Pikuach Nefesh – Post-Shavuot Gleanings

As part of the celebration of Shavuot, the Omaha Beit Midrash convened a panel discussion involving clergy from Temple Israel (Reform), Chabad, and Beth El (Conservative) with Jennie Gates-Beckman of the Jewish Federation of Omaha serving as moderator. The discussion questions were posed by Rabbi A. Brian Stoller; Rabbi Mendel Katzman and I also participated on the panel. The following are my preparatory notes on the topic of Pikuach Nefesh, the principle of setting aside Jewish Law to save a life.

There is a lot of talk about the principle “Pikuach Nefesh” these days. What is this principle, and how is it relevant to the current pandemic?

The concept is that Jewish Laws, especially those that apply to the Sabbath and holy days can be set aside for the sake of saving a life. The word “Pikuach” actually means “to open up” you may recall the blessing that we say in the morning “Pokeiach Ivrim” thanking God for opening up the eyes of the blind.

There is a case in the Mishna  (Yoma 8:6) that talks about a person being buried under some rubble on Shabbat. We are obligated to “open up that rubble” i.e. to clear away the rocks etc. to save the person even though this is an act that violates the laws of Shabbat.

There are two basic principles involved which allow for this. Firstly, the Torah in the book of Leviticus(18:5) teaches us that the commandments are given to us to live by and not die by. Secondly, we learn that the Shabbat is given to the people of Israel, the people of Israel not given to the Shabbat. (Yoma 85:b) Shabbat is for us, it is part of our conventual relationship with Our Creator; we are not beholding to the Shabbat.

Dr. Elana Sien Hain of the Shalom Hartman institute gave a fascinating talk on the subject of Pikuach Nefesh especially as it relates to our current situation. (https://youtu.be/z0WSSOylWSc) She cites a passage of rabbinic legal text (Tosepfta Shabbat 15) which gives two possible ways to understand the concept of Pikuach Nefesh. In some ways, Pikuach Nefesh can actually enhance our experience of Shabbat. The example she gives is of a bris which must be performed on the 8^th day, even if it is Shabbat or Yom Tov – I once witnessed a bris on the Bima on Yom Kippur, it added an extra dimension of excitement and spirituality to the Holy day. I would imagine that similarly, saving a person in distress on Shabbat would give you a wonderful feeling which would make the Shabbat feel even more meaningful, even more special. On the other hand, sometimes violating the rules of Shabbat even for the sake of saving a life may make you feel like you diminished your experience of Shabbat. Perhaps, to help someone, you had to perform an action which violates Shabbat. You may feel bad or even guilty about this violation and it, therefore, diminishes your experience of Shabbat. If this occurs you can take some comfort in the knowledge that you have enabled another person to potentially keep many more Shabbatot in the future.

Doctor Hein gives the example of a psychiatrist who had to use the telephone to check in with a client on Shabbat because they were afraid that this person may be so depressed in their isolation due to the social restrictions required by the COVID situation that they could, God forbid, be considering suicide. Even though using the phone took away from her Shabbat experience, the doctor violated Shabbat so that the client would live and thus have the potential to keep many more Shabbatot in the future.

Is Pikuach Nefesh absolute, or are there limits to it? How far are we supposed to go in order to save a life? 

Fred Rosner is a professor of medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the Chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee of the State of New York, and an expert in the medical writings of Moses Maimonides. He put together a book called an Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics ( https://tinyurl.com/y9bknfc6) which discusses among other topics the concept of Pikuach Nefesh. He reminds us that one of the guiding principles in answering this question is the belief that one person’s blood is no redder than another person’s blood. In other words, every human life has equal value so we are prohibited from sacrificing one life for the sake of another. On the other hand, it is permissible to risk great personal injury to save a life. This is especially true when it is a person’s profession or training that is required to save a life. Thus, we are taught that even a person teaching a Torah lesson who is a member of a volunteer ambulance squad must abandon that class and rush out to save a life if he is called upon do so.

Interestingly, our sages made it very clear that this principle of saving a life applies even if the person being saved is not Jewish, this is explicitly expressed the Mishna I cited at the beginning. Cynics might say this is so that people will not have an excuse to discriminate against us saying the Jews only care about their own. However, The Torah teaches that all of humanity is created in God’s image and therefore we must treat everyone in the same manner regardless of their religion or nationality.

There are, however, situations where the principle of Pikuach Nephesh cannot be applied. These include committing murder,  idolatry, or violating some sexual or interpersonal prohibitions.

Is Pikuach Nefesh strictly about saving someone from death, or can it be applied more broadly?

Pikuach Nefesh certainly applies beyond the scope of physical danger. There are many cases in which psychological danger is a serious reality and therefore we are obligated to violate the rules of Shabbat to assist those in such situations. A good example is in the case of the psychiatrist checking in with the patient that I cited earlier. Even if a person isn’t suicidal, certainly there are cases involving depression or the possibility of mental abuse where violating the Shabbat to help would be considered Pikuach Nefesh. For example, the Talmud (Yoma 84b:7-10) teaches that if “one sees that a door is locked before a child and the child is scared and crying [on Shabbat], he breaks the door and takes the child out.”

There is also the principle of spiritual Pikuach Nefesh. Is it possible that to maintain the spiritual life of a community we are permitted to set aside some of the rules of Shabbat such as using a computer, to preserve the spiritual life of the community? Perhaps we can do these things so that we can ensure that the community will maintain its spiritual connection to Shabbat and therefore, on one hand, enhance the experience of Shabbat for some and on the other hand, make sure that people will remain engaged and therefore willing to keep many more Shabbatot in the future.

Does the principle of Pikuach Nefesh make any distinction between risk to the individual and risk to the community?

