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 The Siddur Project

Our Father as a Jewish Prayer

Plenty of thought, study and interpretation have gone into the passage from the Gospels known as the "Lord's Prayer." Lots of different conclusions have been drawn as to its meaning and message. For those of us who are devoted to Yeshua's words and are familiar with Jewish prayer, it is patently obvious that "Our Father" is a Jewish prayer, and understanding its meaning is only possible in the context of the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. (Perhaps in future posts I will analyze some of the actual text of the prayer so you can see what I mean.)

Praying the words of our Master in the midst of the Jewish liturgy is spiritually energizing for me, especially if I pray it in Hebrew. It reminds me of releasing a caged wild animal in its natural habitat, becoming absorbed into its environment, where it is free to operate in the way it was designed. Avinu Shebashamayim, the prayer that Yeshua taught, forms the peak of my spiritual experience at the set times of prayer.

Among those who recognize its place in Jewish prayer, there is yet some uncertainty as to exactly what role it is meant to play in the scope of the prayers. Where does the Our Father belong? When Yeshua taught this prayer to the disciples, how did He intend for them to use it? What did He mean when He said (in the Luke version), "when you pray, say"?

Parallels in the Siddur

Some note its similarity to the Kaddish, suggesting maybe that it is meant to be used in a similar way. (The Kaddish is best known as a prayer in remembrance of loved ones who have died, but in the siddur its function is primarily to serve as a transition between sections in the prayer service.) But there are some marked differences as well, particularly in that the Kaddish is not really a supplicatory prayer, whereas the Our Father is.

Some people note its affinity with the Amidah (also known as the Shemoneh Esreh), the central prayer in each prayer service. In rabbinic literature this prayer is known simply as the Tefillah, which means, "Prayer." It has been noted that there are abridged versions of the Amidah (known as Tefillah Ketzarah, see b. Berachot 29a-b), and some suggest that the Our Father is likewise intended to be used as an abbreviated form of the Amidah.

However, the abbreviated Amidah is primarily intended for people who were traveling or in danger; it is not meant for daily use. While the Master denounced being ostentatious or showy in prayer, He certainly did not oppose spending a long time in prayer. In fact, he was known for doing just that. Besides, although the Amidah consists of nineteen blessings (eighteen originally), it does not take long to pray it—perhaps five to fifteen minutes, depending on how fast you pray. Secondly, even though there are some connections that can be drawn between the Lord's Prayer and the Tefillah, they do not really run parallel with one another. Thirdly, indications are given in the Apostolic Writings that the believers participated in the prayers in the Temple. Surely they would have prayed the Amidah along with everyone else. So to me, this does not seem like the intended purpose of the Our Father.

However, we have evidence from the Didache (a very early apostolic text) that the Our Father was prayed three times a day, which would seem to correspond with the Tefillah.

The Concluding Prayers

When compare the Our Father with specific Jewish prayers, I find amazing parallels in both form and content in a few supplementary prayers that are scattered throughout the siddur. There is one place, though, where these prayers are found in one place, on a page of the Gemarah.

In b. Berachot 16b-17a (OK, so two pages), there is a list of personal petitions that were offered by various sages after they completed the Amidah. Jewish tradition teaches that as a person prays each of the prayers leading up to the Amidah, he or she draws closer and closer to the throne room of God, so to speak. And when you reach the Tefillah, you stand, as it were, in the heavenly holy of holies.

One should not take such a situation for granted. Here you are, like Queen Esther, with the royal scepter extended. It is the perfect time to make your most heartfelt desires known to God. So these sages composed beautiful supplications that they would pray privately along with the Tefillah.

But if these were private prayers, how do we know what they said? Because they taught these prayers to their disciples, who would likewise offer them when they said "the prayer."

A Natural Environment

It is here where I feel that the Our Father finds the perfect habitat. To me, it is clear that this is what the Master meant when He said, "When you pray…" That is, "When you say the Tefillah…"

Just as the Amidah is prayed three times a day, so the concluding prayer is offered each time. This would account for the usage attested to in the Didache.

Today, the concluding prayer that was chosen as the standard conclusion for the Amidah is known as Elohai Netzor. It is the one that begins with "My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully" in the ArtScroll Siddur. It is attributed in the Gemara to Mar, son of Rabina.

I personally don't actually pray that prayer, at least not very often. Not because I have any problem with it—in fact I think it's beautiful—but because I am not a disciple of Mar. Since I am a disciple of Yeshua the Messiah, I pray the prayer that He taught me: Avinu shebashamayim, yitkaddesh shimcha...

Aaron Eby
27 Shevat 5767

About the Author: Aaron Eby writes for messiah magazine and other FFOZ publications. He is also the author of the forthcoming Siddur, as well as the recently published Hebrew lesson DVD.