In order to establish the importance of worship in the home and worship at synagogue we need to understand the difference between the two. Different worship that takes place in a synagogue is worship that usually takes place on Shabbat and the festivals. Also, there is, in a synagogue an ark, a bimah and the torah scrolls which usually can only be found in the synagogue. At a synagogue there is communal prayer and reading of the Torah. On the other hand, worship in the home can include lighting Shabbat candles, saying the bedtime shema and having a mezuzah on the walls, these are all forms of worship.
Worship is important wherever it takes place but in the synagogue and at home particular prayers can be said and particular forms of worship can take place that can only be taken place in the home, therefore, Jews say that the two most important places in which worship take place is at the home or at the synagogue. Weekday prayer includes reading the Torah on Monday and Thursday mornings and lighting candles on a Friday night to welcome in the Shabbat.
Worship is considered important to a Jew wherever they may be, in a synagogue; at home and even if they are out and about. Yet some may say that it is more important to daven in a minyan, this is a group of ten men. This can usually only be obtained at a synagogue. Worshipping in a minyan means one can say even more prayers to G-d and therefore, making the synagogue an important place of worship because it means we can say as many prayers as possible to G-d. One of the main importance’s of worshipping with a minyan in the synagogue is that a mourner can say the prayer of Kaddish which is said during the year after a relative’s death. This prayer can only be said amongst a minyan and therefore gives prayer in a synagogue a significant amount of importance for the Jewish people.
The Torah is an extremely important act of worship because we only read from it at certain times, on Shabbat, Monday and Thursday. Therefore when one is able to worship with a Torah, it is extremely significant and important. Often the only time we can pray with a Torah is in synagogue as this is where the Torah’s are usually kept. A torah can also only be read if a minyan is present, which you will find almost certainly in a synagogue , therefore, giving the synagogue a place of importance and not only this, praying with a Torah is important to a Jew so praying in a synagogue is very important to a Jew because they can worship with the Torah.
The synagogue is also a place that is usually the heart of the community, therefore when one goes to synagogue they are encouraged to do so not only because of the religious aspect of things but because their friends are there. Therefore the synagogue not only allows us to become connected to G-d but it allows us to build relationships that are often kept forever. Therefore the synagogue has an extreme importance to the Jews not only because it is a place of worship but because it is a place of community and friendship which stands as a form of encouragement.
Some may say that worshipping in a synagogue is the most important yet worshipping at home is just as important. There are acts of worship that one cannot do in the synagogue, for example the bedtime shema cannot be done at the synagogue but rather only in one’s bed. Also, prayer at home gives a person time to pray and time for reflection. Often, when one is in synagogue they have to rush the amidah (standing prayer) because the chazzan (leader) has finished and is moving on, however if one is at home they can take their time on their amidah and have time to say it carefully and communicate much slower and with more meaning to G-d.
Another importance of weekday prayer in the home is the fact that due to the pressures of the 21st century with problems such as work and families, many find it hard to attend weekday services at their local synagogue, therefore because they are able to worship at home in their own time that suits them, this highlights the importance of worship in the home because it enables those with the busiest of schedules to have time to worship and get on with their daily lives. Therefore home worship is not only important but it is essential.
One main attraction of home worship is the fact that it can be done discretely. In periods of history such as the Roman times and during the Holocaust, public worship was completely forbidden, therefore meaning that one could not have the possibility of going to the synagogue, yet because Jews can worship at home, during these times of persecution, Jews were able to pray and worship at in their homes without fear of being caught. This again highlights the importance of weekday prayer in the home and allows it to be seen as not only equal to, or more important, than synagogue worship.