There are differences between individual Pikuach Nefesh and communal Pikuach Nefesh. So, for example, a soldier must go out and fight for the community even though there is a grave personal danger to that soldier. Similarly,  Dr. Rosner points out that a fire in a public space can be put out on Shabbat when the community would face hardship if the fire is not extinguished, even if there is no immediate danger to life. Also, a proactive action on Shabbat that would result in avoiding a dangerous situation in the future could be permissible when the health of the community is at stake whereas for an individual this would be much more difficult to justify.

As I said earlier,  there are situations where the principle of Pikuach Nefesh cannot be applied. These include committing murder,  idolatry, or violating some sexual or interpersonal prohibitions. However, Doctor Rosner seems to suggest and that there may be cases where even certain sexual prohibitions could be set aside for communal Pikuach Nefesh.

Finnaly, Doctor Hain in her class cited two historical examples to illustrate the idea of communal Pikuach Nefesh. The Book of Maccabees recalls that at first the followers of Matthias refused to fight on Shabbat. Their leader chided them and said, “fools if you don’t fight on Shabbat then we will suffer a terrible defeat and throughout all time people will know that if you want to defeat the Jews just attack them on Shabbat.” In other words, they were obligated to fight on Shabbat to preserve the community. Certainly, they enabled many future generations to keep the Shabbat.

Her other Example occurs during the Shoah. People who were inmates of concentration camps and ghettos risked great personal danger to keep as many laws and customs of Shabbat and festivals as they could. Kind of reverse Pikuach Nefesh.  To those brave Jews, it was a way to hang on to their humanity and to somehow resist the tyranny of the Nazi oppressors. In other words, it was in risking danger to keep the law that they were able to preserve and enhance their lives.

Worship by Computer, a Contemporary Solution to an Ancient Dilemma

Some friends have asked me how it is that I am using Zoom for Services on Shabbat. Here is my reply:

An unspeakable tragedy occurred in the year 70 C.E.; the destruction of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem: the Beit Ha Miqdash.  Besides being a severe trauma to the nation of Israel, the absence of the  Beit Ha Miqdash effectively ended the possibility of the biblically mandated system of animal sacrifices, in essence we were left with no way to gather and connect with our Creator.

Our brave sages recognized that faced with the possibility of losing our ability to both communicate with The Holy One and to commune with our fellow worshippers, a radical move had to be made. The solution was to employ a  resource that was available at that time – the developing system of public and private prayer that we continue to use today. These great scholars recognized that since Judaism is a community-based religion, all available options must be employed to facilitate communal worship. This was indeed a watershed moment in Jewish history, had our sages not chosen to turn to this radical methodology, we may well have disappeared as a people.

Similarly, what we know as Passover or Pesach, was celebrated by each family joining with the rest of the community in bringing the pascal lamb to the Beit Ha Miqdash to be ritually slaughtered. The family would then roast the lamb for their festive meal. Unfortunately, the absence of the Holy Temple made this Pesach rite impossible to observe. Once aging our wise scholars adapted to the situation by instituting the Seder ritual during which we merely point to a shank bone on the Seder Plate to remind us of the pascal offering.

In this same spirit, many Jewish clergy have decided that the corona crisis constitutes extraordinary circumstances. Just as our predecessors adapted to a calamity by using the best contemporary resources that were available, we are using our computers to connect with one other on Shabbat. While time will tell whether this too will be considered a watershed moment in Jewish history, we believe that It is especially vital under these dire circumstances for each person to feel as though they are a part of our prayer community, especially on Shabbat and festivals.

The ancient framers of our liturgy, interestingly enough, hoped just as we do that the radical change in worship modality that they instituted would be temporary. Thus each version of the Amidah – the collection of seven to nineteen blessings that constitutes the core of each worship service, contains a paragraph beseeching the Blessed Holy One to accept our supplications in their current form, given the situation at hand. The text begins with the words: “Ritzei Adonai Eloheinu b’amcha Yisrael…”

Our Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat  (Rabbinical Assembly 2016) translates this prayer as:

“ADONAI our God, embrace Your people Israel and their prayer. Restore worship to Your sanctuary. May the prayers of the people Israel be lovingly accepted by You, and may our service always be pleasing. May our eyes behold Your compassionate return to Zion.

Barukh atah ADONAI, who restores Your Divine Presence to Zion..”

It is always astonishing to me that the age-old prayers continue to take on new relevance in our time. Just as the author of the above prayer yearned for the day when the worship would be restored to the Holy sanctuary of the Beit Ha Miqdash, we too yearn for the day when we can safely return to the Holy sanctuaries of our synagogues. As we long not only for God’s embrace but for the embrace of our fellow worshippers, we too must use the best resources available in our times to ensure the spiritual and physical wellbeing of the congregation and the continuity of communal worship until this crisis becomes history.

Here is a stirring rendition of R’tze by the great Hazzan Moshe Ganchoff

Share a Prayer: Face Time with Your Creator.

Built into our tradition is the opportunity to have a one to one “Face Time” conversation with the Almighty every day. The Amidah, a prayer that is a compilation of 7 – 19 blessings, which forms the core of every single prayer service – both individual and communal, facilitates this. Abraham Milgram, the great authority on liturgy in his book Jewish Worship traces the origin of the Amidah to the time of the return of Babylonian exiles to the Holy land; about 533 BCE. A committee of up to 100 great sages, according to tradition, was responsible for the formulation of some of the blessings that would later constitute the Amidah.

