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Home , Avinu Malkeinu, Berakhot (tractate), Hallel, Hallel (pesukei dezimra), Kedushah, Psalm 33

, and Yizkor

Pesach, Day 8, 2020

Updated 4/14/20 10:23am On Festivals, the leader begins here: coo )41. An anonymous early medieval poet created iry nrnTuD? )xir a short poem elaborat- rtf?! )irln ing each of the adjectives nav associated with Cod at the nsr, 1i!)i] beginning of the first para- (ha-El N'iDil'! graph of the R'DiN'.!ul h a-gadol h a-$bor v'ha- no ra, .NPt'l trJ xgt )y ilrrnn "Creat, mighty, awe-inspir- l?air ing God"), concluding with On , the leader begins here: the description from the end of that Amidah bless- < .rnl{j rrirP'! trir4 rp l)lu, ing where God is called .il?il! irlN? trr'lp1? ,ntir'] ilp'T5 rrl'l,lln?'l melekh, sovereign. DwELLTNG roneven 1:iu Sbnnn trr'.lutr rD! ty. At this point there is a ' '' 3 '3 shift to the formal morning ;]]Pr,tn trrP''TX''L?l?t service, which is marked musically and in some ,tr4hnlr uJ'pE]irrhr cases by a change of .uTPr]n trlrrlrP rl.P?I leader. On festivals, there is a more elaborate descrip- tion of the relationship to )XJt{,: n'):lpI nitt'.I ni)il?Dt:r Cod and so the shift occurs )ir] rir+l!,Dp)D itsprJl irt''l? earlier at ha-El ("Godl' at lAU the top of this page). riirN1:lyil)X il,lir,r n,,tsli:r*? nfin . 1,,;?> IIV srNG :lll-1. :r.

ils??,n}u? bla7,nfiin!,[u'Plnx1] urPE4 YOU ARE EXALTED IN THE ,]lT+t ,y p?il?t n?V? n_'r.17 ;rTi:r? ,trnh? SPEECH OF THE UPRIGHT DPi'rnI tr)',1v/r 'el. The .Il.,r'U4 l-l?U 'qjl-'l+ r'l':i ninlqJn'! ni'],,U vision of God seated in heaven pans out to the chorus of the faithful sing- ing on earth. Note that the second word of each line is an acrostic spelling out the name "lsaac" (yitzhak).

xiDl'r rpttrD . tru trrt n:ut nrlnu 141

Page 2 of 70 Faith in God On Festivals, the leader begins here: This faith in oneselfis Goo, in the fullness of Your power, not merely faith in one's Great, in accord with your glorious name, ability to do things. The Mighty, in all of time, latter is necessary as a part of mental health, and is as Awesome, in your awe-inspiring deeds, important as bodily health. Sovereign, enthronedonhigh, The faith in oneself which is not only a prerequisite On Shabbat, the leader begins here: faith is of in God, but in a > dwelling forever, exalted and holy is Your name- sense faith in God, implies being able to identi&r in as the psalmist has written: oneself a principle of life "Sing, O you righteous, to ADoNAT; which is not a derivative praise offered by the upright is lovely." from one's natural capaci- ties, but which belongs to You are exalted in the speech ofthe upright; a different order ofexis- tence. In the yearning for You are blessed in the words of the righteous; salvation, for life's worth- You are glorified in the language of the devoted; whileness, for truth, good- You are sanctified in the midst of the holy congregation. ness, and beauty for their own sake, for freedom, jus- So the choruses of the thousands of Your people, the house tice and peace in society, a joyously human being experiences of , glori$r Your name in every generation. something supra-human > For it is the duty of all creation, ADoNAT our God and God or supra-natural. One who ofour ancestors, to acknowledge and acclaim You, to bless experiences that yearning in one's selfcannot be so and honor You, to exalt and glorify You, to praise, laud, and vain or unreasonable as to exalt You, adding our own tribute and songs to those of , believe that he or she is Jesse's son, Your anointed servant. alone in the possession of such yearning. The most difEcult step in achieving faith in God is thus the first one ofachieving faith t" i;:lt;".^, M. KAPLAN

Prayr What begins with a person's request ends with God's Presence; what starts in t}le narrowness of the ego, emerges into the wide expanse of humaniry; what originates in concern for the self becomes a concern for others and concern for God's concern; what commences in petition concludes as prayer. DRESNER -

The Presence of God The that you pray are the very presence ofGod. OF KORETZ -PINIIAS

147 SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS . MORNTNG SERVTCE . VERSES OF SONG

Page 3 of 70 ru? nlDvl lrJiri?i:rt )ir+ir I?ail )x1 ,up)B uu PRAIsED nlnur. This ,,nlxL marks the com- 11'ilr5 iltilr ,i'.r5l tl? ,I .T'l.lS?i tr?Fq] b'rakhah pletion of Ptukei D'zimra, ,[u'f]inNll u'ntrN which began with Barukh She-amar on page ez.The ,n5;,il?V441 TY,il'14'l'! )?a,nF?Pl t'U two b'rakhot are consid' .nu?Dl ilqli?,nJ$?n'! il?ilIr,ilJll+l ilh+ ered complementarY and one is not recited without < ,i11i1', ilDx llrp.nliu ry'! ilDun niNJlil'l niflr the other; the and biblical passages of Plukei ,nixhtil I'lr!-(,nlxTiiri:t ,x,nln?ptn! )i'i+ l?A )x D'zimra are preceded and .nrn)iyil ,i1 hS ,n']4t ''rni!il followed by these formal I?n '-'1'U? blessings, just as the reading itself is surrounded by blessings. r:ID rsn 'l- HArzr . ln Jewish Leader: liturgical usage, the fiatzi (or "partial") Kaddish, call- UTPII?'I rTU,'l ,i:rllyll,NJ?'T N4?y?,Nl'] i'rnv ing us to praise the name )?J'i[r1l'li]?D'Ft:l'lil'I[? ilnl])D'1t?4]'! of God, marks the end of a n,l section of the service. .lns 114|.('! ,l'''lP 141ll N?+u! )xv:

Congregation and Leader : .t't?4 xill .ryn?P 'n?y?t trIY? x?: "Ing Leader: Nv/l r.tl'! tr Di.] nl'!''' NPr.'l'! n lDvl'! :i'l+Il ,N:Iil '1'!l,Npli?-l i=rDU )ril[]'l il?yll'l ]Tilr,rl'! lon Shabbat shuvah we substitute:+?D x?P? x?y?l *? tn X?p? ,N4?y? n'DST NI'4[t] Nn[?v[ x!]'u] N):'?l] .lDx l']Rx'!

I('IDIT rptoD . ftl trrt n:vr) notnvr 148

Page 4 of 70 Chorus of Song Concluding B'rakhah The flasidic master Sim[rah Bunam once May Your name be praised, always and everywhere, offered a play on the our soyereign, God, great and holy. phr ase s hirei z imr ah, " cho - For it is rus of song." He vocalized fitting, AooNar our God and God of our ancestors, the letters differently- to sing songs ofpraise to You, Hebrewwritten without to ascribe strength and sovereignty, holiness and eterniry vowels readily allows for to You, to praise and exalt this-and read it as shayarei You, zimra h, " that which is left > to thank and bless You, over after the singing," and now and forever. suggested that God most Barukh atah delights in the inexpress- ADoNAr, Sovereign God, to whom we ofler thanks ible feelings that remain in and ascribe wonders, who delights in the chorus of song-the the heart after the singing sovereign God, giving life to all worlds. has ended.

The Duty to Praise Kaddkh , the great me- flatzi dieval Jewish philosopher Leader: and codifier, asserts that May God's grear name be exalted and hallowed throughout there is an obligation to pray. He enumerates this the created world, as is God's wish. May God,s obligation in his list of613 sovereignty soon be established, in your lifetime and mitzvot. Other medieval in your days, and in the days ofall the house oflsrael. authorities disagree and 6nd no warrant for the Andwe say:. obligation in the Torah. So Congregation and Leader: why does Maimonides turn prayer into an obligation, May God's great name be acknowledged forever and ever! when our common-sense Y'hei sh'meih raba m'varakh l'alam u-l'almei almaya. view is that prayer is an offering of the heart which Leader: we choose to give? May the name of the Maimonides rinder- Holy One be acknowledged and stands the entire system celebrated, lauded and worshipped, exalted and honored, of mitzvot as fashioning exolled and acclaimed-though God, who is blessed, human beings who are b'rikh hu, is truly Shabbat Shuvah we moral andwho come to lon add: farfbeyond all know God in deeper ways. acknowledgment and praise, or any e4pressions of Prayer inculcates a sense gratitude or consolation ever spoken in the world. of appreciation and humil- And we say: Amen. ity before the wonders of life-essential aspects of a religious path. Thus he sees prayer as an essential part ofthe process of religious formation.

