Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Ani Tefillati

I am my prayer

This week our entire school community gathered together to celebrate Hanukkat HaAron, the dedication of our new Torah Ark. It is particularly auspicious that we dedicated the Aron at this time, for the weekly Torah reading, Yitro, recounts the giving of the Aseret Ha Dibrot (The ‘Ten Commandments’) which are to be housed in the Aron HaKodesh, the Holy Ark.

Two words grace the front of this beautiful ark, Ani Tefillati. These words, deriving from Psalms, mean “I am my prayer”.  

As we engage in prayer, and particularly as we open the Aron to access the Torah – the root source of our ethical and moral tradition – these words remind us to make our prayer our life’s journey. As Jews, we are to inform our living with our prayerful aspirations which reflect the teachings of our shared heritage. We share here the reflections of our students as to what the words Ani Tefillati mean to them.

Jesse Carpenter, Year 6

What ani tefilati means to me is that we should try to be the words of our prayer. When we sing a prayer for peace, like oseh shalom, we know that peace does not magically appear in the world.  So, what is the point of praying then? If we want the words in our prayers to become reality, then we must do something about it. Prayer acts as a reminder for us and inspires us to be the words of what we pray. When I pray for peace, my attention becomes focused on peace. The prayer oseh shalom focuses my mind and my heart on the concept of peace, which can then lead to my actions, beyond words, working towards peace. This what it means to be our prayer.

Tess Endrey, Year 6

When I say a prayer, it helps me to be mindful, and allows me to be grateful, for all the good in my life. Prayers allow us to connect our minds and our hearts with the words we are saying. When I say the Shema, I think about God being one and what it means for us all to be one and interconnected. Prayer reminds us that we must bring our Judaism with us wherever we go. When we say our prayers, it allows us to respect our tradition. When we say the morning blessing she asani bezalmo – we are made in God’s image – it reminds us that we are all different but connected and each person deserves to be respected and honoured. Afterwards, we say malbish arumim…God provides clothes for the needy. This prayer is saying that it is up to us to help in providing for the needy. We must be the words of our prayer and make our prayers real. We should not sit back and wait for God or someone else do it. It is all up to us all to be the words of our prayer.

Eitan Meshel, Year 11

Ani Tefillati – I am my prayer, is a reminder to me that our words shouldn’t be weightless – what we do is more important than what we say, and what we ask for.

The emphasis on the value of mitzvot shows just how important our actions are. Atonement is not simply the apology, it is also the attempt at fulfilling mitzvot, working to achieve the good things that brings us closer to repairing the damage we have done.

In Judaism, it is our actions that resonate far more than the words themselves. Beginning with Bereisheet, Genesis, humans are depicted as being bestowed with the exclusive powers of knowledge and conscious decision making, (symbolised by the Tree of Knowledge) enhancing our ability to engage in informed and mindful actions. 

Therefore, what we say to God, what we ask for and what we wish for, must be everything we stand for. This is not done through speech alone, but also through the actions that we know we’re responsible for. When we say “I am my prayer”, it is the promise that we are loyal to our words, and that our intention reflected in action is always good, despite our flawed nature. Judaism demands we strive for greatness, realising our best selves together with living in the service of others through a life of action.

Sienna Amoils, Year 11

In Judaism, when we pray, the siddur (prayer book) often reminds us to reflect upon on our actions, think about the things that we desire and consider all that for which we might be grateful. When was the last time you thought of the infinite extraordinary factors that enable you to exist and enjoy life, right here, right now? There is much for which we should be thankful but there is also much for which we should strive.  

What’s special about individual prayer is that it exists in every one of us, irrelevant of our faith or belief in God because this prayer reflects the truest versions of ourselves. These prayers are reflections of everything we know and everything we understand. Our individual prayers, shared aloud in the light of day or whispered to ourselves in our darkest nights echo our deepest hopes, wants and needs. It is in this way that our prayers reflect us. 

The challenge arises when the things we are seeking do not match the things we pray for – when we do not reflect our prayer; when as individuals we pray for good health and feed our bodies harmful chemicals; when we pray for happiness and only focus on the negative, when we pray for peace and understanding and condemn difference and diversity. 

Prayers are good starting points, but often opportunities can only bring change for those seeking them, unafraid of what that may truly mean. Our prayers are only realised when we act on them and live by them. Israel doesn’t exist today only because we’ve been praying for it for 2000 years. Rights for minorities don’t exist because people only prayed for them. Change doesn’t happen only because of prayer. 

So, we should always strive to make our actions reflect our gratitude, thoughts, hopes and dreams, just as much as we pray for them. To be our prayers, we must strive to make them our way of life, so that one day we can truly say Ani tefillati. I am my prayer.