After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D., the leaders of the Jewish community faced an existential paradox. The Torah clearly states that the only way to communicate and connect with God is through the prescribed sacrificial service – impossible without a functioning Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  Milgram explains how prayer is the solution our sages devised to this fundamental crisis:

“[By] Reciting the [Amidah] mornings and afternoons at the time when the sacrificial ritual was performed in the Temple, the Jew fulfills his duty to ‘serve the Lord.’ He replaced the ‘service of the altar’ with the ‘service of the heart’.”

The Talmud recalls how in the 1^stCentury CE the blessings of the Amidah under the leadership of the great sage, Rabban Gamliel were first mandated as simply a prescribed list of prayer topics to be expounded upon by the worshiper. Over the course of many generations, paragraphs of liturgical poetry were composed to expand and elucidate the basic blessings on the list, resulting in the formally codified Amidah that we find in our Prayer Books today.

We begin the Amidah with a most extraordinary process. It is customary to take three steps backwards and then three steps forward while reciting the phrase, “Adonai S’fatai Tiftach U’fi Yagid Tihilatecha…Lord open my lips so that my mouth can find the proper words to address You.”(Ps 51:17) According to the great liturgical scholar Ismar Elbogin, this phrase was introduced by the sage Rabbi Yochannan in the 3rd century. The purpose of this ritual is to enable us to symbolically separate ourselves from the rest of the congregation, stepping out of the worldly space in order to enter into a shared private space with our Creator. Thus, in essence, at least three times a day we have the opportunity to have individual “face time” with God. Brilliantly, our sages recognized that, when faced with the overwhelming experience of approaching the Blessed Holy One for a face to face conversation, it may be difficult to find our words, so we ask God for help in beginning the dialogue through the words of the psalmist.

Similarly, it is worth noting the personal meditation,Elohai N’tzor, (God guard my tongue…) which was appended to the end of the Amidah by Talmudic sage Mar Ben Ravina (Berachot 16b-17a.) This prayer expresses the desire that our tongues, which have, in our sacred conversation, uttered only sincere words of prayer, praise and supplication, be guarded from being used for negative speech going forward.

Taking the opportunity to pause, catch your breath and connect with your Creator, whether in a communal or individual context, is an extraordinary gift to yourself. Using the full text of the Amidah or going back to its roots and just using the list of Amidah blessing topics as jumping off points for our celestial conversation is the tool our tradition gives us to accomplish this task. Knowing that we don’t have to face the world alone and that no matter what the circumstance, God is always available to listen to us personally is eternally empowering. Give it a try and let me know how it goes…

 

Here is a setting of Adonai S’fatai by the American singer and songwriter Craig Taubman

Share a Prayer: Avinu Malkeiu

For the Jewish people, the High Holidays are a time for introspection and self-evaluation. We are encouraged to examine our thoughts and actions over the past year with the goal of refining our relationships, and if necessary, making amends with others, with our Creator, and with ourselves. This process culminates with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Not surprisingly, the 10 days encompassing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are know as Aseret Y’mei T’shuvah (the 10 days of repentance) – we are invited to return from the route of negative energy and dissonance to a path of positivity and harmony.

Avinu Malkeinu – juxtaposing God’s role as “our parent, [and] our monarch” is a prayer that appears frequently throughout the High Holiday season . Rabbi Reuven Hammerin his Or Hadashcommentary on the siddur traces the origin of this prayer to the 2^ndcentury sage, Rabbi Akiva. According to the Rabbinic legend, on an  occasion during which a drought threatened the community, all prayers remained unanswered until Rabbi Akiva uttered, “Avinu Malkeinu have mercy on us for Your Name Sake.”  As our liturgy developed over the ages,  several stanzas were added to the prayer. Ismar Elbogen, the great authority on Jewish liturgy points out that several versions of this prayer ranging in size from 22 to 44 verses can be found. Not surprisingly, Avinu Malkeinu is also recited on fast days.

As is indicated above, the prayer Avinu Malkeinu presents a paradox: as a Monarch we expect God to Judge us for our actions according to the law but as our Parent, we expect God to act with mercy and compassion.  We learn from this that each of us has the potential to develop our own unique relationship with our Creator. Rabbi Hammer points to the Sifrei, a Midrasnhic (homiletic) commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy that resolves the dissonance of Aviu Malkeinu by noting:

“From a sovereign, who is far above the common person, one expects justice and a certain distance. From a parent, one expects love and closeness. Similarly, in our relationship to God we find both love and reverence. As the Sages put it, “We do not find love where there is reverence (fear) or reverence where there is love, except in relationship to God” (SifreiDeuteronomy” 3 2).”

 

This setting of Avinu Malkeinu by Max Janowskihas become extremely popular as Barbara Streisand recorded it:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YONAP39jVE)

(You may or may not hear this during the Kol Nidre service at Beth El)

Here is a translation of the version of the text that was set by Janowski:

Our Parent, our Monarch, hear our prayer,

Our Parent, our Monarch, we have sinned before You.
Our Parent, our Monarch, have mercy upon us and upon our children.
Our Parent, our Monarch, keep far from our country pestilence, war, and famine.
Our Parent, our Monarch, cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth.
Our Parent, our Monarch, inscribe us for blessing in the book of life.
Our Parent, our Monarch, grant unto us a year of happiness.

As we go through the process of the High Holidays, it if important to note that, Jewish tradition teaches us that on Rosh Hashanah,  the world is created anew each year; thus leaving all of us with a the possibility of a fresh start and a clean slate. Avinu Malkeinu is an age-old encapsulation of our deepest desires that the New Year will be a year of goodness and blessing for all who inhabit the earth.

Shannah Tovah U’Mitukah

Best wishes for a good, sweet and Blessed New Year!

