91快播

Evening . . . Mixtures and Beauty

Jun 12, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

The rhythm of light and darkness is deeply embedded in our humanity. Even if we do not know the precise time (in hours and minutes), we are conscious of the cycle of day and night. The onset of night, as evening falls, is often associated with some sense of foreboding, and the dawning of each new day holds hope and promise. Light is associated in many sources with good, with hope, even with messianic redemption: 鈥渁 sun of righteousness . . . and healing鈥� (Malachi 4:2). Our liturgy speaks of the transition between day and night, and uses the phrase 鈥�uma鈥檃vir yom umeivi laila鈥� (God causes the transition from day to night). Using a verb that suggests an unfolding process, rather than an abrupt disjunction, reflects the natural flow of dusk, sunset, and night.

Subversive Prayer . . . Necessary Trouble

Jun 5, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

鈥淧rayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, and the vision.鈥�[1]

Harshness鈥擴s and Them

May 29, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

In the preliminary service (Siddur Sim Shalom: A Prayerbook for Shabbat, 66), there is a short paragraph remarkably written in the first person singular鈥攗sing 鈥淚鈥� rather than 鈥渨e.鈥� In the Talmud (BT Berakhot 16b), there are a number of personal prayers of the Sages, the prayers that they would say at the end of the 鈥楢尘颈诲补丑. This text is attributed to Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi and is inserted at this point in the service because it is similar in theme to the previous paragraph. There is a telling, and sometimes uncomfortable, phrase that begins very innocently, 鈥�tatzileini hayom . . . me鈥檃zei panim鈥� (save me this day from those with 鈥渉ard faces鈥� [from the arrogant]). This is a reasonable hope and a fine, if unremarkable, prayer; it would be good to pass a day (or even longer) without encountering others who are arrogant. But that is not the end of the sentence. The prayer of R鈥� Yehudah continues, 鈥�ume鈥檃zut panim鈥� (and from my own 鈥渉ard face鈥� [my own arrogance]).

Love鈥擥reat and Eternal

May 24, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

The first paragraph of the Shema鈥� invites us to affirm the unity of God, and then engages the topic of love, the love from a person to God: 鈥�ve鈥檃havat et Adonai Eloheykha鈥� (You shall love Adonai your God). Several important questions present themselves. First, is the phrase 鈥測ou shall love鈥� to be understood as an imperative? The grammar supports such a construction, leading us to wonder how love can be commanded. A command can be given to bring specified sacrifices, to eat matzah on Pesah, and to show deference to the old, but how can we be commanded to love? Some commentators avoid the dilemma by suggesting the meaning is that we are to behave in a way that would express our love for God, but this avoids the deeper question about how and why this love for God is born in our hearts and minds.

Shavu鈥檕t鈥擧ide and Seek with Torah

May 14, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary | Shavuot

In the kiddush we recite this evening, and in all the traditional services of Shavu鈥檕t, we speak of 鈥�chag haShavuot hazeh, z鈥檓an mattan Torateinu鈥� (This Festival of Shavu鈥檕t, season of the giving of our Torah. [Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals, 42]). There is a subtle yet subversive element to this description of the day: the parallels for Pesah and Sukkot speak of the 鈥渟eason of our liberation鈥� and 鈥渟eason of our rejoicing,鈥� each of which can reasonably be derived from biblical sources; however, there is no biblical source that associates Shavu鈥檕t with the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Shavu鈥檕t is called chag haKatsir in association with the harvest (Exod. 23:16), and the name 厂丑补惫耻鈥檕迟&苍产蝉辫;derives from the 49 days of counting the Omer after Pesah; the Talmud (BT Pesachim 68b) even uses the term Atzeret (conclusion), seeing the day as 鈥渃oncluding鈥� Pesah much as Shemini Atzeret serves as conclusion to Sukkot.

Torah鈥擵ision Beyond the Text (Part 2)

May 8, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

Let us continue exploring, in these weeks before Shavu鈥檕t, the metaphors of Torah in our liturgy. In the blessing immediately before the Shema鈥� in the morning service, we say 鈥済ive light to our eyes through Your Torah鈥� (ha鈥檈r eyneynu beToratekha) [Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat, 111], drawing upon the metaphor from the book of Proverbs that 鈥淭orah is light鈥� (6:23). This connection of Torah (teaching) and light draws on a theme鈥攃ommon to many religions鈥攖hat labels the attainment of ultimate understanding or a close or profound encounter with the Divine as 鈥渆nlightenment.鈥�

Torah鈥擵ision Beyond the Text (Part 1)

May 1, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

In these weeks leading to the festival of Shavu鈥檕t, designated by the Rabbis as Z鈥檓an matan Torateinu (Season of the Giving of Torah), let us look at the way that Torah appears in our liturgy. Torah refers, of course, to the humash鈥攖he Five Books of Moses鈥攂ut the siddur makes clear that it is much more than that. In the preliminary service, the blessings for the study of Torah (Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals, 63) are followed by verses from the humash, and these verses are followed immediately by selections from the Mishnah and Gemara, thus making it clear that these texts are Torah as well. The writings of the Sages (even to the present day) are not seen merely as commentary or amplification of Torah鈥攔abbinic writings are also Torah, the 鈥淥ral鈥� Torah.

Following Boston, Prayers for Healing

Apr 23, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary

Once more murderous acts have literally blasted their way into our hearts and souls. Images from the bombs in Boston are seared into our minds and memories, and these depictions challenge us. Our faith in humanity is challenged no less than our faith in God.