Question A person who visits the synagogue will notice that while most prayers are recited while sitting, some of them are said while standing. For some of the standing prayers, one must even stand at attention, with both feet together. Why these variations?

Answer Generally, one stands for the more important parts of the prayer, as a sign of respect. Thus, for example, whenever the ark with the Torah scrolls is open, or the Torah scrolls are being carried, one stands up. The rule regarding the kaddish (which extols God) states that one is not required to stand up for the prayer, but is forbidden to sit down just for it. The amidah, also known as the shemoneh esrei, is the central prayer of each prayer service. For it, one stands with both feet together, facing the Land of Israel. As the Sages tell us, during this prayer one emulates the angels when they praise God, for as Ezekiel describes it (Ezek. 1:7): "Their feet were straight feet" (i.e., their feet were together).

Question It is quite a common sight to see Jews swaying as they recite their prayers. Is there any ritual significance in this action?

Answer There is nothing in Jewish law which mandates swaying during one's prayers. This practice, though, is very common, and it has been surmised that the origin of the custom lies in the verse (Ps. 35:10), "All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto you." By swaying, then, the entire body is engaged in the worship of God.  

Question What is the Shema?

Answer The Shema is a compilation of three passages in the Torah (Deut. 6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21; Num. 15:37-41), which are recited in both the morning and evening prayer services. Properly speaking, the Shema is not a prayer, but a Biblical text which the Jew is commanded to read twice daily, "when you lie down and when you rise up." The word " Shema" is the first word of the first passage, and is the opening word of the most solemn declaration made by the Jew: "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is One." No other passage sums up the creed of the Jew in such succinct fashion, for that one verse proclaims three basic truths: a) the existence of God, b) His special relationship with the Jewish people, c) there is only one God - the foundation of all monotheism. It was with this verse on their lips that countless Jewish martyrs met their fate - down to and including the Jews murdered by the Nazis in the gas chambers.  

Question The third paragraph of the Shema prayer refers to the commandment to place tzitzit - fringes - on every four-cornered garment. What makes this particular commandment so important that it is mentioned twice daily - in the morning Shema and the evening Shema?

Answer Actually, this paragraph is not recited because of the commandment relating to tzitzit. In fact, that commandment only applies to the day time, for the Torah states, "you shall see it," from which the Sages deduce that the law of tzitzit only applies "when you can see it." The reason this paragraph was chosen was because of its concluding verse, which state that "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the Land of Egypt." The Torah clearly imposes a duty on Jews to remember the Exodus from Egypt, as stated in the verse (Deut. 16:3), "That you remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life." As quoted in the Passover Haggadah, the seeming redundancy of the word "all" teaches us that one must remember the Exodus both during the day and during the night. In order to fulfill this requirement, the paragraph of tzitzit was made part of the Shema, which must also be recited during the day and at night. As to why the entire paragraph, rather than its concluding passage is recited, the Talmud tells us that it is improper to quote just part of a paragraph in isolation of the rest. Thus the entire paragraph was added to the liturgy.