 

BTW – Ba’al Tephila Workshop

BTW is an exciting new way to learn how to lead synagogue services or to understand more about the process of how services are conducted. How many times have you searched the web for a YouTube video or other source that will show you how to do something in a simple direct fashion? With BTW you can now use that same approach to learn how to be a service leader!

The BTW… is divided into a series of Keynote presentations and videos. These presentations and videos will guide you step by step through the process of learning how to lead each service. You can play these at your leisure.

Of course you can ask questions any time by emailing me, Hazzan Michael Krausman at hazzankrausman@bethel-omaha.org. You can also arrange a time to meet either online or in person for practice or further instruction or just to hang out and chat! You can even email recordings of yourself chanting the parts of the service you are learning and I will happily review them with you. You can also respond to the comment section below with questions, suggestions or feedback.

Here is the first video, the BTW intro. You can also receive it as a keynote presentation if you send me an email.

Enjoy!!

Share a Prayer: Modim Anachnu Lach; Thanksgiving

With the American festival of Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, the notion of expressing gratitude is very much in our thoughts. For Jews, this is not an annual event but rather a persistent theme in our hearts and heritage. Indeed, we wake up in the morning with “Modeh Ani,” a prayer thanking God for watching over and restoring our souls to us and fill our day with a myriad of Blessings acknowledging the role of the Blessed Holy One in all of our abilities and in everything we experience.

Several years ago when reflecting on the Jewish connection to Thanksgiving I related the following teaching:

… As my good friend Rabbi Mario Roizman points out, as Jews our very essence is to be thankful. Jewish people are referred to in Hebrew as “Yehudim.” We receive this name from our Biblical ancestor Yehudah, the son of Jacob. When Yehudah was born his mother Leah she declared, “Odeh et Adonai, I will give thanks to God; therefore they named him Yehudah.”(Gen.29:35) thus giving thanks is part of our DNA. Indeed, Rabbi Roizman points out that Yehidim can be understood to mean: “the people who say thank you.”

Perhaps the quintessential prayer that indicates how much we value giving thanks is Modim Anachnu Lach. This blessing is found in the Hodaiya, or prayers of thanksgiving and acknowledgment section of Amidah, a collection of 7-18 blessings that are the central core of each of our daily, festival and Shabbat services. Below is the text according to Siddur Lev Shalem published by the Rabbinical Assembly.

“We thank You, for You are ever our God and the God of our ancestors; You are the bedrock of our lives, the shield that protects us in every generation We thank You and sing Your praises-for our lives that are in, Your hands, for our souls that are under Your care, for Your miracles that accompany us each day, and for Your wonders and Your gifts that are with us each moment – evening, morning, and noon, You are the one who is good, whose mercy is never-ending; the one who is compassionate, whose love is unceasing. We have always placed our hope in You.” Click here for the Hebrew text.

Our great Talmudic sages mandated that after having made a series of requests from the Blessed Holy One on weekday or even after expressing the uniquely holy nature of a Holiday or the Sabbath, we are to acknowledge the presence of God in all that we have in our lives. Ismar Elbogen one of the greatest scholars of Jewish liturgy of all time, notes that although the present text of Modim can be found as far back as in the 9^thCenturay compilation of Rav Amram, earlier forms of this poetic expression can be found across time and liturgical traditions. Elbogen also points out that it is into this section of the liturgy that our sages required that prayers of gratitude for the miracles of Hannukah and Purim be inserted. Indecently, modern prayer books also include a similarly worded prayer for Yom Ha Atzmaut – Israel Independence day.

The devastating loss of the Beit Ha Miqdash, the Holy Temple of Jerusalem in the year 70 C.E. was a watershed moment in the development of the Jewish people. Our great sages in their wisdom opted to replace the biblically mandated sacrificial cult with a system of prayer which would enable us draw close to our Creator by expressing our thoughts, fears, yearnings and aspirations. At first only a simple list of mandated blessings was produced – it was up to the individual worshipper to compose the introductory text that would more deeply express the theme of the blessing. Eventually gifted authors would compose relevant poetry to be uttered by the worshipper. While the current text of our blessing is indicted above, a second version of the Modim prayer that became known as the “Scholars Modim” or, Modim d’ Rabbanan was found to be so relevant that it too is included in our prayer books.Click here for the text.

Thus, in communities where the Amidah is expressed individually by the congregation and then repeated aloud by prayer leader, individuals recite the Modim d’ Rabbanan individually while the leader chants the main version. One of the salient features of this scholarly Modim is the expression of gratitude for the very ability to express our thanks. The commentator on our Siddur Lev Shalem points out that “the ability to express gratitude is seen as a special gift to humanity. The attitude of thankfulness connects us to the world with a sense of humility and a joyful spirit of openness.”

Rabbi Ruven Hammer, noted authority on Jewish liturgy explains the process of bowing as we say Modim Anachnu Lach and the significance of this prayer in a note published in his wonderful commentary on the Conservative Sim Shalom Siddur entitled Or Hadash:

“Bowing at the beginning and end of the Modim blessing indicates that we are bringing our Prayer to an end. We began with bowing to God and we conclude with a bow. We physically symbolize our acknowledgment that God is our true Ruler, to whom all thanksgiving is due. The seriousness with which the Sages viewed this particular prayer can be seen by the fact that the Mishnah teaches that if one who is leading the service says the word ‘modim’ twice, ‘he is silenced’- i.e., stopped from leading the prayers (Berakhot 5:3). As the Talmud explains, ‘It is as if he acknowledged that there are two powers in the world’ (Berakhot 33b).”

Whether is it is because of what is hardwired into our identity as Rabbi Roismam suggested above or whether it is due of the many and sometimes harsh lessons of our history, we as a people never take anything for granted. On the contrary, Jews as people are continually expressing our gratitude. Jews do not only give thanks on special occasions or when we are siting down to eat a festive meal; we are constantly cognizant and appreciative of our special relationship with our Creator – “evening,  morning and noon.”

