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brought to you by   How to Get in the Right Frame of Mind for Prayer Judaism has an established liturgy: everywhere, Jews pray the same words. This helps keep everyone on the same page, and means Jews can pray in any synagogue and recognize the prayers being said. But it also means prayer can sometimes become rote. Jewish tradition teaches that prayer should be performed with the right concentration and the right kavanah (meaning “intention”). Jews have spent nearly 2,000 years inventing techniques for achieving concentration and the right intention. HERE ARE SOME OF THEM   The Right Mindset for Shabbat Traditionally, Jews pray daily, and try to achieve the right mindset every day in their prayers. But then, regular life returns and a person’s intention is distracted once again. Shabbat is a time to slow down and fill an entire day with intentionality. LEARN MORE   Intention Is Not Just for Prayer The word kavanah most often refers to the proper mental state required for sincere prayer. But did you know that the right intention is important in performing other Jewish acts? FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE   Praying for the Ability to Pray The Jewish High Holidays offer an example of a prayer leader publicly taking a moment to prepare for prayer. WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE Prayer has been the foundation of Jewish ritual and practice for thousands of years, but you may still wonder how and why to say the prayers in the canon. At My Jewish Learning, we invite you to explore the deeper side of prayer. Each week we'll share a unique exploration of a particular Jewish prayer, plus offer background materials and more to enhance your understanding. In the meantime, you can explore all of MJL's prayer resources here. EXPLORE MORE PRAYER