1{8 sxeeelr AND FEsrtvALs . MoRNTNG sERvlcE . vERsEs oF soNG

Page 5 of 70 ilrnll']l'l yDw nN?]P nlvrl l]lfb REctrATroN or txe sx'me, rn The call to worship marks ?ri]Df]rr3 1n): ' 1n:!! l)lrn .iitlp,y'! irX' "ripD the formal beginning of the }!A Nlill Shaharit (morning) service. 'n?t,irDSJ xr'llp nrnl t) 1p Shaharit always includes ::lilBsn] inx t',ln 17tr IrDl two central moments: the ! '- -3 Recitation of the Sh'ma, :N'!if)'l)'lh )';n i'rtl n5.Y and the Amidah (the silent prayer). surround- ,rir, ni;24 x) rp ):) nrizn B'rakhot 'll ing the Sh'ma serve to

itN-lr N)l:ft':' nxt).n''xtr N)i ;rNl interpret the themes of its .:lilltl:l ?l-IN-nN vTiit1 ,N! biblical verses. Preceding the Sh'ma, in which we declare that Cod is one, Bar'khu, the leader's invitation to prayer, is recited while standing. The leader are two b'rakhot. The first bows when saying the word ll11 and stands straight when reciting the name affirms that Cod is the oJ God. Similarly, the congregation bows at the word TltE and straightens to creator of all, further re- full height at the recitation oJ God's name. marking on the wonder of creation and the morning Leader: light. The first paragraph ill:?il il]il''-nx 1]']? of the Sh'ma speaks of the love for Cod, and so the Congregation, then the leader repeats: second b'rakhah acknowl- .rYltr?ly> :l-F4i:r i]',rilr 1r'l? 1 edges the inverse: Cod! love ofthe people lsrael as We are seoted. manifest in the gifts of the teachings of Torah. A single b'rakhoh follows the morn- ing recitation of the Sh'ma; it speaks of redemption, reflecting the theme of from , which is introduced in the third paragraph of the Sh'ma.

ALMtcHry in:t lrlgrD. A for Bar'khu written by Yehu- dah Halevi (Spain, d. rr+r).

eln'rxu: THE cALL To woRsHtp ToGETHER. The leader calls the congregation together as a ; the congregation, by respond- ing acknowledges its being assembled for prayer.

ro wHoM ALL pRArsE rs DTRECTED :lltr4n. The of the Land of lsrael explains the word ha-m'vorakh to mean "whom all of us praise" ( 7:3).

ilrnlf,']tl yDu, nNrlP . flu trtll nflrt nrlnv, 49

Page 6 of 70 The Sh'ma and Its Blessings

TheEffictofPrayr A MBDITATION FOR BAR'KHU Prayer is a way ofsensitiz- Almighty no thing exists Your glory's ing ourselves to the won- breadth der of life, of expressing without You and none encompassing all gratitude, and of praising can be like You the source for in You all finds its place and acknowledging the of all maker and creator but You occupy no place reality of God. One need not believe that God will You have no image eyes my seeing interfere with the ongoing observe but the soul process ofnature to Gel but unseen come thank that prayer is worthwhile. lodged in the heart the seeing but unseen We may have different un- recognizes You and sees and bless derstandings of what God is. No definition we have is sufficient or answers Bar'khu: The Call to Worship Together all doubts and questions. Bar'khu, the leader's invitation to prayer, is recited while standing. The leader To be aware that God ex- bows when saying the word "bar'khu" (praise) and stands straight when recit- ists-that there is more in ingthe name of God. Similarly, the congregation bows at the word ,,barukh" the universe than physical (praise) and straightens to fult height at the recitation oJ God's name. matter, that a moral order is inherent in creation, that Leader: humans are responsible Praise AooNAl, to whom all praise is for their conduct.arrd can directed. help to bring about the Congregation, then the leader repeats: perfection, or at least the improvernent, of the world f Praise AooNAr, to whom all praise is directed forever and of life-that is suffi- and ever. cient reason for prayer. Barukh Adonai ha-m'vorakh HAMMER lblam va-ed. -REUVEN We are seated. The Congregation Tabernacle and Ternple gave visible assurance ofGod's care and accessibility. But once that locus ofdivine indwelling was destroyed, what_could possibly replace it? The destrucrion of God's house should have augured the demise ofludaism. The well-known answeq of course, is that the , who replaced the priests at tie helm ofthe nation, came up with the institution ofthe . But what, exactly, constituted a synagogue? How would we have recognized one? The heart of this radica$ new institution was neither a building i;a book, but a number. Whereas.,prior to the Temple's end, holiness was ascribed to a place that Jould not be duplicated, after 7o c-n. holiness resided inconspicuously in the quorum of ten without which basic com- munal rituals could not be enacted. To conduct a worship service, to recite certain prayers, to chant from the Torah or Prophets, to perform a wedding a or funeral, alirequir ed aminlan ( ivtegillah 4:3). . . . The Talmud echoes the new salienc e of a minyan. once, Yitzhak askei his friend, N-ahmrrr, i"hy h" hrd failed to come ro the .,so synagogue ro pray. "I couldn't," he responded. you should have gathered t., -.r, o1 your own to prd' chided Rabbi Yitzlrak. "It was too troublesome." "Weit, at least," needlid nabbi yitzhak, *you should have a sryagog]re officialcome to inform you when exactly Jrad the congregation would be praying [so that you mrght join .We them from afar]." At which point, Rav Nahm", piotested, "l\dat's this all about?,, have a uadition," asserted Rabbi Yitzhak, "that goes back to Rabbi Shimon ben yohai that this is the intent ofthe verse, As for_mel my Prayer come to You, O Lord, at a favorable moment' (:14). And what indeed constitutes -may that 'favorable moment'? It is when the congregation is absorbed in p."y..;lnrbylonian Talmud Berakhot 7b-8a). SCHORSCH -ISMAR

149 SHABBAT AND FE-sTIvALs. MoRNING sERVIcE. sx,rua AND ITs BLEssINGs

Page 7 of 70 u',;1)5 il'rirr ilJx"llli+ FoRMTNG r-rcxr 'l'iN txit. ,tr?ry7 1fp This opening b'rokhah be- ;lUh N'lrll ''l'lN ''lYir fore the Sh'ma acknowledg- es that we experience Cod )ln-nx N''lifr nt)u atyy first of all, through witness- ing the miracle of creation. On Festivals occuring on weekdays, we continue in the middle of page 62. Praying in the morning, we On Shabbat, we recite: are asked to pay attention )'lir to the wonder of the dawn, IlJi' of sunlight, and of a new iFrjlul )iil'! day. ln the , the break of dawn is then imagined as .i]'rilr! W11P yX :llnNr ,iil'! a chorus of song in which we join. ,n?v lrarp.l; This b'rakhah is adapted :ix from a verse in lsaiah (+s:z), which reads oseh shalom n'llD '-].Iu nrn)T tril-r?l [Iiti: )xa u-vorei ra, "who makes peace and creates evil." ,]J,PJ yPtrl 'ltr[ The prophet insists that both good and evil come ,i'rrJ?u]il44 ill+?r i:tD'li7Dnrl:' ilEn x'sin from the one Cod. But in ''FN7t:l .trrnnl nrn!_ . N''l!u?? 1. l',f\r'Prr: ih n)i* the moment of prayer, we : ' , 1 tr'Dr_rll tr',lTh i,N4ir focus on all for which we -! -: il,,ry 'r- : rr.x?I f r? t can be thankful, beginning with the light that makes .nrulN.]f. -3 i]uyn.. -: - Trnn ntr):lT: uTnD-- : Elu:lI life possible; therefore, the .TNn 1Tr7 n7Dil -: trni']nil? : - lT rr - ancient rabbis transformed .trriy nlpn Nv/lnnil ix'Dni'rr this biblical verse and "-r.-3 ? 3-, nlunil11i- changed the ending to read ,u,?y D[.r-] tr'I'1il I'Er=r'l+ n)iu'i:D$ 'treating all." .ll}ltun lrs DIY'trrs rr-r )!n. The word hakol, "all," occurs five times in .llTU] r+qrD llPvt',H4 quick succession and refers 't'ts. to the totality of human- ifhT'l'ts'! =l?'tv? ity, all earthly creatures .1! n4t1 anh ulx and forces, as well as the "4r l::. rrr heavenly bodies and the illi:l tr?IY+ :ll'ilrx il'li'ir :l?'.!Y?'t'rs most distant galaxies. lt ?on) echoes the last word of the .N!i] tr7iyil il!7n anbrtl:r trxt I -: opening b'rakhah (borei et I:I'p4ir ninr, :l]rxt) tr?ts ha-kol,"crearing all," at the u?r top of this page) and antici- .Dr)lni:r nlr.rr,l, uyruln 1! n4r:r lxr pates the affirmation of the one Co4 who is Cod of all, and whom we are about to praise in the Sh'ma.