Here is a classic setting of this Prayer by Jacob Rapaport made famous by the legendary Hazzan Mordechai Hershman:

 

This is Hassidic version by Lev Tahor

 

Here is a contemporary setting of this Prayer by Cantor Jonathan Comisar sung by Cantor Sara Hass and Cantor Lizzie Weiss

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share a Prayer: Sefirat Ha Omer

Welcome to “Share a Prayer” a quick look at a prayer that is found in our Daily, Shabbat or Holy Day Prayer Service. Often during the course of the service we encounter some real gems that we don’t have time to reflect upon; this will give us an opportunity to select one prayer and take a closer look.

The 49 days between Pesach and Shavuot, are known as the time of Sefirat Ha Omer, the “Counting of the Omer.” In ancient times, on the second day of Pesach the barley harvest was marked by cutting enough sheaves of barley, to make about an Omer of fine flour (about five pounds) which was combined with oil and spices to produce a special wave offering. This inaugurated an agricultural festival that was observed for 49 days until Shavuot, which celebrated the wheat harvest. More significantly, the 49 days of the Omer correspond to the days between Pesach, the holiday of our physical liberation from slavery, to Shavuot, the time of our spiritual liberation stemming from the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It was on Shavuot that we were transformed form a band of escaped slaves to a united nation with common goals and beliefs. Thus, the Omer becomes a period of excitement and expectation; we recall the experience of the children of Israel as they anxiously awaited their close encounter with God – the revelation at Mount Sinai.

For generations this was a joyous period, celebrating both an agricultural event and the anticipation of receiving the Torah. However, following the failed Bar Kochba revolt against the Roman occupation in 135 CE, the Sefirat Ha Omer became a time of mourning and sadness. The Talmud relates that shortly following the Bar Kochba incident, the students of the Great Rabbi Akiva suffered a terrible plague and thousands perished. As a sign of mourning for the students of Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest of our sages, it became traditional to refrain from holding weddings and other forms of celebration. Some men do not shave, haircuts are not taken and many people will not attend movies, concerts or other forms of merriment.

Miraculously, on the 33^rd day of the Omer, known by its Hebrew numeric equivalent – Lamed (30) Gimel (3) or “Lag” Ba Omer, the plague subsided. This gave rise to the festive observance of Lag Ba Omer, including the celebration of weddings and the holding of concerts and other musical events. It is customary to have outdoor activities on Lag Ba Omer such as bon fires, field days and picnics. Because Lag Ba Omer is also the anniversary of the death of the Great Talmudic and Kabbalistic sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai celebrations are often held in his honor, especially at his grave site in the Israeli town of Meiron.

This is a video of the Breslav Hasidim singing the traditional song “Bar Yochai” composed in honor of the sage and traditionally sung on Lag Ba Omer.  Click here for the lyrics in Hebrew and transliteration.

Here is video by Rabbi Tovia Singer of Hundreds of Hassidim gathered at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai .

The process of counting the Omer is outlined in most prayer books and in many standalone Omer Counters and apps.  An introductory meditation is first offered, containing the biblical commandment to count the Omer:

“You shall count from the eve of the second day of Pesach, when an Omer of grain is to be brought as an offering, seven complete weeks. The day after the seventh week of your counting will make fifty days, and you shall present a new meal offering to God (Leviticus 23:15-16).”

A blessing thanking God for making us Holy by giving us the commandment to count the Omer is then recited followed by the announcement of the new day. This announcement includes the exact number of weeks and days of the counting, thus, on the 22 day of the Omer one would declare, “ Today is the 22^nd day marking three weeks and one day of the Omer.” The Omer must be counted after dark to ensure that a complete day has passed between each counting. Here is the text in Hebrew and English.

Below is a video of extremely talented Cantor Netanel Hershtik together with his choir chanting the Sefirat Ha Omer Prayers.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs writing for my Jewish Learning.Com, express the significance of the counting of the Omer in a clear and precise manner:

“While Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Jews became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards. Counting up to Shavuot reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.”

Although it may seem like a lot of attention is given to counting a period of 49 days that fall between two Jewish Holidays; in a similar fashion to the Pesach Seder, the Sefirat Ha Omer helps create a mutigenerational bond that links us to our biblical ancestors and reminds us of the significance of personal as well as spiritual freedom. Counting the Omer is a ritual  in which the entire family can participate. As we count each day, we are reminded not to take everything in our busy lives too seriously but to focus on what really counts.

I hope you enjoy this brief look at our prayers. If you have a suggestion or question or request, email me at mailto:hazzan@e-hazzan.com or leave a comment below.

Take care,

Hazzan Michael Krausman

 

Share a Prayer: Private Prayer in a Public Context

We all know that prayer is both a communal and an individual experience. Our tradition is replete with volumes of prayers that have been composed and codified throughout our history. Psalms and other Biblical sources are thousands of years old, yet they still have the power to sustain our liturgical yearnings and help us to reach out to The Holy One. Interestingly, though most of our prayers are couched in the plural – pertaining to the entire community, baked into our formal liturgy are opportunities for individual, personal prayer.

The first place to look for such private prayer opportunities is the very opening pages of most prayer books that begin with the morning service. Originally intend to be recited at home; these prayers were transferred to the synagogue to serve as private mediations which would help prepare the worshipper for the public worship to come. In October 2010 I wrote:

“Those who are familiar with the Siddur (prayer book) will note that even before the formal service begins there is a collection of personal prayers and reflections that can be offered. ‘Elohai Neshama – My God the soul that You implanted with in me…,’ the passionate prayer dating back to Talmudic Times (Berachot 60b) is a perfect example of such a prayer. The text reflects the notion that at night-timeis that part of God that is inside each and every one of us. Elohai Neshama gives us the opportunity to express gratitude to God and to remind ourselves of our connectedness to our Creator and to each other.”

