Religion - Synagogue Services
Jewish services are
the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. These prayers,
often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the
traditional Jewish prayer book.
The individual is required to pray three times daily -- more on the
Sabbath and Jewish holidays. While prayer alone is valid, praying with a
minyan (quorum of ten adult males) is ideal. Many synagogues have a
hazzan (cantor) who is a professional or lay-professional singer
employed for the purpose of leading the congregation in prayer.
Daven is the originally exclusively Eastern Yiddish verb meaning "pray";
it is widely used by Ashkenazic Orthodox Jews. In Yinglish, this has
become the Anglicised davening. The origin of the word is obscure, but
is thought by some to have come from Middle French and by others to be
derived from a Slavic word meaning 'give'. In Western Yiddish, the term
for "pray" is oren, a word with clear roots in Romance languages —
compare Spanish and Portuguese "orar" and Latin "Oratorium".
The prayers and their origins
Backgrounds
There are three prayer services each day on weekdays. A fourth
additional prayer service (called mussaf, "additional"), is added on
Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and on major holidays. A fifth prayer (ne'ilah),
is only recited on Yom Kippur.
According to the Talmud (tractate Taanit 2a), prayer is a Biblical
command: "Your shall serve God with your whole heart (Deuteronomy 11:13)
- What service is performed with the heart? This is prayer". The prayers
are therefore referred to as Avodah sheba-Lev (service of the heart).
Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 1:1) likewise categorises
prayer as a Biblical command, but states that the number of prayers or
their times are not. This statement is relied upon by the authorities
that hold that women, while being required to pray, only need to pray
once a day (preferably in the morning), though they can, if they wish,
pray all three daily prayers.
The Talmud (tractate Berachoth 26b) gives different reasons why there
are three basic prayers.
1. According to one sage, every one of the Patriarchs instituted one
prayer: Abraham the morning, Isaac the afternoon and Jacob the evening
prayers. This view is supported with Biblical quotes indicating that the
Patriarchs prayed at the time mentioned.
2. A second opinion states that each was instituted parallel to a
sacrificial act in the Temple in Jerusalem: the morning Tamid offering
in the morning for the morning, the afternoon Tamid for the afternoon
prayers and the overnight burning of the leftovers for the evening
prayers.
Additional Biblical references suggest that King David and the prophet
Daniel prayed three times a day. In Psalms, David states: "Evening,
morning and afternoon do I pray and cry, and He will hear my voice"
(55:18). As in Daniel: "[...] his windows being open in his chamber
toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before" (6:11).
Text and language
Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer 1:4) relates that until the
Babylonian exile, all Jews composed their own prayers. After the exile,
however, the sages of the time found the ability of the people
insufficient to continue the practice, and they composed the main
portions of the siddur, such as the Amidah. The language of the prayers,
while clearly being from the Second Temple period, often employs
Biblical idiom, and according to some authorities it should not contain
rabbinic or Mishnaic idiom apart from in the sections of Mishnah that
are featured (see Baer).
Prayer is done almost exclusively in Hebrew, but Jewish law allows for
prayers to be said in any language that the person praying understands.
Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues use almost exclusively Hebrew, and use the
local language only for sermons and directions; Conservative synagogues
use Hebrew for 75% to 100% of the service (depending on the local
custom), and the rest is in the local language. Reform synagogues
(usually called Temples) use anywhere from 10% to 50% Hebrew; most of
the service is in the local language. Sephardic customs vary, but Ladino
or Portuguese may be used in smaller or greater parts of the service
even in the most traditional and Orthodox communities.
Quorum
Main article: Minyan
Prayer alone is considered acceptable, but prayer with a quorum of ten
adults (a minyan) is considered "prayer with the community", and this is
the most highly recommended form of prayer. Judaism has traditionally
counted only men in the minyan for formal prayer, on the basis that one
does not count someone who is not obligated to participate. Many
Conservative congregations have recently begun to count women in the
minyan as well, although the determination of whether or not to do so is
left to the individual congregation. Those Reform and Reconstructionist
congregations that consider a minyan mandatory for communal prayer,
count both men and women for a minyan.
