Question In the above blessing, "Blessed are You, O Lord, King of the universe, who has created me in accordance with His will," the first words are addressed in the second person ("Blessed are You"), whereas the last words are in the third person ("in accordance with His will"). Isn't this strange?

Answer If one examines all the blessings, one will find that this pattern, of beginning with the second person and ending with the third, is the standard one for blessings. It has been suggested that the reason for this is that when the person begins to recite the blessing he feels a certain closeness to God ("You"), then, as he ponders on God's greatness, the person must pull himself back in awe, and switches to the third person as a humble sign of respect.

Question Why are the prayers in Hebrew rather than in a language the synagogue-goer can understand?

Answer Of course, when the prayers were composed, Hebrew was the language spoken by Jews. In reality, Jewish law permits one to pray in any language. Two factors, though, have militated against the use of other languages in prayer; first, because the best translation is only an approximation of the original (an Italian proverb, based on a play of words, states that "the translator is a traitor"); and second, because this enables the Jew, wherever he is throughout the entire world, to feel at home in the synagogue.

Question Catholicism lays great stress on confession of one's sins to a priest. Is there a Jewish equivalent?

Answer Judaism certainly believes in confession, but with one major difference - to the Jew, the confession is directed to God rather than to a human intermediary. In fact, rabbinic authorities are highly critical of those who confess aloud to their sins. To the Jew, confession is an integral part of repentance, for repentance consists of a) acknowledging that one has sinned (i.e., confession), b) rectifying the wrong-doing if the sin was against one's fellow-man, c) regretting one's actions, and finally d) resolving not to commit that sin again. Confession is an integral part of the High Holiday ritual, especially on Yom Kippur. Various rituals, in fact, include confession in the morning prayer each Monday and Thursday.  

Question Jewish prayer includes a plea for rain between Passover (March-April) and Sukkot (September-October). Why should a Jew living in a country in which this may be the dry season pray for rain at that time?

Answer Throughout Jewish history, the Land of Israel has been the focus of all Jewish hopes and aspirations. Thus, when the Jew prays for rain, he prays for it in the Land of Israel. And indeed, in Israel rain is almost unknown in the summer. On the other hand, if a Jew lives in a country which is suffering from drought, there are specific prayers for the community. In fact, if the drought is severe enough, the entire community might even be called upon to fast and pray to God for rain.

Question Is it true that there is a blessing that is recited after excretion of waste?

Answer Indeed there is. After one urinates or excretes, Jewish law requires one to wash one's hands, and then to recite the following blessing: "Blessed are You, O Lord, King of the universe, who formed man in wisdom and created within him various openings and orifices. Should one of these (that should be closed) open or should one of these (that should be open) close, one could not remain alive before You for even an instant. Blessed are You, O Lord, who heals all flesh and performs wonders." In essence, this remarkable blessing thanks God for enabling the most marvelous and complex of all organisms, the human body, to function without mishap. It was the existence of this blessing, in fact, that led a clergyman of another faith to convert to Judaism, as he was so taken by the fact that the Jew thanks God even for so mundane an activity. One may also mention that the ritual washing of the hands after using the toilet, coupled with the required washing of the hands before eating a meal, resulted in Jews in the Middle Ages being less susceptible to various diseases, such as the Black Plague. Unfortunately, their fellow-inhabitants, who noticed the difference in mortality between the Jews and non-Jews, often concluded that the Jews must have poisoned the wells, and that was grounds enough for many pogroms, in which Jews were killed or robbed of all their possessions.