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Synagogue and Siddur by Rabbi Susan Leider

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Synagogue and Siddur by Rabbi Susan Leider The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies Walking with History Edited By Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson and Rabbi Patricia Fenton In Memory of Harold Held and Louise Held, of blessed memory The Held Foundation Melissa Held Bordy Joseph and Lacine Held Robert and Lisa Held Published in partnership with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. UNIT 6: SYNAGOGUE AND SIDUR RAbbI SUSAN LEIDER The reading of the Torah is a central part of Jewish liturgical life. At the heart of everysidur , or Jewish prayer book, we find the liturgy that guides the way we read from our most sacred book. As we gather around the reading table and welcome members of our community forward to bless, read, lift or dress the Torah, we participate in the pageantry that symbolizes our deep connection to Judaism. As this connection comes to life before our eyes, we cleave to the Torah physically and prepare to encounter it on an intellectual level. We elevate the presence of Torah by covering it in beautiful materials, crowns and ornaments. We escort the Torah through the community and bring it to rest on the reading table, carefully undressing it. Joy and awe permeate the congregation as we prepare ourselves to glean wisdom from Torah. As we touch the Torah with our tzizit, the ritual fringe of our tallit/prayer shawl, and bring it to our lips, we physically enact our hope to fulfill our covenant with God: we literally choreograph our desire to bring the mitzvot, the commandments, as close as possible to our lips, expressing our intent to internalize and actualize Torah in our everyday lives. book developed the way it did and what it can mean to us today in our own We are commandedspiritual toodyssey hear the as reading Jews. of the original Torah text and to study it in our primary language. As our ears absorb the Hebrew chanting and our eyes take in the translation, we have the opportunity to be book developed the way it did and what it can mean to us today in our own transformed. It is in this liturgical moment that we celebrate a Bar or Bat Mitzvah coming of age, and welcome a bride and groom“TORAH”spiritual to celebrateodyssey AS SEEN on as the Jews.THROUGH Shabbat before BIBLICAL their wedding. EYES We pray for healing and for the well being of our communitybook developedin the presence the of waythe Torah it did as andit lies whatdirectly it beforecan mean us. to us today in our own The word torah literally means “instruction.” It appears many, many times in the spiritual odyssey as Jews. In this essay,Bible.“TORAH” we will We explore ASsee SEEN the the word history THROUGH torah and in the ExodusBIBLICAL background 24:12, EYES of for the example, Torah Service, in the the context centerpiece of Go ofd the Jewish liturgicalspeakingThe wordexperience. totorah Moses. Biblical literally God and means tellsrabbinic Moses“instruction.” texts towill come guide It appears upour to journey th many,e mountain to manunderstandingy timesand to in howwait the and why this part of the prayer book developed the way it did and what it can mean to us today in our own “TORAH”Bible. We ASsee SEEN the word THROUGH torah in ExodusBIBLICAL 24:12, EYES for example, in the context of God spiritual odysseythere. as This Jews. promise follows: The word torah literally means “instruction.” It appears many, many times in the speaking to Moses. God tells Moses to come up to the mountain and to wait “TORAH” AS SEEN THROUGH BIblICAL EYES Bible.there. WeThis see promise the word follows: torah in Exodus 24:12, for example, in the context of God The word torah Andliterally I will means give “instruction”. you the stone It appears tablets many, with many the timesTorah in theand Bible. commandments, We see the word torah speaking to Moses. 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