NoNE rs L|KE you =l?'lYl l,Lt.The poet is playing with a variety of biblical verses: lsaiah 4o:r8, "what image can be ascribed to Youl r Samuel z:z, "there is none beside You"; and lsaiah 4o:zs,"to whom can you compare God." MEssrANrc rce 1t'p41 nin,). The poet progresses through stages of redemption trom olam ha-ba, the world that is coming to y'mot ha-mashiah, the messianic age, to t'fiiyat ha-meitim, life given to the dead.

nrnif-l:t lrbu nxrliz . flo trt,'t nfub nrtnv, 150

Page 8 of 70 AllThankYou First B'rakhah before the Sh'ma: It is not You alone, or we, or those others who pray; The Creation of Light all things pray, all things Barukh atah Aoowet,our God, sovereign of time and space, pour forth their . The heavens pray, forming light and creating darkness, bringing harmony the earth prays, while creating all. every creature and every living thing prays. On Festivals occuring on weekdays, we continue in the middle oJ page tz In all life, there is longing.- Creation is itself but a On Shabbat, we recite: longrng, All thank You, akindofprayerofthe ail praise you, Almishw. and all declare: "None is as holy as AooNaI." ;Tl";:ffiX'J nri*n f',r'. Y* ro,.,.., creator ofall. Godof All Everythingyou see en- Each day, God, You raise the gates of the east, wraps holiness: take away open the windows of the slcy, the outer shell and gaze at the sun its place the spirirualbeauty. bring forth from and the moon from where it sits, -HTLLEL zErrLrN illuminating the entire world and all its inhabitants whom You created, with mercy. With kindness You illumine the earth and all who dwell on it, and in Your goodness, day after day, You renew creation. Sovereign, You alone ruled on high from the very beginning, praised, glorified, and exalted since earliest time.

Eternal One, in Your great mercy, have compassion on us. Source of our strength, our protecting fortress, our saving shield, our stronghold. None is like You, none is beside You, nothing exists without You, and none can be compared to You: none is like You, AooNar our God, in this world, none but You will be our sovereign in the world that is coming, no one butYou exists, who will redeem us and usher in the messianic age, and none can compare to You, our deliverer, giving life to the dead.

15O SHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNING sERVtcE. stt'nal AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 9 of 70 trrt )X coD, MAsTER li'IB )N. This lrpi:r+? )v ti'rX , conmonly attrib- nu:$:'ll l]]Dr 1111 uted to mystics of the rst millennium, uses imagery ,tr?Ty xl4 rrlol 1511 based on the visions of ln'lx trlJ)iD nyT Ezekiel that describe a iltfrll variety of heavenly hosts. lt further develops the theme ,t,li?il nlu ,Y ir$+r,rDil enunciated in the previous by ri:;1'rTTt'l prayers that everything in ,i1??l4ir creation praises Cod. Here iNPl rr!, tlu?n:l n:lll that thought is extended to the heavenly hosts: .rri::'l?> tr'D[']'l r![,r even heavenly powers offer praise to Cod. The ,:nrilrx xJ}v n'lliNa trrfJD use of an alphabetical acrostic may suggest that

. i']trll.: ny'Tt tr-]sr is primary ,:ltanrl- : -: - t-: r?: Cod! word the " i]'l1flr l:I? constitutive element of all ,tr,I+'u:rt creation.

5rn :U? u>vJin nt'I, HAPPY tr'nnvJ. Not infre- ,l'j quently in alphabetical ,i'ul tr'P'P4l trrx?D poetry, the letter silr (U) is trl'T substituted for the similarly ,n)ivry5;? ir$i sounding samekh (u), as it ,trsifl tr,taqr'! trIN$? tr'flDq is here. Such substitutions are even found in biblical .trliP'lisJ i14'Nl tr't?Y acrostics. Most, if not all, worshippers in ancient iDv> p'r141r rif?'! lND times did not have prayer- books, and this substitution .inr:)D TI? irt''l'l il?itT is quite natural in an oral iiN n'tpt 1r4p> xlP culture. s'Rartm .. . oFANtM .i1tt7i'1 n''l:tx]?Dnil'l i']Nl t: - - I l' | ' : tr'tllN. . . tr,gJv/. Angelic " songs figure prominently ,tr1r4 N+T+? i) nr:ni: nf'H, in ancient mystical texts. ytlill Descriptions of different niiE'l Dr!D'rx'! tri!'lv,ilhl nl$?n groups of angels sing- ing hymns to Cod surely mirrored the seekers' own mystical experiences. The angels pictured here are closest to Cod! throne. ln Jewish mystical thought, rhe oJanim are the wheels of Cod! chariot, 6rst mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel; the s'rafim are the 6ery angels pictured as flaming serpents in lsaiah's vision of heaven. The holy beings (fiayot ha-kodesh) were thought of as the legs upholding Godl throne.

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Page 10 of 70 APrayrfor the World God, master of all existence, Let the rain come and praised by all that brearhes, wash away the the ancient grudges, world is filled with Your greatness and glory; the bitter hatreds knowledge and understanding surround You. held and nurtured over generations. Exalted above holy beings, Let the rain wash away resplendent in glory on Your chariot, the memory ofthe hurt, the neglect. integrity and mercy stand before Your rhrone, Then let the sun come Iove and merit accompany Your presence. out and fill the sky with rainbows. Howgood are the lights that our God created- Let the warmth of the sun fashioned with understanding, intelligence, and insight; heal us endowed wherever we are broken. with the strength and power Let it burn away the fog to have dominion over earthly realms. so that we can see each other Fully luminous, they gleam brightly, clearly. radiating splendor throughout the world. Let the warmth and brightness Happy as theygo forth, joyous on their rerurn, of the sun melt our they accomplish, with awe, the will of their creator. selfishness. So that we can share the Theygive glory and honor ro rhe name of God, joys and invoking God's sovereigntywith joyful song. feel the sorrows ofour neighbors. God called forth the sun, and light dawned, And let the light of the sun then considered and set the cycles of the moon. be so strong that we will see all And so the array ofheaven, people as our neighbors. s'rafim, ofonim, and holy beings, Let the earth, nourished by rain, all the heavenly hosts, bring forth flowers give praise, and glory, and honor to God- to surround us with beauty. El adon al kol hama.asim, barukh u-m'vorakh b'fi kol nthamah. And let the mountains Codlo malei teach our hearts v'tuvo olam, da.at u-t'vunah sov'vim oto. to reach upward to Ha-mitga.eh al fayot ha-kodesh, v'nehdar b'khavod al ha-merkavah. heaven. Amten. Z'khut u-mishor lifnei khiso, fiesed v'rafamim lifnei kh'vodo. KUSHNER Tovim mebroc she-bara eloheinu, y'tzaram bda.at b'vinah u-v'haskel. -HAROLD Ko.a[r u-g'vurah natan ba-hem, lihyot moshlim b'kerev teiveil. M'lei.im ziv u-m'fikim nogah, na.eh zivam b'khol ha-olam. S'meihim b'tzeitam v'sasim b'vo.am, osim b'eimah r'tzon konam. Pe'eir v'khavod notnim lishmo, tzoholah v'rinah l'zeikher malkhuro. Kara la-shemesh va-yizrah or; ra.ah v'hitkin tzurat ha-l'vanah. Shevah notnim lo kol tz'va marom, Tiferet u-gdulah, s'rafim vbfanim v'hayot ha-kodesh.

