) writes that the majority of our Tefillos will remain the same, but we will change all the prayers mentioning the rebuilding of the temple and the gathering of exiles from their current supplicative future tense into a thanksgiving past tense.

The Midrash (Vayikra 9:7) seems to suggest that all prayers other than thanksgiving prayers will become obsolete. ("כל התפילות בטלות וההודאה אינה בטלה") The Radak (Tehillim 100) explains that no prayers will be necessary in a perfect world, and only thanksgiving will be relevant. (See also Shulchan Aruch O"CH 51.9 in reference to Mizmor L'Soida).

1
  • +1 The Mabit even addresses changes that will result as side effects of the future paradigm shifts, such as obviating birkas haminim because there won't be any!
    – WAF
    Commented Nov 6, 2018 at 8:10
-1

THe prayers are built on two constituent parts: "G-d's needs" - Public service and Personal needs, the first being deRabanan (against the work in the Temple), the second (according to Rambam) is deOraytah.

Once the Temple returns, the first part returns to the Cohanim in the Temple, the second remains in force. Here's how Rambam sees it (Hilkhot Tefilah):

It is a positive Torah commandment to pray every day, as [Exodus 23:25] states: "You shall serve God, your Lord." Tradition teaches us that this service is prayer, as [Deuteronomy 11:13] states: "And serve Him with all your heart" and our Sages said: Which is the service of the heart? This is prayer.
The number of prayers is not prescribed in the Torah, nor does it prescribe a specific formula for prayer. Also, according to Torah law, there are no fixed times for prayers.

5
  • I see nothing in the quote to support anything in the first paragraph. Nothing about which prayer is biblical and nothing about prayer in the messianic era.
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Nov 9, 2017 at 16:41
  • @mevaqesh I thought Rambam rules the second part is undependable of the Temple, so when the Temple returns B"sd the Halakha will return to his ruling of "all personal - no times, no formula, no times".
    – Al Berko
    Commented Nov 11, 2017 at 18:13
  • That may or may not be true, but it has nothing to do with your quote. || Furthermore, it isnt even clear what you are trying to say. "Public service" What is that supposed to mean? "against the work in the Temple" Do you mean in opposition to the work in the Temple? I suspect you ,mean "corresponding to", but I still am not sure what you mean. That public service corresponds to the Temple service? That it is the Temple service? Something else? ||
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Nov 12, 2017 at 0:19
  • Regarding whether or not those are the components of prayer, he writes in Hilkhot Tefilla 1:2: אלא חיוב מצוה זו, כך הוא--שיהא אדם מתפלל ומתחנן בכל יום, ומגיד שבחו של הקדוש ברוך הוא, ואחר כך שואל צרכיו שהוא צריך להן בבקשה ובתחינה, ואחר כך נותן שבח והודיה לה' על הטובה שהשפיע לו: כל אחד כפי כוחו so it sounds that biblical prayer includes requests praise and thanks.
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Nov 12, 2017 at 0:19
  • What you apparently have in mind is Hilkhot Tefilla 1:3 (which you should have really quoted as it is the crux of the whole answer) which states that in the time of the Second Temple many Jews lacked the proper command of Hebrew to pray properly so they established a set formula. He does not say that this will change in the Messianic era, nor does he discuss any change in the content of the prayers; just in the format. The prayers being formalised rather than free form.
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Nov 12, 2017 at 0:22

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .