Please can you help me?. I want to learn how to pray but don’t know where to begin. Can you advise me please?
Kind regards.
Answer:
The best place to begin is at the Jewish bookstore (or online store if you don’t have one)! I recommend the Artscroll Siddur, which offers many insights into the prayer service, as well as clear instructions as to how to pray. There may be other good siddurim that I’m not familiar with, and you can consult with the bookseller.
Yet, even before you get to the bookstore, know that although you don’t know the ‘official’ prayer service, you certainly ‘know how to pray.’ Prayer is a natural human phenomenon, of turning to G-d, expressing our reliance on Him, asking Him for all our needs and thanking Him for what we have.
You can do this in your own words. Prayer from the heart has great value, for ‘beginners’ and for ‘veterans’ alike.
Beyond this, there is a great virtue in the prayer service that the Sages enacted, and for this, the bookstore is the place. After the bookstore, you can also make inquiries concerning a local shul (Synagogue), where I’m sure you’ll be able to find further counsel.
Best wishes and good luck!!