151 SHABBAT AND FEsrrvALs. MoRNTNG sERvrcE. sx'tvtl AND rrs BLEsslNGs

Page 11 of 70 On Shabbat, we continue: GOD, WHO CEASED WORK n:? rux )X?. This prayer n?yr,riryrfqir triil,Ertr/yDir+?D nlr4r rgx,x? forms a continuous narra- rl1r,ilEilDir trtt, ilpy n'1.15?n NpI ry lul] tive out of a disparate series Jrlll of biblical verses and rab- nlqj i!r/,,y'JIPi:r Di,')v nlip i]I .nlui:r trtr, N'li? binic comments. Already in ,yrfqir the , the seventh day is I]DTD :lniN'l [r]U? tri','l .lnfNln-,?n )X spoken of as affecting Cod's tUp: '1?'!? .irtilr> ntrir> f'lu,n?Ui:r trir) r',u inner life: Cod was renewed (va-yinafash) -'lp? on the seventh ?l7n 7N7 Un, ntg/ .t?.l15?+! 7I(7 :ll'"p?l day (Exodus 3r:r7). The an- -: !' n)tlli 1: r"3 -rT t I T "r 3r ' cient rabbis pictured God tri.,! inqir?I rx.lr{rt iny? il[ilR ,r]fnir )l r$r' as achieving full sovereignty up?n rrr;rl5 ;-1;'t nlrl; only on Shabbat, and they il?Tl;rrTpr,ll lEU.\rT.p personified the relationship .n[DR T1$,] ,Yt bYPn trlpq] itsPll in mutual terms: Shab- :l'l?{rD. bat itself praises God and il'Tl iltl/uD nlP )y ,ili7rqjin chants ,'A Song of .il?p 1tl{pl ,[r,,pyy rix ,']rx4 )y1 Shabbat." Continue on the next page. HOW VARIED ARE YOUR wo RKs :ltp)l)_l :tt'l nD. Psalm ro4:24. On Festivals occurring on weekdays, we recite: ALMTcHTY, sr-rsseo )N ,tr'Dt_]'tl ,lr?Y tr'']TI ru? T$nir ll-ll. This early anonymous .n'ri,N-"t? if illuD rrDD u,+?? uTt:I? ulp:l acrostic poem has four beats to the line and a {]'Py ir4?[? nll ,n]il, =l'tguD 1!'t i14 rhyming pattern of aa, bb, cc, with a concluding b. Joel .q}tDlar:1. 7"1Ni1| ...rr r ill(7n r, r Hoffman, a contemporary JgD 1rl, tr4ir4ir scholar; writes: "The mean- l?al ing of the individual words .tr?iy ntnr4 xq/Irl4ir'!''r$'D4ir'! n?V4ir here was never the point. They were chosen for their trl1] tr,,]'1il ,ur?Y 1'a[]],tr?iy "ilrs meter and their initial .llTu-l r+qD,,llpul ]ls,lrTy'l'lTN letter." ln this conception, lln,u}ltyn the Hebrew alphabet itself is seen as an instrument of creation. Our translation ,ilYT )ir1;1np )ry here is impelled by this idea .itEn ?''lilI )yD:l ]rlit and is alphabetical, captur- -Tt I ing the meaning of the text lDuJ, Tif! rsr rio in a close, but not quite literal, translation. nifrttr. Inr ni''riND : | -r : ALwAYs nfp. The biblical ,trrqjiTi? rr$?s nlrD meaning of this word, tr','"!?p4 T'DIJ,'TE rn4ll which occurs frequently in the Book of Psalms, is .inqr'IPt )N'rtl unknown. The ancient rabbis, interpreting the il'Tl illt UD nlp )tt ilri:tr$ il'liT :l'tlnn < biblical text, thought that it ?1:l-lND1 ''liN ,'tiND meant "forever," and that is .i17trrrf I r-:ri nlUJyWr r ?T 7yl-: - ' : its liturgical meaning here.

ilrn]f1fl yau nxllp . f,lL trilt nfvr) nrlnu, $2

Page 12 of 70 GodBlessed On Shabbat, we continue: the Seventh Da1 who ceased work on the seventh day and ascended the throne It is written, "God blessed of praise, robed in majesty for the day of rest, calling Shabbat the seventh day" (Gen- a delight. esis z:3). In what way is the seventh day blessed? Such is the distinction of the seventh day, that God ceased On Shabbat a person's face all shines differently than it work, and so the seventh day itself praises God and says, u*'u""T::::;::^,,^, 'A song of Shabbat it is good to thank AooNAr." Let all crea- tures likewise celebrate and bless God, offering praise, honor, and glory to God-the ruler, crearor of all, who, in holiness, God, the World, and Us grants peaceful rest to the people Israel on the holy Shabbat. A Fasidic master taught: It is written in many books that May Your name, AnoNar our God, be hallowed and may the if one wants to enter the in- thought ofYou, our sovereign, be celebrated in the heavens ner world ofprayer, to pres- above and on earth below, though the praise due You, our ent speech before God, one needs, at the time ofprayer, redeemer, is beyond any offered by Your handiwork or the to attach oneselfto all that lights You have made-may rhey conrinue always ro sing is living and all that exisrs Your glory. in the world. The meaning Continue on the next page. ofthis is as it is written in the Book of Psalms, "You created all with wisdom" On Festivals occurring on weekdays, we recite: (r z o 4: 4) -that is, there is With kindness, You illumine the earth and all who dwell on it; nothing in this world which is, God forbid, extraneous.... in Your goodness, You renew creation day after day. When a person seeking Howvaried are Your works, AooN,rr, inspiration pays attention all fashioned with wisdom; to this-reachingfor an understanding of that which the world in its entirety is Your dominion. is clothed by everything You alone ruled on high from the very beginning, in this world, animal life, praised, glorified, and exalted since earliest time. plant life, and sheer matter, everything that was created; God of the universe, and arouses one's heart with with Your great kindness, have compassion on us. this wisdom, speaks of it Source ofour strength, our protecting fortress, before God with love and our saYing shield our stronghold. reverence-then that Person fulfills the will of the creator who created the world in all Almighty, blessed, creator of all who dwell on earth, the its fullness. Iirmament and goodly heavens are illuminated WOLF OF ZHITOMIR with Your -ZEV iustice, kindness, and light; they make Your name an obiecr of praise; quietly, resolutely, soulfully all tell in unified voice of Your wise, excellent, and zealous care.

You are to be praised, AooNer our God, for the wondrous work of Your hands, and for the radiant lights that You fashioned, reflecting Your glory always.

152 SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS. MORNING SERVICE. SH'TVII AND ITS BLESSINGS

Page 13 of 70 All services continue here: o'vorzen nqtp 'lyi'T. This version of the .trllu'lr? N_ri! D?x)r uplE rr?.Is'1'1?!n Kedushah, recited in the ,tr'I'lv? lsi', ,Dp)E ry? nlDvl first b'rakhah before the 14u Sh'ma, blesses Cod for the n)tv urr n'r4ly tr?p r,r;r'lq4 rVS'l creation of the morning light. Every Kedushah is tP? r[: ils'l]? D,y',DvD,r based on the mystical vi- .tr?iY ,l?Al n'U n,irbS',-'t?T sions of lsaiah and Ezekiel. Each prophet described ,trrl'rlt nll ,nrt1 trh ,trlf:ri'i4 trh . an angelic chorus. lsaiah saw them singing kadosh, .tr)iP]is] irS]lll i14'ls+ tr,'lriy trh',l kadosh, kadosh ("holy, holy, ,ir']ilI??r irvlpf tr,.1',p-nS trlrlrliD trh'l holy," 6:a) Ezekiel heard them reciting barukh k'vod Adonai ("praised is Adonait '.trlnlvrn:l ' : - : trrl-'llnl' :' t '.i']''lnTl:l r : .: i']-Plt,!r . : gloryi' t:'rz). The Kedu- :ilfrrn4:l trrUrTPD1,trt5tlYE1 trt''lSP41 shah is placed here, in the blessing of creation, as if to .Nrir rrlri? Nlt!il'I]]uil )ir+l l?Fil )xir nu-n$ say that both heaven and trlFV earth offer praise to Cod. ,irID iri nu?D )v n;r')g tr'>?p4 trh'I. ln the mind of the mystics, ,Er'1 n+l n'1Tl,? uJ\tpt?,il1? ill nru"! n'U'rl:'! all of creation constitutes a praise of Cod; every cre- TnN! Db!.irt iTi7 iln?y]t:l ;1"1:l''lf ilDtz! ated being, animate and :ilN'rr! trf''lniN'l tr)liy inanimate, sings to Cod. ? :.: . : : . BEINGS THAT SERVE YOU i]]ilr uriTP ...SERVANTS...trrl-up ,nix?s Nttlv )uttiz }D-]p)?. Rabbinic lore tells .'irl:! f'1.Sil-r? xra of two kinds of angelic cre- ations: those who are part tr'I.(PUD ,ir+ Uyll Uliz;l niori'l trrllixi'rl < of Codt permanent court, like the angels Michael and Gabriel, and those who are created each day to .lDlpan nrnr rlfp 1lr1 be conveyers of that day! message, and so the litur- .tr:P'l )rs .:HI] ninry: gist talks of both of them 'l:r l?a? ;n1)5! as "proclaiming ... the i=rl) xln r! .tyr?Ul ninlun'l ,:l'.lFN? nltmt words of the living sover- eign" (Babylonian Talmud, ,nirrJr-r irll/iy ,nlrul )ylE r+a). ,niPJT 1l?.1r ,ninry?D rIrP THANK THE CREATOR OF THE GREAT rrcxrs nu- y) ,niN:lD''! Xtil ,niy:lul llrnsD o')tl urlix. Psalm t36:7. .nrx!nl1 '1try ,niln4 x1u zroN lirf. The prayer takes the motif of the light of .n,lpx-l.? nW,DrrDD trl*r?l iflrr! lrTE4Ir < creation and of the dawn, .i'rpl:I n]iu? ,tr'rTl D','tiN aW.)?:Tngp and ties it to an image of 'I the Temple in rrxf il1il? upl np:r i,'ND lt'x )p uT[ iix as a source of ultimate illumination. .nitiN4il 'tslr,i'I'rit irDN 1ti+

