Let's dig into the deeper meaning of the *duty of prayer* according to Rav Saadya Gaon. So, we’re dealing with two key verses that both say, "You shall fear the Lord your God, and Him you shall serve." The first one appears in Parashat Va’etchanan (Devarim 6:13) and the second in Parashat Ekev (Devarim 10:20). While they look identical on the surface, the follow-up to the verse in *Parashat Ekev* adds a crucial twist: “He is your glory, and He is your God” (Devarim 10:21). Rav Saadya latches onto this extra phrase, "He is your glory," and uses it to clarify what prayer really involves.
In his introduction to his *siddur* (prayer book), Rav Saadya explains that the word *glory* (*tehila*) refers to three major components of prayer:
1. **Gratitude for the past**: Thanking HaShem for everything He’s done for us.
2. **Supplication for the future**: Asking HaShem for what we need moving forward.
3. **Recognition of God’s ability**: Acknowledging that HaShem is capable of providing everything we need, past, present, and future.
Now, Rav Saadya goes even deeper, explaining that expressing gratitude is not just a nice thing to do—it’s a logical duty. Gratitude is part of what makes prayer essential in our lives. But more than that, he points out that prayer, as described in the Torah, isn't just about thanking HaShem for what we’ve already received; it’s also about *petition*—asking for help, guidance, or support in our day-to-day lives.
This is why, when you look at the *Amida* prayer, it’s filled with requests. Rav Saadya explains that the reason for this is pretty straightforward: people have needs, lots of them. Whether it’s health, wisdom, peace, or forgiveness, we need things from HaShem, and prayer is our way of communicating those needs. But just because *petition* is such a big part of prayer doesn’t mean it’s the most important. It’s just one of the three core elements—praise, gratitude, and supplication—that all combine to form the essence of what prayer is about.
Rav Saadya then brings up a fascinating point about the word *tefila* itself. He refers to a verse from the book of Daniel, which describes prayer as “ba'eh ba'uteh,” meaning “makes his petition” (Daniel 6:14). The word *ba'ut*, as used here, is directly linked to the idea of asking for something. So, even in the ancient Aramaic translations, prayer was understood primarily as *supplication*. This tells us that, from way back, our ancestors viewed prayer as a way to lay our needs before HaShem.
To Rav Saadya, glorifying HaShem through prayer isn’t just about singing His praises or thanking Him for the good times. It also involves humbly asking for what we need. In fact, he suggests that the whole structure of prayer—praise, thanksgiving, and requests—is wrapped up in the duty of glorifying HaShem. When we pray, we’re engaging in a full-circle act of recognition: praising HaShem for who He is, thanking Him for what He’s done, and asking for what we hope He’ll do in the future.
So, back to the big question: which verse actually commands us to pray? Is it the verse that says "And Him you shall serve," or is it the one that says "He is your glory"? Rav Saadya doesn’t give a definitive answer to that. But what he does give us is a beautifully expanded view of what prayer really means: it’s an act of glorying in HaShem, involving all the key elements of our relationship with Him—praise, gratitude, and requests. It’s a holistic practice that draws us closer to HaShem, encompassing all aspects of our spiritual and physical needs.
In short, for Rav Saadya, prayer is the ultimate form of worship, a multi-dimensional way to connect with HaShem through gratitude, supplication, and a recognition of His greatness.
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