Concentration
Proper concentration (kavvanah) is considered essential for prayer.
There are only certain portions that are invalid a posteriori if they
were recited without the required awareness. These are the first line of
Shema Yisrael and the first of the nineteen benedictions of the Amidah.
Weekday prayer services
Shacharit: morning prayers
Prayers said upon arising; donning tzitzit and the tallit; prayers for
putting on tefillin. Next follows a section called the morning
blessings, followed by blessings for the Torah and readings from
Biblical and rabbinic writings. Next comes Shema Yisrael (first part
only). In Orthodox services this is followed by a series of readings
from Biblical and rabbinic writings recalling the offerings made in the
Temple in Jerusalem. The section concludes with the Rabbi's Kaddish.
The next section of morning prayers is called Pesukei D'Zimrah, verses
of praise, containing many psalms (100 and 145-150), and prayers made
from a tapestry of biblical verses, followed by the Song at the Sea
(Exodus, chapters 14 and 15).
Now begins Barechu, the formal public call to prayer, and an expanded
series of prayers relating to the main recitation of Shema Yisrael. This
is followed by the core of the prayer service, the Amidah or Shemoneh
Esreh, a series of 19 prayers. The next part of the service, is Tachanun,
supplications. Reform services usually omit tachanun entirely.
On Mondays and Thursdays a Torah reading service is inserted. Concluding
prayers then follow.
Mincha: afternoon prayers
Sephardim and Italkim start the Mincha with Psalm 84 and Korbanot
(Numbers 28:1-8), and usually continue with the Pittum hakketoret. The
opening section is concluded with Malachi 3:4. Prayers then continue as
follows. (Ashkenazim start here.) The Ashrei, containing verses of
Psalms 84, 144, 115 and 141 and the entire Psalm 145, immediately
followed by the Shemoneh Esreh (Amidah). This is followed by a shortened
version of Tachanun, supplications, and then the full Kaddish. Sephardim
insert Psalm 67 or 93, followed by the Mourner's Kaddish. After this
follows, in most modern rites, the Aleinu. Ashkenazim then conclude with
the Mourner's Kaddish.
Ma'ariv (or Arvit): evening prayers
This service begins with the Barechu, the formal public call to prayer,
and an expanded series of prayers relating to the Shema Yisrael. This is
followed by the Hashkiveinu ("Lay us down to sleep, Adonai, our God, in
peace, raise us erect, our King, to life, and spread over us the shelter
of Your peace.") (In the Ashkenazi ritual, a series of other blessings
are added, which are made from a tapestry of biblical verses.) This is
followed by the Half-Kaddish, and the Shemoneh Esreh (Amidah), bracketed
with the full Kaddish. Sephardim then repeat the Barechu and say the
Mourner's Kaddish before concluding with the Aleinu. Ashkenazim do not
repeat the Barechu, but conclude with Aleinu followed by the Mourner's
Kaddish.
In many congregations, the afternoon and evening prayers are recited
back-to-back on a working day, to save people having attend synagogue
twice. The Vilna Gaon discouraged this practice, and followers of his
set of customs commonly wait until after nightfall to recite Ma'ariv.
Shabbat services
Friday night services
Shabbat services begin on Friday evening with the weekday Mincha (see
above), followed in some communities by the Song of Songs, and then in
most communities by the Kabbalat Shabbat, the mystical prelude to
Shabbat services composed by 17th century Kabbalists. This Hebrew term
literally means "Receiving the Sabbath".
It is, except for amongst many Italkim and Western Sephardim, composed
of six psalms, 95 to 99, and 29, representing the six week-days. Next
comes the poem Lekha Dodi. Composed by Solomon ha-Levi Alkabetz in the
mid-1500s, it is based on the words of the Talmudic sage Hanina: "Come,
let us go out to meet the Queen Sabbath" (Talmud Shabbat 119a). Many add
a study section here, including Bameh Madlikin and Amar ribbi El'azar
and the concluding Kaddish deRabbanan. Kabbalat Shabbat is concluded by
Psalm 92 (the recital of which constitutes men's acceptance of the
current Shabbat with all its obligations) and Psalm 93, and is then
followed by the Maariv service.