il!n1:1:1 yhu nxr''lP . f]t, tr'lll nfur5 nrlnu, 153

Page 14 of 70 In the Beginning All services continue here: In the beginning God KEDT]SHAH D'YOTZER: THE ANGELIC PRAISE OF GOD created You are to be praised, our our re- the heavens that actually protector, sovereign, our are not deemer, creator of celestial beings. Our sovereign, Your and the earth that wants to name is to be acclaimed forever; You fashion beings that serve touch them. You, and Your servants stand at edges In the beginning God all the ofthe universe, created proclaiming reverently with one voice the words of the living threads stretching between God, the sovereign of the universe. them- between the heavens that > All of them loved, all of them pure, all of them mighty, and actually are not all of them in reverence and awe carry out the will of the one and the earth that cries out for help. who has dominion over them. In purity and in holiness, all of And God created humans, them raise their voices, in song and chant, to praise, bless, for each person is a prayer glorify, extol, hallow, and celebrate the name of God, the and a thread touching what is not great, mighty, awe-inspiring sovereign, the Holy One. with a tender and delicate et shem ha-El, ha-melekh ha-gadol, ha-gibor v'hanora kadosh hu. touch. MIRIAM -RIVKA > Each turns to another as they proclaim their loyalty to God, (translatedbl Darid C. Jacobson) and each gives permission to the other to hallow their creator; in a clear voice and with sacred speech, together as one, they Angels respond with awe, saying: The Hebrew word for angel is malakh,which also means Holy, holy, holy is AooxuTz'va'ot, "messenger," one who is sent.... Unsuspecting and the whole world is filled with Godt glory. unaware. Consumedby Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Adonai Tz'va,ot, m'lo khol ha-aretz k'vodo. their own plans and itiner- aries. Busy at work on their > With a deafening sound, the ofanim and other holy beings ownschemes...people rise up opposite the {rafim and proclaim their praise: chosen to be.messengers of the Most High rarely even Praised is AooNaI's glory wherever God dwells. know that they are God's Barukh k'vod Adonai mimkomo. messengers. ... I do not know how many times in They offer adulation to God, whom they bless. They chant one's life is one also a mes- songs and voice their praise to the sovereign, the living and senger. But for everyone it is at least once. enduring God. For God alone achieves victory, creates anew, KUSHNER masters war, sows righteousness, cultivates -LAWRENCE deliverance, effects healing, is praised with reverence, and is the author of wonders. > In Godt goodness, the work of creation is re- newed each day, as the psalmist declared: "Thank the creator of the great lights, for God's Iove is everlasting." Cause a new light to shine on Zion, and may we all soon be worthy of its illumination. Barukh atah Aooue4 creator of lights. Or hadash al tziyon ta'ir v'nizkeh khulanu m'heirah lbro.

153 SHABBAT.AND FEsrlvALs . MoRNtNG sERvtcE . sx'naa AND lrs BLEssrNGs

Page 15 of 70 il'lit!,rrlJfi:r$ il?] ir?4x YOU HAVE LOVED US DEEPLY ,Drilrx iUl illilL{. The Hebrew .u')y n?pt,r irJlr''l il?ir) il?AI,I root alef-hei-vet, meaning "love," appears six times in [u'Irnxr] u'pi:ry t:lfq],up)D u'?$ this passage (both as the .Er?t't ,irn nfn)nt nl :lnp1gr noun and a verb). Reuven r- .r - : - : - r: : ? a Hammer points out that .:ltT)o7n:l :E!nn three of them speak of r" 3 - : ,'t ! l!l" our love for Cod and .trn'tnit .tnn']i'] tNi'] .:lrrtN three speak of Codl love 'Ptil) :ll?7y trn"l for us. While reciting this )rzwrpt : ilt7t'ln]r": r-: b'rakhah, the worshipper nira*'l iDV> rnlh iD?> ,yhP> can anticipate the seventh -fl occurrence, which is found .ir+,IX? =lf lin nh'rtrh-nry n1i??r in the first paragraph of the Sh'ma: "You shall love ilflltnl,rr';'v lxT'l Adonai your Cod." 73'I',l AVrNU MALKETNU l)rJB I.E?nlXDt:lt!7 I rr : ': P.. , - -: l:p)B. Literally, "our father; .nnvr-nN nxtr)r ilrllN7l:ll) tnrt our king." The pairing of .'ru nfru) x)'t the two words emphasizes u:nl that Cod is at once both nrrJrp? NJrlil'l )ir4i1 lUT? trU?,I intimate as a close relation and distant as a monarch.

.1nylv/r!Ir+ r . irnnut]lr : : .: ;t7,tl The word av,"fatheri' sug- gests the image of Cod as Some gather their belore reciting this line: source or progenitor, and y]lxn < rHT ntDD ilrv) DN,filt therefore it may also be translated as'treator." ,,ll$''lN? nt.,nnlP ll;,,)in', LAws oF L|FE trr'l_'l ,Pf. The ',i'rnN rt? niyltu,: )yis- >x'l word "Torah" encompasses :ltf:t many different meanings. x1w21 try-7tn. ntnt 'r r: - T r :t- T ln its most limited usage, it ,nAS? nlp )i.r11 IDW?,n1l?tp'l refers to the Five Books of . But in a larger sense .irrirNr? -r - : iu,)r| , a -! E:r: niriaz! it refers to all of Scripture, .ir+,lts+ )Xlq: iny? rnili:r,il'lir? irryS :'lr"l+ and even to all of later Jewish teaching. Thus, the rabbis of the Talmud spoke of the "Written Torah" and the "," the latter referring to the teachings of the , Mishnah, and Talmud-and even to "whatever new teaching a student of wisdom might impart until the end of time" (Leviticus Rabbah zzr). ln this prayer, "Torah" embraces the widest meaning: the laws of life-all those teach- ings that instruct us concerning a full ethical and religious life. ro uNDERSTAND AND DrscERN , . . oBsERvE, FULFTLL, AND eERFoRM ooizh niu)2! ah?? . . . )rfVl?t tfi). This sequence implies that study is intimately linked with action-indeed, that study should lead to action. cATHERTNG rHE rztrztr. Many observe the custom, originating in the late Middle Ages, of gathering the four tzitziyot (plural of tzitzit) of the while reciting the words "bring us safely from the four corners of the earth," thus symbolizing lsraelt unity and ingathering.The tzitziyot are then held through the third paragraph of the Sh'ma, and kissed when reciting the word tzitzit (which appears three times in that paragraph). By this practice, we indicate that we are lovingly undertaking to observe these words of Torah, and we hope that our commitment to strive for holiness will lead to greater unity. We are also gathering within us all our positive intentions.

