When is the right time for prayer?

… Every moment is the right time for prayer.

This Siddur presents consistently a way of understanding God that makes sense … at least it does to its author. It rejects the notion of God as a cosmic candy-machine who provides the desired reward for the appropriate contribution. It embraces the idea of God as the source of bountiful blessings. We all benefit from these blessings, but we only benefit fully from these blessings when we are aware of them, when we connect ourselves to their source. This God is “always” available to us, and the Jewish prayer service provides us a structured way of connecting with God, of finding a way of relating to God that can enrich our lives.

This perspective is expressed in the choice of the title “Eit Ratzon” of the Siddur and its translation as “the right time for prayer”. It is taken from a verse (Psalms 69:14) that we recite at the beginning of the morning service:

Va-a-ni    t’fi-la-ti   l’cha   A-do-nai   eit   ra-tzon

A standard translation of the verse is:  May this be an acceptable time for my prayer, O God.

In this Siddur the verse is translated as:  In Your eyes, every moment is the right time for prayer.

The perspective of this Siddur is that whenever we call out to God, God is present, and therefore that “every moment is the right time for prayer”.