Here is a stirring setting called Elokai Neshama by one of the greatest and best know Hazzanim of all times; Moshe Koussevitzky. Taken form an album entitled; Moshe Koussevitzky Earliest Recordings; a compilation of material originally recorded in Europe, this record was copyright 1967 by the Collectors Guild. The recording is part of a magnificent collection of Jewish Music Located at Florida Atlantic University, the Judaica Sound Archives.
Here is a link to the text in Hebrew and English.

Following the recitation of the Amidah, (see below), is a liturgical compilation known as Tachanun. Tachanun is a section of personal petitions and supplications that are inserted in the weekday morning and afternoon service. So intense is the recitation of Tachanun that we rest our heads on our forearms and say part of the Tachanun in a hunched-over submissive posture. Based on biblical president, our sages felt that since we are at a time in the service when we are most focused on our relationship with the Almighty, we should expand this intense period of concentrated prayer and introspection by adding Tachanun.

On Monday and Thursday mornings we extend the Tachanun with additional supplications. However, Tachanun is not recited on happy occasions such as Purim or Hanukah in the presence of a bride or groom or when a Brit Milah  (Bris) is about to take place. Remarkably, this set of supplications is also omitted in the presence of a mourner and on Tisha B’Av, our day to grieve for the fallen Jerusalem Temple, so as to not too greatly increase our sadness.

Personal prayers by such great liturgical sages as Sa’adia Gaon and Rav Amram as well as some poignant psalms are found in this plaintive collection. These prayers ask God to help us personally through whatever difficult times we may be currently experiencing.

We ask that God “assuage our fears, establish the works of our hands, heal our wounds and save us from our tormentors.” Even in our deepest time of despair we appreciate the ability to place ourselves in God’s hands.

Some of the other themes related to in Tachanun include, the value of a good friend, guidance in avoiding evil or temptation. Sephardi congregations often include the confessional as part of Tachanun.
All versions of this supplication include the prayer Shomer Yisrael – guardian of Israel which, as Rabbi Reuven Hammer notes, reflects the trepidation of the medieval European Jewish community. Tachanun concludes with the declaration, “alone we are helpless”; we rely on God for compassion and guidance. Here is a recording, again from the FAU archives, of Hazzan Israel Rand singing a popular setting of Shomer Israel.

Above I made reference to the Amidah the a formal series of 7-19 blessings that form the core of every synagogue service. Certainly an entire Blog post could be devoted to this quintessential prayer. We begin the Amidah with a most extraordinary process. It is customary to take three steps backwards and then three steps forward while reciting the phrase, “Adonai S’fatai Tiftach…Lord open my lips so that my mouth can find the proper words to address You.”(Ps 51:17) According to the great liturgical scholar Ismar Elbogin, this phrase was introduced by the sage Rabbi Yochannan in the 3rd century. The purpose of this ritual is to symbolically separate ourselves from the rest of the congregation enter into a private audience with the Holy One. In essence, at least three times a day we have the opportunity to have individual “face time” with our Creator.

This private conversation with God is guided by the age-old Blessings of the Amidah – some of which date back to the time of the Ancient Jerusalem Temple. Built into the process of reciting the Amidah, however, are specific opportunities for individualized prayer. Chief among these personal prayers is that contained within the eighth Blessing, the Prayer for healing. Our Siddur, contains a formula into which the names of those for whom we pray can be inserted. Moreover, the version found in both the Sim Shalom Siddur for Shabbat and Festivals and the Weekday Sim Shalom contain an extra line asking the Holy One also support the caregivers of those who we mentioned.

Similarly, the sixteenth blessing, “Shomeia Tephila – The One who listens to prayer”, is also a traditional point at which to insert a personal petition. Rabbi Hammer cites the Talmud (Avodah Zara 8a) for the origin of this custom. Not only can any heart-felt supplication be inserted at this point but prayers for comfort on the national days of sorrow are customarily included here as well. Thus prayers for Tisha B’Av, mourning the destruction of the Holy Jerusalem Temple and Yom Ha Shoah, the commemoration of the Holocaust are added to the Shomeia Tephila prayer. Interestingly, Hineni, the personal plea of the prayer leader on the High Holidays, ends with the same concluding phrase.

Just as the opening phrase of the Amidah is based on a psalm as instituted by Rabbi Yochanan, the concluding passage also contains a verse from a Psalm (19:15) “may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart …” Preceding this is a moving personal mediation –“Elohai N’tzor L’shoni Me’ra – May God keep my tongue from evil.” This prayer is cited in the Talmud by the sage Mar Ben Ravia.

Although several permutations of this concluding meditation have existed in different liturgical traditions, offering some personal thoughts is an essential part of the process of the individual recitation of the Amida. At the conclusion of the Elohai N’tzor, with the words “Oseh Shalom,” we take three steps backwards and bow to the left and the right symbolizing the conclusion of our formal chat with God. Perhaps our sages felt that since we began by asking Divine guidance for our words, we should conclude our conversation with The Holy One with the hope that our language continues in this sanctified vein.
Here is a link to the text in Hebrew and English.

The provision of opportunities for individual prayer in the context of public worship reminds us of the nature of our relationship with God. We are connected to The Holy One on a personal level at all times, even when experiencing the power of communal prayer. It is clear that God is at the same time within us and part of the community at large; the more that we seek God, the closer we feel to God and the deeper our connection to our community through the Almighty.