ilrntf1:l )rnu nxilp . flu trrt n:ub nrlnu, E4

Page 16 of 70 The Bhssings of the Second B'rakhah before the Sh'ma: God's Great Loye Priests before the Sh'ma The priesrs in the Temple You have loved us deeply, Aooxar our God, and showered us would say the following with boundless compassion. ,for the sake of b' rakh ah befor e the Sh'ma: our ancestors who trusted in you and you "Maythe one who dwells to whom taught the laws in this House always grant of life, so may You be gracious to us and instruct us. Kind you love, harmony, peace, creator, have compassion for us, open our hearts so that we and friendship." may understand and, with love, discern, hear and study, OF THE LAND -TALMUD observe, perform, your OF ISRAEL and fulfill all the teachings of Torah with love. Enlighten our eyes with your Torah; atach our You Haye Loved hearts to Your mitzvot; uni4/ our hearts to love and revere UsDeepll Your name so thatwe never lose hope. As we trust in your With a great love (aha.oah great, holy, awe-inspiring name, we will delight and rejoice rabah)Yothave loved us in Your (aharttanu). The love of deliverance. God for the people Israel Some gather their tzitzit before reciting this line: is declared here just before > Bring us safely from the four corners ofthe the Sh'ma. It prepares earth, and lead us you for the Sh'ma. Nowyou us in dignity ro our land, for are the God who effects might expect a lisring of deliverance. You have chosen us from all other tongues and gifts to us-God's freeing peoples, always drawing us nearer to your name, us, feeding us, delivering that we may us. Instead, we thank God truly acknowledge You and lovinglyproclaim your oneness. for one gift: God's teach- Barukh atah AooNar,who lovingly cares for the people Israel. ing, God's opening our Ahavah rabah ahavtanu Adonai minds and hearts to Torah. eloheinu, g dolah What You've given us hemlah viteirah hamalta . is the ability to listen ro Avinu malkeinu, ba.avur avoteinu [v,imoteinu] she-bathu v,kha You, so we can thank and va-t'lamdeim f ukei fuayim, ken r,honeinu u-t,lamdeinu. draw close to You. your Avinu ha-av ha-rafuaman, ha-m,rafeim, raheim aleinu, v,ten b,libeinu compassion is expressed l'havin u-l'haskil lishmo.a lilmod u-l,lamed lishmor v,la.asor u-l,kayem in teaching our hearts to et kol divrei talmud toratekha b,ahavah. know compassion, to love You, giving us not per- V'ha.eir eineinu b'toratekha, v dabeik libeinu b,mitzvotekha sonal freedoms but, in fact, v'yafued l'vaveinu l'ahavah u-l'yirah et sh,mekha, v,lo neivosh lblam va-ed. boundaries bringing us Ki vthem kodsh'kha ha-gadol v,hanora batahnu, close to the Unbounded, nagilah v'nism'hah bishuatekha. the One. Bygving us Torah, You've shown us Some gather their tzitzit belore reciting this line: how to live. We can now ) Va-havi.einu lthalom mei.arba kanfot ha-aretz, offer thanks and say: v'tolikheinu kom'miyut l'artzeinu, "Hear O Israel, Adonai is ki el po.el ylhu.ot atah, our God, Adonai is one." u-vanu vafarta mikol am v,lashon, I. CLAYTON -JoHN v'keiravranu lthimkha ha-gadol be.emer, l'hodot l'kha u-l'yafedkha bhhavah. Barukh atah adonai, ha-bofer bhmo yisrael b,ahavah.

154 SHABBAT AND FEsrrvALs. MoRNtNG sERvrcE. sx'rral AND rrs BLEsstNGs

Page 17 of 70 THE RECITATION OF THE YDV ms'li? sn'r,ae. Some people may wish to pause here Jor a moment' Some may close their refers to the Sh'ma as a eyes; others may place a hand over their eyes. The intention is to concen' k'riah, a reading aloud of a trate on God's oneness. passage of the Torah. Later ln the absence of a minyan, we add the Jollowing: lpitJ l?n )X. it became a meditation as well, a way to focus on .][rs iI'li]r illi]')xrq: ypv Godt "oneness"-so much l]il)x so that for some it became Recited quietty:.lv'I tr?'iy? inu?n lifl trI?'1r'l? a moment to experience a mystical union with God. The Babylonian Talmud ll n?il)N i']]it? nN nl|lN] Rabbi the T:lf..f.r:-f: reports: Judah Prince was teaching and needed to stop, since the hour for rsciting the Sh'ma was passing, so he covered his eyes for a moment and then continued teaching (Berakhot rab). ln this story, reciting the Sh'ma was but u--I:] trr1]-I a momentary interruption. Laten Rabbi.ludaht act of covering his eyes came to be seen as a sign of deep contemplation, and so it became the custom of many to cover the eyes while reciting the Sh'ma, as a moment to meditate on God's unity.

GoD rs A FATTHFUL sovERElcN1DBl l?p )L{.These words form an acronym of amen. When we recite the Sh'ma with a minyan, the leader concludes with the words Adonai eloheikhem emet, "Your Cod truly"; when, in the absence of a minyan, that affirmation is not recited, we add this private affirmation at the beginning of the Sh'ma. The Kabbalists noted that the Sh'ma contained u45 words and so by adding three additional words, we reach 248-the number of limbs in the body, according to the belief of the ancient rabbis. Thus we affirm, whether by adding words at the beginning or the end of the Sh'ma, that our entire being is dedicated to God.

sx'rvra yrsuer )X'tyl vn?.To whom are these words addressed? Certainly, we are speaking to ourselves, enjoining ourselves to truly hear what our lips are saying. We may also be speaking to each other-the collec- tive people lsrael-reminding each other that we are a people united by values, nurturing our own sense of peoplehood. A moving midrash imagines these words recited by ! sons, addressed to their father Jacob/ lsrael, reassuring him on his deathbed that they remain true to his teachings, and that the Cod ofJacob is and will remain "their Cod" (Cenesis Rabbah g8:a). And so, we too may be speaking to our forebears, reassuring our ancestors (all the way back to Jacob!) that their legacy continues in us.

oNE -I['lN. The Hebrew word ehad, "one," has been variously interpreted. lt can mean that Cod is totally uni- fied and not made up of parts, as is the case with everything else we encounter in the universe. lt can mean unique, that God is different from all else we encounter. lt can mean "only," that there is no other being who is divine. Mystics interpret it as meaning that Cod is one with the universe-or in another formulation, present throughout the universe.

pRAlsED BE THE NAME trv/;ltu. This phrase is not part of the biblical text but was the customary response of those assembled to hearing the name of God as part of priestly prayers in the Temple. To differentiate it from the actual biblical text, it is recited silently. ln the legend mentioned above, this sentence constitutedJacob's response to his children's afErmation, and so it is voiced differently.

tNscRrBE rHEM upoN rHE DooRposrs niTp? )y trDlltlt. The observantJew lives a life surrounded by the Sh'ma: reciting it in the morning upon arising and at night before going to sleep, walking past its inscription on the mezuzah when entering onet home, and even adorning oneself with the words on weekday mornings upon onet head and near one! heart when putting on t'fillin, phylacteries.

nrn]:lf'l ybu nx?']P . l'lu trIrl nlu, nr'lnv/ 155

Page 18 of 70 Hear, O Israel Recitation of the Sh'ma The core ofour worship Some people may wish to pause here a moment. Some may close their is not a prayer at all, but for eyes; others may place a hand over their eyes. The intention is to concentrate a cry to our fellow ]ews on God's oneness. and fellow humans. In it The words are added in the absence oJ a minyan: we declare that God is Jollowing God is a faithful sovereign. one-which is also to say that humanity is one, that life is one, that joys and Hear, O Israel, AooNer is our God, AooNAr is one. sufferings are all one-for Sh'ma yisrael, Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad. God is the force that binds Recited quietly:Praised be the name of the one them all together. There whose glorious sovereignty is forever and ever. is nothing obvious about this truth, for life as we experience it seems infi- You shall love AooNar your God with all your heart, nitely fr agmented. Human with all your soul, and with all that is yours. beings seem isolated from These words that I command you this day one another, divided by all the fears and hatreds that shall be taken to heart. make up human history. Teach them again and again to your children; Even within a single life, speak of them when you sit in your home, one moment feels cut off from the next, memories when you walk on your way, of joy and fullness offering whenyou lie down, us little consolation when and when you rise up. we are depressed or lonely. To assert that all is one in Bind them as a sign upon your hand God is our supreme act of and as a symbol above your eyes; faith. No wonder that the inscribe them upon the doorposts of your home Slt'ma, the 6rst "prayer" we learn in childhood, is also and on yourgates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 the last thing we are to say before we die. V'ahavta er Adonai elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha u-v'khol nafsh'kha GREEN -ARTHUR u-v'khol mebdekha. V'hayu ha-d'varim ha-eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha The Challenge of Faith ha-yom al l'vavekha. Vthinantam l'vanekha v'dibarra bam, b'shivt'kha The Israeli poet Yoram b'veitekha u-v'lekht'kha va-derekh u-v'shokhb'kha u-v'kumekha. Nissonovitch remarks that U-kthartam lbt al yadekha v'hayu l'totafot bein einekha. religious questions may U-kh'tavtam al m'zuzot beitekha u-visharekha. not constitute the subver- sion of our faith; rather, it may help us get past tired notions that narrow our vision; and it may open our souls to new and deeper understan&ngs. And his colleague Elfanan Nir adds: Doubts lead to a strong, surprising, and deep faith that cannot be compared with classi cal faith. This is a faith for which nothing is taken for granted.