The Shema section of the Friday night service varies in some details
from the weekday services — mainly in the different ending of the
Hashkivenu prayer and the omission of the Barukh A. le'olam prayer in
those traditions where this section is otherwise recited. In the Italki
tradition, there are also different versions of the Ma'ariv 'aravim
prayer (beginning asher killah on Friday nights) and the Ahavat 'olam
prayer.
The reading VeShameru (Ex. 30:16,17) is recited before the Amidah. The
Amidah on Shabbat is abbreviated, and is read in full once. This is then
followed by the hazzan's mini-repetition of the Amidah, Magen Avot, a
digest of the seven benedictions. In some Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues
the second chapter of Mishnah tractate Shabbat, Bameh Madlikin, is read
at this point, instead of earlier. The service then follows with the
Aleinu. Kiddush is recited in the synagogue in Ashkenazi and a few
Sephardi communities. Most Sephardi and many Ashkenazi synagogues end
with the singing of Yigdal, a poetic adaptation of Maimonides' 13
principles of Jewish faith. Other Ashkenazi synagogues end with Adon 'olam
instead.
Saturday morning: Shacharit
Shabbat morning prayers commence as on week-days. Of the hymns, Psalm
100 is omitted, its place being taken in the Ashkenazi tradition by
Psalms 19, 34, 90, 91, 135, 136, 33, 92, 93. Sephardic Jews maintain a
different order, add several psalms and two religious poems. The Nishmat
prayer is recited at the end of the Pesukei D'Zimrah. The blessings
before Shema are expanded, and include the hymn El Adon, which is often
sung communally.
The fourth intermediary benediction of the Shaharit Amidah begins with
Yismah Mosheh. The Torah scroll is taken out of the Ark, and the weekly
portion is read, followed by the haftarah.
After the Torah reading, three prayers for the community are recited.
Two prayers starting with Yekum Purkan, composed in Babylon in Aramaic,
are similar to the subsequent Mi sheberakh, a blessing for the leaders
and patrons of the synagogue. The Sephardim omit much of the Yekum
Purkan. Prayers are then recited (in most communities) for the
government of the country, the State of Israel, and the Israeli Defence
Forces (IDF).
Saturday morning additional service: Musaf
The Musaf service starts with the silent recitation of the Amidah. It is
followed by a second public recitation that includes an additional
reading known as the Kedushah. This is followed by the Tikanta Shabbat
reading on the holiness of Shabbat, and then by a reading from the
biblical Book of Numbers about the sacrifices that used to be performed
in the Temple in Jerusalem. Next comes Yismechu, "They shall rejoice in
Your sovereignty"; Eloheynu, "Our God and God of our Ancestors, may you
be pleased with our rest"; Retzei, "Be favorable, our God, toward your
people Israel and their prayer, and restore services to your Temple";
After the Amidah comes the full Kaddish, followed by Ein ke'eloheinu. In
Orthodox Judaism this is followed by a reading from the Talmud on the
sacrifices that used to be performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. These
readings are usually omitted by Conservative Jews, and are always
omitted by Reform Jews.
The Musaf service culminates with the Rabbi's Kaddish, the Aleinu, and
then the Mourner's Kaddish. Some synagogues conclude with the reading of
An'im Zemirot, "The Hymn of Glory".
American Reform Jews omit the entire Musaf service.
Saturday afternoon: Mincha
Mincha commences with Psalm 145 and the prayer U'va le-Tziyon, after
which the first section of the next weekly portion is read from the
Torah scroll. The Amidah follows the same pattern as the other Shabbat
Amidah prayers, with the middle blessing starting Attah Echad.
