Lifting Hands in Prayer – Part 2

Jewish Historical and Traditional Perspectives

Introduction

While Scripture gives us numerous examples of lifting hands in prayer and worship, Jewish tradition has preserved and expanded this practice throughout centuries of spiritual life. From Temple service to synagogue prayer, and from the Talmud to the mystical writings, lifting hands has continued to be a visible expression of devotion, blessing, and unity.

I. Lifting Hands in Temple and Synagogue Worship

1. Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim)

Leviticus 9:22 (see Part 1) shows Aaron lifting his hands to bless the people—a practice that developed into the daily and festival duchening (priestly blessing) ritual.

Mishnah Sotah 7:6

“In the Temple, they would pronounce the Name as it is written… and they would lift their hands above their heads, except the High Priest, who did not lift his hands above the forehead.”1

This Mishnah teaches that during the Temple period, priests lifted their hands high while giving the priestly blessing, showing reverence and the channeling of divine blessing to the people.

2. Synagogue Practice After the Temple

Following the destruction of the Second Temple, the practice of lifting hands continued—especially during the Amidah and the priestly blessing in communal prayer.

Talmud Bavli, Berakhot 24b

“Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A hand that is lifted in prayer must be clean, as it is written: ‘I will wash my hands in innocence, so will I compass Thine altar, O Lord.’”2

Clean hands, both physically and morally, became essential when lifting them in prayer. This highlights that external actions must be joined with inner integrity.

II. Lifting Hands as a Sign of Intercession and Humility

Talmud Bavli, Ta’anit 2a

“Why do we lift our hands during prayer? As it is written: ‘Lift up your hands in holiness and bless the Lord’ (Psalm 134:2).”3

This text discusses fasting and prayer in times of national distress. Lifting hands becomes part of communal mourning, repentance, and appeals to divine mercy.

Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7b

“One who stretches out his hands to Heaven in prayer must ensure that his deeds are pure.”

Here the Talmud emphasizes ethical conduct as a prerequisite to lifted-hands prayer. The rabbis saw no separation between posture and moral standing.

III. Dead Sea Scrolls: The Qumran Community

The Qumran sect (associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls) practiced highly structured communal prayer, including gestures like lifting hands.

1QS (Rule of the Community) 9:5–6

“When they bless, they shall bless together. When they curse, they shall curse together. And when they spread out their hands, they shall do so in unity.”4

This shows that raising hands was part of collective, coordinated worship—emphasizing spiritual and physical unity within the community.

IV. Diaspora Jewish Thought: Philo of Alexandria

Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE – 50 CE) was a Jewish philosopher who lived in Hellenistic Egypt. His writings blended Torah and Greek philosophy, and they offer insight into how Jews outside of Israel understood prayer gestures.

Philo, On the Virtues (De Virtutibus)

“When they lift their hands to heaven, it is not to make a show of the body, but as a symbol of the soul being lifted to God.”5

Philo, On Dreams I.33

“Those who raise their hands to heaven must first raise their souls in reverence, for the body follows the mind.”6

For Philo, lifting hands was an outward sign of the soul’s elevation—an idea that resonates deeply with the spiritual focus of biblical and rabbinic Judaism.

V. Jewish Mysticism and Symbolism

Later Jewish thought—especially in Kabbalistic writings—interpreted hand gestures and postures as deeply symbolic:

• The fingers and hands represent different sefirot (divine attributes) in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
• The act of raising hands draws divine energy downward (from the upper worlds) and lifts up the soul’s yearning toward heaven.
• In the Zohar, raising hands is associated with the channeling of blessing and spiritual light.

Although these sources are more esoteric, they reinforce the idea that lifting hands is not a hollow ritual, but a dynamic exchange between heaven and earth.

VI. Summary of Themes in Jewish Tradition

Blessing the People
The act of lifting hands is central to the Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing described in Leviticus 9:22 and detailed in Mishnah Sotah 7:6. The priests would raise their hands above their heads to channel divine blessing to the congregation.

Fasting and Repentance
During communal fasts and times of distress, lifting hands was part of public appeals for mercy. The Talmud Ta’anit 2a connects this act with sacred petition and humility before God.

Moral Purity and Prayer Posture
According to Talmud Berakhot 24b and Sanhedrin 7b, lifting hands in prayer was not only a physical posture but also a reflection of one's inner ethical state. Clean hands and pure deeds were prerequisites for meaningful prayer.

Communal Unity in Prayer
The Qumran community, as seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QS), practiced unified hand-lifting during communal blessings and curses. This emphasized harmony, order, and shared intention in worship.

Elevation of the Soul to God
Philo of Alexandria and later Kabbalistic texts like the Zohar interpreted the lifting of hands as symbolic of the soul reaching toward the Divine. In these traditions, the gesture reflects a spiritual ascent and openness to divine light and presence.

Theme Jewish Source or Practice Blessing the People Birkat Kohanim (Lev. 9:22; Mishnah Sotah 7:6) Fasting and Repentance Talmud Ta’anit 2a Moral Purity and Prayer Posture Talmud Berakhot 24b; Sanhedrin 7b Communal Unity in Prayer Dead Sea Scrolls (1QS) Elevation of Soul to God Philo of Alexandria; Zohar (Kabbalistic symbolism)

Reflection Questions

How do Jewish traditions deepen your understanding of lifting hands in prayer?

What role does posture play in your prayer life today?

In what ways can we recapture the reverence and intentionality of these ancient practices?

Conclusion

Lifting hands in prayer is more than a gesture—it’s a visible sign of faith, humility, unity, blessing, and spiritual yearning. In Jewish tradition, it reflects a sacred alignment of body, soul, and action. When believers lift their hands today—whether in private prayer or public worship—they join a long history of worshipers who physically expressed their longing and reverence for the Creator.

Footnotes

1. Mishnah Sotah 7:6, Sefaria.org ↩
2. Talmud Bavli, Berakhot 24b, Sefaria.org ↩
3. Talmud Bavli, Ta’anit 2a, Sefaria.org ↩
4. 1QS 9:5–6, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, Geza Vermes ↩
5. Philo of Alexandria, On the Virtues (Loeb Classical Library) ↩
6. Philo, On Dreams, Book I.33 ↩