155 SHABBAT AND FEsrlvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sH'MA AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 19 of 70 lF YoU wlLL HEAR DN nl,ll !hP. This paragraph sug- *;r lt?yh h?'il)x il'rir'.nN al,1x? trt:il gests a direct relationship +nx between the righteousness nJ'F tny! tr,?T1N-lp4 'FDt'! :n;qp;11?1 tr;?l? of our acts and our fate. lf ,,FUl ::ll,,r1l'l uip?nr we are good, God will be Itzlt 1qi',n1 il+l nppXt good to us, and vice versa. :l-]D1rit ;lnnill7 ;lTll/3 That theology was ques-' i'1RD?-18(T:' lt Df7!J J:T' :nyllz/lr_tl?T:r?I-t3 nTlI(] rrj ir!' rr:r: tioned throughout the ages trf,r''l4ltqil'! tr"1l14 n,,7}S bT]:Ut trDlp'l tr*;?l? and even by biblical writers tr?? n)ry1 :nii) themselves, most sharply in ir'1irt-Nr'l htfqrn$ r5y'! nia'-T\ the Book ofJob. Neverthe- )yn nli1? q;r'TtSt n):1-nylpn N? il4T$[q rt24 less, it does speak to a deep human need to see a world '1;r: 'l?T-nS hD4rIT'l :n;! il]ir, iy/!_( nr,'oil f'l..S,l as containing a moral bal- qrN n]S ance between good and hrx? n[']U?i tr;Up:*rn nprr?]y evil. What is expressed here trFx trDlpl :tr)lltu1,P n?piu) 1i,71 n?r:ty in concrete terms may be understood more broadly: I'til U?hl 1:,r')? :lT?U? trP lPT? tr;':?'nS moral and immoral actions :lElPf:t have consequences, both :l'J.yvll 1[r] nrnrD'ry trFlr:lll Tl??v?,l seen and unseen. ylqt rV{ ir4T4,l )q n?':?'n,t b?'nl Ult IyD? rzfiztr nxrY. The biblical :Tl5,l-ry qpqil'F'I tril? n;'1:Sl nJn' scholar lsrael Knohl, ex- ryr) panding a medieval Jewish xf-I:xr Drllil comment, suggests that the word tzitzit may derive trom tzitz, a headband worn by the High Priest and tied in back with a p'til t'khelet, a "thread of blue." On it were the words u-Ii7 ntn,) (kodesh ladonai), "holy before Adonai." Wear- ingthe tzitzit (literally, the "little tzitz"), we are asked to serve Cod in a holy way, much as the High Priest did; thus the paragraph commands us to be "holy before your Cod." The act xE-It:'lD lf,'rEf of wearing tzitzit turns us all, metaphorically, into nnx High Priests.

When there is a minyan, the leader says: rRULY nDN. The tradition n4s trfrilrN iTli'I' < read the word emet,"trulyi' - - as referring both backward r4rJI r',]l;1'! llils'l 't4$]]vl'l tr?P'l frxr'! and forward: it is the first lirll word of the following para- ]+Tir il5ll ltDl )ilal 'li?!4,t TTls'l N'lil'l tr'!J'! graph and is also recited as if it were the last word of iTyl tr?iy> Dt)Y ilTir the preceding paragraph. continued

il!n1:1f'l ynu, nNl'lP . :lo trlr) nflrb nIlnu, 156

Page 20 of 70 Other Gods If you will hear and obey the mitzvot that I command you What is an idol? A thing, this day, to love and serve AooNar your God with all your a force, a person, a group, heart and all your soul, then I will grant the rain for an institution or an ideal, your regarded as supreme. God land in season, rain in autumn and rain in spring. You shall alone is supreme. gather in your grain and wine and oil; I will provide grass in -^r"^""i1::i:: your fields for your cattle and you shall eat and be satisfied. Take care lest your heart be tempted, and you stray and serve To Loye and Reyere God other gods and bow to them. Then Aooner's anger will flare When one contemplates up against you, and God will close up the sky so that there the wonders of God's will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce. You creation and sees in them Godt infinite wisdom, one will quickly disappear from the good land that ApoNar is immediately loves, praises, giving you. Therefore, impress these words of mine upon and craves to know God's your heart and upon your soul. Bind them as a sign upon great name, as David sang, "I thirst for the living God" your hand and as a symbol above your eyes; teach them to (Psalm 4z:3). But as one your children, by speaking of them when you sit in your contemplates these things home, when you walk on your way, when you lie down and one is immediately struck dumb and becomes fearful, when you rise up. Inscribe them upon the doorposts ofyour for one knows that a person home and on your gates. Then your days and the days ofyour is only a tiny part ofthe vast- children, on the land that Aoor.{ar swore to your ancestors to ness of creation-humble and ignorant, standing with give them, will be as many as the days the heavens are above little understanding before the earth. the fullness of knowledge, Deuteronomy r1i13-21 as David lamented, "When I gaze at Your heavens, Your han&work, what are mortals AooNar said to Moses: Speak to the people Israel, and that You care for them?" instruct them that in every generation they shall p:ut tzitzit (:4-5)' on the corners of their garments, placing a thread of blue on MATM.NTDE' the tzitzit,the fringe of each corner. That shall beyour tzitzit, you shall look at it and remember all the mitzvot of Aooxer, and ful,fill them, and not be seduced by your eyes and heart as they lead you astray. Then you will remember and fulfill all My mitzvot, and be holy before your God. I am AooNar your God, who brought you out of the land of Egrpt to be your God. I am AooNar your God- Numbers r5:37-4r Truly

When there is a minyan, the leader says: > AooNaryour God-truly- this teaching is constant, well-founded and enduring, right- eous and trustworthy, beloved and cherished, desirable and pleasing, awe-inspiring and majestic, well-ordered and estab- lished, good and beautiful, and so incumbent on us forever.

156 sHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sx'aal AND trs BLEsstNGs

Page 21 of 70 .Dyvl '84 tiTul'11s,Dp)D nliu ,il9 n4{ continued Read forward, the word 'li:l tNpl'l ,tr:P infi qP Nril l'q rir) < afhrms what follows: credal statements spelling out the .n4:p'ry| inlrnxl inu)Br implications of the Sh'ma; .tr1Tnn]] trrlnNl .tr?niDl trrtn'P'llT:l each statement is preceded ' iiTtir: '"T:r' 'rl-: t? | by the word emet, thus [u,pinxr] u'nnN )y,n'D?1y',n?iyh rU) articulating a kind of Jewish creed. Read backward, it nil:r*l )y1 ,urliri-i )U u';p )y ,D'?yl refers to God, who is identi- n':ir1r51 )u1 n,:ir/x'lir by.I'T?u v'r] fied with truth. )xlq: The phrase is based on noizt the words of Jeremiah, .ryt n>iy:r : rr- : lip tl=t 'Adonai is true (Adonai :g: xh ph ir?rDtsl n4S emet),is truly the living urni:x'n)xt u'n)x ilritr x:lil itnxu nnx < Cod, and the sovereign of time and the world" Go:ro). ,furpinxl] urpu5 1)n,upl4,[urfin41] Additionally, another bibli- cal meaning of the word ,ufyru: rls ,,n1si:,[urpinyl] u'pEy )yl u)yl emet is steadlastness or n'irrS't,rs nfiun u),XDr rrTrD faithfulness. ln this inter- ilhT ilAV pretation, what is affirmed is that Cod will always be ,n?iyn Nrir irDN [urnlExl] 1I1.rif$ nTI present for us. rirl l=r-)ll tri3'Lt_rry tr,:r'll) ytuint 1l4 TRULY THIS TEACHING IS coNsrANr rll n4N. illp'rn n)iu nru Reuven Kimelman, a contemporary liturgical .ns'Q?ts rv llPls] =l'I?PvDt scholar, contends that il'f1Tn? yDV1rtJ vt'$ ,'lq)s the "teaching" referred to in this assertion is the .tl? )y tr't?l =l.l+lt lrllin'l Decalogue, which originally preceded the recitation of npy) lirg xrir il+x nAS the Sh'ma in the ancient synagogue. The recita- tion of the Decalogue was ;rr,rx N:r i.., il'rs'I,,,r'; I*T il]ol l?$ dropped from the liturgy because the rabbis were .UPinl )t5ir 1)P D?'l'ts'l'TYhRr afraid that people would consider only those com- mandments as obligatory, as many Christians did. ln its current context, the liturgical afhrmation refers to the constancy of the entire Torah. HELp oF ouR ANcEsroRs [l]'FinNll tl,Iil4 nll)I. Two contrasting theological concepts are at work in this blessing. The first emphasizes the value of personal observance of Torah and mitzvot ("Blessed are the ones who attend to Your mitzvot. .."); the second emphasizes communal redemption and the need for Cod to destroy oppression, with the exodus from Egypt serving as a paradigm for all future redemptions. The first is non-violent, speaking of personal practice and virtue through performing acts of love and care; the second insists that Cod must war against evil in order to root it out. These two views echo a talmudic argument as to whether the future redemption will be athieved peacefully or will come through war. rRULv, you wERE Ar rHE BEGINNING AND you wtLL BE Ar rHE END li-lnN Nti"l ;rDL{r ,liltlNl Nril nBN,nQ!J. A similar expression, "l am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end," is quoted three times in the Chris- rian restament. The wording of this prayer may have been deliberately polemical at the time it was written in antiquity, and intended to oppose Christian theological claims, which were emerging as a rival to .