Share a prayer: Techinas (not the Middle Eastern dip)

Welcome to “Share a Prayer” a quick look at a prayer that is found in our Daily, Shabbat or Holy Day Prayer Service. Often during the course of the service we encounter some real gems that we don’t have time to reflect upon; this will give us an opportunity to select one prayer and take a closer look.

A pristine white tablecloth decked with the finest of dishes and shinning silverware adorns the dining room table. The iridescent glow of waxy white candles set in two lustrous ancient candlesticks reflects in the eyes of your mother as she waves two strong but gentle hands over the flickering yellow flames. After whispering the traditional blessing, a singular tear rolls down her cheek as she silently recites an age-old private Shabbat prayer.

It is quite likely that the private petition that was just offered comes from a collection of Yiddish Prayers for various occasions known as Techinas .Techinas, from the Hebrew word meaning “supplication”, date back to the early 17^th century. They were composed specifically to be offered by women who, in many cases were not given the opportunity to learn the Hebrew Prayers recited by men in the synagogue. Rabbi Julian Sinclair of the Jewish Chronicle.com suggests these prayers stem from Yiddish translations of Tachanun – the selections of supplications that are part of the weekday services.

Spiritually, these personal petitions are connected to biblical women who are credited with the most sincere and selfless supplications in the Bible. Hagar, the alienated concubine of Abraham besought God to protect her son Ishmael after they were cast into the dessert. Similarly, Hannah, in the book of Samuel, is recorded to have offered a tearful, silent supplication to the Holy One asking for a child. Incidentally, both were rewarded for their passionate pleas, Hanna became the mother of Samuel the first of the prophets while Hagar was shown a well which sustained her and her young son Ismael.

Rivka Zakutinsky, a noted author and educator living in Brooklyn NY, is the editor of an excellent new collection of Techinas entitled, Techinas A Voice from The Heart. She relates that while numerous collections of Techinas were published, the earliest known book of Techinas entitled, Techinas U’Bakashos (Supplications and Appeals) was printed in Basel Switzerland in 1609. Zakutinsky also notes that the best known author of Techinas was the elusive Sara Bas Tovim who was born sometime in the later part of the 17^th Century. A collection of Techinas referencing the weekday prayers, fast days and the High Holydays entitled Sheker Ha Chen, (Charm is Deceitful), a reference to the Eishet Chayil ( a woman of valor) passage from the book of proverbs which is read by a traditional husband to his wife on Friday eve, is attributed to Sara Bas Tovim. Sara also is credited with a collection of these personal supplications relating to commandments specifically directed to women such as lighting candles, separating challah and attending the Mikvah. This work is called Shalosh She’arim (three gates.)

Shas Teḥine Rav Peninim  published in New York in 1916, is another  popular gathering of Techinas. Like many of the collections of Techinas, it contains Techinas to be recited while “the men are at synagogue,” following child birth, for the welfare of family and, over the kindling of Sabbath candles.

A high tech compilation of Techinas, assembled by The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College can be found online.  Techina Prior to Immersion in the Mikveh, is an excellent example of these.

Techinas are so powerful that even our modern-day siddur includes the Techina, Got Fun Avrum (God of Abraham) a soulful supplication said at the immediately following Havdalah  (separation), the prayer that marks the conclusion of Shabbat. There is tradition which attributes this prayer to the great Hassidic Master, Levi Yizchak of Berdichev.Here is the English translation of this text from Siddur Sim Shalom:

“God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, protect Your people Israel in their need, as the holy beloved Shabbes takes its leave. May the good week come to us with health and life, good fortune and blessing, prosperity and dignity, graciousness and loving-kindness, sustenance and success, with all good blessings and with forgiveness of sin.  Omein.”

Here is the Yiddish Text:

Got Fun Avrum is so well know that it became the theme of a popular Yiddish Song in titled Zol Noch Zein Shabbis (May it still be Shabbat) by the great composer and arranger of Jewish Music, Sholom Secunda  Here is a video of this melody sung by the one of the greatest and best known Hazzim, Moishe Oysher. The song also contains the text of the prayer as cited above.

Techinas are a rich, meaningful and potent source for personal prayer.  Rivka Zakutinsky best sums up the power of these sacred Yiddish texts:

“[Techinas are] the voice which women have used to approach God and to Serve Him…For God to be present in our most intimate daily experience –to commune with Him in the most private, unstructured moment, and to know that HE is there and ready to answer – therein lies the Blessing.”

I hope you enjoy this brief look at our prayers. If you have a suggestion or question or request, email me at mailto:hazzan@e-hazzan.com or leave a comment below.