After Mincha, during the winter Sabbaths (from Sukkot to Passover),
Bareki Nafshi (Psalms 104, 120-134) is recited. During the summer
Sabbaths (from Passover to Rosh Hashanah) chapters from the Avot, one
every Sabbath in consecutive order, are recited instead of Barekhi
Nafshi.
Saturday evening: Maariv
The week-day Maariv is recited on Sabbath evening, concluding with Vihi
No'am, Ve-Yitten Leka, and Havdalah.
Services on Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot
The services for the three festivals of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot
(Pentecost), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabenacles) are alike, except for
interpolated references and readings for each individual festival. The
preliminaries and conclusions of the prayers are the same as on Sabbath.
The Amidah on these festivals only contains seven benedictions, with
Attah Bechartanu as the main one.
The Musaf service includes Mi-Pene Hata'enu, with reference to the
special festival and Temple sacrifices on the occasion. A blessing on
the pulpit ("Dukan") is pronounced by the "kohanim" (Jewish priests)
during the Amidah (this occurs daily in Israel, but only on Pesach,
Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur in the diaspora). On
week-days and Sabbath the priestly blessing is recited by the hazzan
after the Modim ("Thanksgiving") prayer. (American Reform Jews omit the
Musaf service.)
Related customs
Many Jews sway their body back and forth during prayer. This practice
(referred to as shokeling in Yiddish) is not mandatory, and in fact the
kabbalist Isaac Luria felt that it should not be done. In contrast, the
German Medieval authority Maharil (Rabbi Jacob Molin) linked the
practice to a statement in the Talmud that the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Akiva
would sway so forcefully that he ended up at the other side of the room
when praying (Talmud tractate Berachot).
Money for tzedakah (charity) is given during the weekday morning and
afternoon services in many communities.
Guide on etiquette for visitors
In most synagogues or temples, it is considered a sign of respect for
all male attendees to wear a head covering, usually a dress hat or
yarmulke (kipa); the latter are usually provided near the front door.
Orthodox and Conservative (also called Masorti) synagogues require all
male attendees to cover their heads out of respect for God. Most Reform
(or Progressive) temples do not require people to cover their heads,
although some Reform Jews may choose to.
As might be expected, there are some things that a non-Jewish visitor
should do during a Jewish religious service, and there are some things
widely considered inappropriate:
* Seating - Orthodox synagogues will have separate seating by gender. Be
certain to sit in the appropriate section. To avoid sitting in someone's
"accustomed spot", depending on the congregation especially, it is best
to call ahead and have someone, probably the gabbai, meet you
beforehand.
* Prayer - A person who is not Jewish should not recite any of the
blessings that deal with commandments given to, or blessings bestowed
upon, Jews exclusively, such as the blessings recited by an oleh (the
person who has an aliyah--see below), dealing with the distinction
between Jews and non-Jews, and praising God for giving the Torah to
Jews.
* Standing - Parts of the services are recited standing; visitors are
expected to stand together with the congregation.
* Bowing - At certain points in the service, congregants bow; visitors
who are following along and wish to bow should feel free to do so as
well.
* Tallit (prayer shawl) - non-Jewish visitors should not don a tallit.
* Tzeniut (modesty) - Appropriate dress for a house of worship is
expected. When attending Orthodox synagogues, women will likely be
expected to wear long sleeves (past the elbows), long skirts (past the
knees), a high neckline (to the collar bone), and if married, to cover
their hair. Men are expected to dress respectfully, short pants or
sleeveless shirts are generally regarded as inappropriate. In some
congregations, however, these expectations are more lax. The best course
of action is for a visitor to inquire about dresscode expectations
beforehand.
* Aliyah - If a non-Jewish visitor is offered the honor of reading from
the Torah, or to recite the blessings for the readings (called an
‘aliyah, a person so-honored is called an ‘oleh), they should (as
discreetly and politely as decorum permits) inform the person inviting
them for the honor, that they are not Jewish. In some Reform
congregations, non-Jews may be permitted to receive this honor, but no
assumption on the matter should be made. Inform the inviter, and let
them determine whether or not the invitation stands.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_services
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