il:nrrr:I ynw nxlli? . ftu tr'rl nfub n'tnur $7

Page 22 of 70 Redemption Tru\t,the God of the universe, our sovereign, is the stronghold What might redemption ofJacob and our protecting shield. mean in our time? Gordon In every generation God is present, God's name endures, Tucker, a contemporary rabbi, points out that in God's throne is established, and God's sovereignty and the Bible, when an object faithfulness abide. is redeemed, it returns to God's teaching is living and enduring, trurhful and beloved its original state. Following a teaching of the Hasidic throughout all time. master Awaham Mordecai As our ancestors accepted it as incumbent on them, we of Gtlr (Imrei Emet, p arashat accept it as incumbent on us, and on our children, and ), he remarks that all there was a moment after the future seed ofthe house oflsrael who serve You. Both leaving Egypt and crossing for our ancestors and our descendants, it is a goodly teach- the Sea when we experi- ing, enduring forever, a constant truth, a never-changing enced freedom and the in- fi nite possibility signalled principle. by the limitless horizon of > Trull,You are AnoNar our God and the God of our an- the desert. It was the time cestors, our sovereign and our ancestors'sovereign, before the giving ofthe our Torah on Mount Sinai, yet redeemer and our ancestors' redeemer. You are our creator, it was a special moment of and the rock of our deliverance, our redeemer and help. being with God. Jererniah So You are known throughout time, for there is no God records God saying, "I remember the generosity but You. ofyour young days, the love you exhibited when You were always the help of our ancestors, a shield and we were first engaged, deliverer for their descendants in every generation. walking with Me in the You abide at the pinnacle of the universe- desert" (z:z). We can hope t1rr, o.u lsligious life will Your judgment and Your righteousness extend to the ends of lead us back to a moment the earth. ofinnocence, when we feel Blessed are the ones who attend to Your mitzvot and place free and in unselfconscious relation to God. Your teaching and words on their hearts. Trult,Youare the ruler ofYour people, a mighty sovereign, who takes up their cause.

Tru[t,Yotwere at the beginning and You will be at the end- aside from You we have no ruler who can redeem and deliver.

157 sxesBnr AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sn'rvrl AND rrs BLEsstNGs

Page 23 of 70 D'il)N iltirt DF)XI trl?TDD MOSES, MIRIAM, AND THE PEoPLE TsRAEL tr:'lnl nu.r... n .ltn?TE )x1v21 ,-:3. The Torah is rr . : trrTfy.7--: nrln:l emphatic that Moses led

nSxlr: rrr ari::rl: : n)-lll nnort:yh the men and Miriam led J]YP] tr]] the women, so that all rtYlp n'll'! llD the people lsrael sang the D']?UI DrT'T?l Song at the Sea. (See pages ut-tc+.) .r4ri: x) tr14 r[S Eirr-].T tr?p :rtr)ll wHo rs UKE vou nlp; rn. )ts lnDtrl ,trrfri'rl_( rnlu nx\ )y The Sh'ma was preceded by the song of the angels, ,nlnl!rn'! nlrrp nirqi D''IrJl Dlt'l "Holy, holy, holy. . and "" .triP'l rx nixJiill nt]l] now is followed by our '|:I l?n? singing a praise of Cod .Nt tr'] from the Song at the Sea. ,NJlr'i riT+ ' r :'l'! pryl Through the recitation of nrSotu ilrlrp:r )rprpD the Sh'ma, our song and n''l?u irJi5l tr','l'ps xrsin the angels'song become a common chorus. n'b=i'rtiyt ADONAT WtLt RETGN i"l'li"lt .r,?x nyv nyl tny? ruty'l ;i)tll. Exodus rsrg. :.t'114,r Nril '1nl )X? nrbnn < rsnlrr- )x'1utr. The name ti'?V "lsrael" is repeated four i't"t'Iul ?tt:l Di'tn:t ilvrn times before the conclusion ,irlr anniatt ! ' : 1lyr i7r: 7N'tv/' " ! T ol the b'rakhah, empha- :nb: lrnxt sizing the plea for the redemption of the people .ur1i?! iTlq ill,D? r7r,irrilr trrx? il?4?'D lsrael. .x?p ntr'y ,ribir4 x1: ouR REDEEMER u)9. lsaiah 47i4.

LIBERATED THE PEOPLE rsnrer )x1q1 )U. This b'rakhah, in contrast to most, concludes with a .rry1nfu) 1'5n'ntn', verb in the past tense. We can properly bless Cod for ,)y1tp'ts the redemptive acts that have already occurred- ,)xltfl nti171 ir4rp not those we still hope )xtr+ll i-.rJ:rilr l?{lt ir?i il#J::,j:J"ii*]Hf" .)xttf uiT? inq nix?S il'lil'? ,u!yi sH,aaA rruo rHE AM,DAH. .bxttf )51,ntn, ir4x :t:rrl lff,}1?]i:I11,li#i, the Recitatiorr of the sh'ma' The Amidah for Festivals is found on page 306. mentioning Codt redeem- ing the people lsrael from Egypt, to the personal prayers that now follow in the Amidah, and recommends that there be no verbal interruption at this point (Berakhot gb). lt is as if to say that the possibility of prayer flows out of our experience of Godt love as exhibited in freeing us from slavery.

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Page 24 of 70 The Violence at the Sea AooNar our God, You redeemed us from Egypt The flasidic master Sha- and freed us from the house of bondage. lom shakhna taught: That Their firstborn you slayed, your firstborn you redeemed, which results in the good cannot take place wiihout You split the sea, You drowned the wicked, opposition. You rescued Your cherished ones. - B t e s s ing or Re d e m p ti o n ;*#::T ;:,fl :: i;lru*::: :::lffi Let us bless the source _';:;TT;[ff of life, had occurred. source of faith and daring, The cherished people offered songs of thanksgiving, hymns wellspringof newsong *u'n" t'"::t^t:.1t** of praise, and blessings to the sovereign ever-living God, who is transcendenr, powerful, and awe-inspiring, humbling the haughty, raising up the lowly, freeing those in chains, redeeming the poor, helping the weak, and answering Godt people when they cry out.

> Our homage is to God on high, who is ever praised. Moses, Miriam, and the people Israel joyfully sang this song to You:

"Who is like You, AooNar, among the mighry! Who is like You, adorned in holiness, revered in praise, working wonders!" Mi khamokha ba-eilim Adonai, mi kamokha nedar bakodesh, nora t'hilot, oseh feleh.

> At the edge ofthe Sea, the rescued sang a new song ofpraise to Your name; together, as one, they thanked You and acclaimed Your sovereignty, saying: 'AooNAr will reign forever and ever." Adonai yimlokh lblam va-ed. Stronghold ofthe people Israel, arise and help the people Israel! Redeem, as You promised, /udah and the people Israel. Our redeemer is called A DoNAr Tz'rd.ot, the Holy One of the people Israel. Tzur yisrael, kumah b'ezrat yisrael, u-f?eih khinumekha y'hudah v'yisrael. Co.aleinu Adonai Tz'va.ot sh'mo, kdosh yisrael.

Barukh atahAooN,+r,who liberated the people Israel.

The Amidah Jor Festivals is t'ound on page 306.

158 sHABBAT AND FEsrtvALs. MoRNtNG sERvtcE. sx'ma AND trs BLEsstNGs

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