Take care,

Hazzan Michael Krausman

Share a Prayer: Praying in the Vernacular

Welcome to “Share a Prayer” a quick look at a prayer that is found in our Daily, Shabbat or Holy Day Prayer Service. Often during the course of the service we encounter some real gems that we don’t have time to reflect upon; this will give us an opportunity to select one prayer and take a closer look.
In my last post I extolled the vital importance of praying in Hebrew. While it is true that, “for thousands of years Hebrew prayers, such as those drawn from the book of psalms and others, have resonated in our Jewish DNA providing comfort, compassion and inspiration” there is also room in our liturgical service for prayers written in the vernacular. In fact, codified in our Siddur, are prayers, such as the Kaddish that are written in Aramaic, an ancient language that, a one time, was the lingua franca of our people. Similarly, in some traditions, the standard prayers are interleaved with or translated into Ladino or Judeo Espanol – a language spoken by Jews who stem from locations such as the Balkan countries, parts of the Middle East and sections of Europe such as Spain and Portugal. Similarly, there are wonderful very old and brand new prayers written in English and other modern languages, created to supplement and enrich our services.
Aramaic is an archaic  cousin of Hebrew that stems from the ancient Near East. Texts written in Aramaic such as the biblical books of Ezra and Daniel, have been found dating back to the 5th Century B.C.E.  The Talmud, one of the primary texts of Rabbinic law as well as Biblical Translations and the mystical Kabbalistic text known as the Zohar,  also written in this ancient language, are still studied in their original form today. In our Siddur, the most significant prayer written in Aramaic, is the Kaddish.
Constructed around an ancient Aramaic translation of a passage from the Biblical book of Daniel, “Y’hei Shmei Rabbah m’vorach l’olam ol’olmei al maya….May His Great Name be blessed for ever and ever in to the world to come,” the Kaddish is one of the best know elements of our liturgy. Ismar Elbogen the great scholar of Jewish Liturgy, notes that the great sages of the early rabbinic period attached deep meaning to this biblical phrase and  invoked it at the mention of the Holy Name. Soon this expression began to be used in the context of a formal expression of faith in God’s eternal Kingdom that was customarily uttered at the end of a rabbinic discourse. Although at first, these expressions were improvised by each orator, the formula eventually became the standardized in the form of the Kaddish.
Elbogen notes that the earliest reference to the Kaddish appearing as part of the synagogue liturgy can be found in a Palestinian source dating back to the seventh century. Phrases like, “L‘eila minkol birchata … beyond all blessings, hymns and praises …,” make the Kaddish an ideal vehicle for expressing the greatness and holiness of God.  Similarly, the passage found in the full Kaddish beginning with, “Tikabel Tzlothon … accept our supplications and petitions …” is most meaningful in the context of the service. In the synagogue, the Kaddish serves to separate various  major and minor sections of the service. Thus we find a Half or “Hatzi” Kaddish as well as a full Kaddish. There is also a Kaddish D’Rabbanan or “scholar’s Kaddish” which is recited after a selection from rabbinic literature. The mourner’s Kaddish, which is also included at various points during the service, differs from the full Kaddish in that it omits the section asking that our prayers and supplications be acceptable. It is interesting to note that the last stanza of the Kaddish, Oseh Shalom, a petition for peace, is written in Hebrew.
Brich Shemei – “Blessed is the Name,” a prayer said before the ark when the Torah is removed, is another popular prayer written in Aramaic. Taken from the Kabalistic text known as the Zohar (see above) Brich Shemei praises God as master of the universe and asks for Devine favor in granting our prayers and petitions. Rabbi Reuven Hammer, author of Or Hadash, a Comentary on Siddur Sim Shalom points out that the Kabbalistic Mystics maintained that the gates of heaven were opened whenever the Torah was read so they saw  this is as an opportune moment to seek God’s favor.
The conclusion of Brich Shemei begins with the statement, “ Ana Avda D’Kudsha Brich Hu, I am the servant of the Holy One.” We affirm that we place our hope not in any mortal but only in God and the revelation of the Torah.  Bei Ana Racheitz,  “in God we  trust”  the last part of the prayer, is often sung together by the congregation. Here is a wonderful rendition of the Ana Avda D’Kudsha Brich Hu by master Hazzan Aaron Bensoussan taken from his CD, Joyus Chants, recorded with members of the Israeli Philharmonic.

Brich Shemei  is also an example as a prayer expressed in Ladino by many members of the Sephardi tradition in the form of “Bendicho Su Nombre.”  Ladino, like Yiddish its Ashkenazi counterpart, is enhanced by Hebrew expressions as well as by local phrases and idioms. There is a rich culture of music and poetry written in Judeo Espanol which still can be heard in many countries throughout the world. This is a link to the text of Bendicho Su Nombrei in Ladino and English published by the Eitz Chaim Sephardic Congregation of Indianapolis. Here is a video of this prayer performed by Hazzan Sylvain Elzam.

Ein Keloheinu, an extremely popular hymn sung at the end of the Shabbat morning service, is often sung in Hebrew with an instantaneous translation into Ladino by many Sephardi congregations. The text of this hymn which according to the Machzor Lev Shalem published by the Rabbinical assembly, dates back to the first millennium expounds on three different ways by which we refer to The Holy One; Our God, Our Lord, Our Sovereign and Our Savior. The mantra like repetition of phrases is typical of prayers of mystical origin. This is a setting of Ein Keloheinu sung by a delightful Turkish group called Los Pasharos Sepharadis.

Many Siddurim (prayer books) contain beautiful and inspirational poetry that, following the ancient tradition of the framers of our liturgy, expounds on the themes and motives of our sacred liturgy. Some of the most noteworthy writers and thinkers and poets of the past few generations have works published within  Siddurim  or in individual volumes  of contemporary prayer. Perhaps one of the most sensitive, compassionate, inspirational and enlightened modern American composers of Jewish Prayer is Rabbi Naomi Levy. One of the first women to be ordained as a Conservative Rabbi, Naomi Levy has written several books including a volume of English  prayers for various occasions called Talking to God .  Here is a heart rending prayer she wrote in response to  the tragedy of 9/11.

The Hebrew core of our traditional liturgy has sustained us throughout history, and around the globe. Yet in each generation, gifted, inspired poets have given voice to their connection with God and the liturgy through the medium of their native tongue. Whether through translating and interpreting the traditional text or by composing new elements of liturgy that speak to their contemporaries, these talented artists have contributed to the ever evolving and growing opus of our sacred liturgy; providing for the worshipper new pathways on which to seek a closer relationship with the Divine.
I hope you enjoy this brief look at our prayers. If you have a suggestion or question or request, email me at mailto:hazzan@e-hazzan.comor leave a comment below.

Take care,

Hazzan Michael Krausman