A. INTRODUCTION:
The word Jerusalem never appears in the Torah - the Books of the Pentateuch. The name first appears first in the Book of Joshua and later appears several times in the Book of Judges. In reality, only after David declared Jerusalem to be the Religious and Political capital of Israel does Jerusalem begin to appear on a regular basis, 750 times in the Tnakh: the term Zion appears 180 times and additional references such as `Mount Moriah', `City of David', `City of Judah', `Holy City', `Salem', `Ariel', `the City', etc. can be found approximately 1,000 times. 1
The word `Salem' appears for the first time in Genesis (14:18)
when Abraham meets Melchi-zedek (Hebrew - Righteous King),
the Priest King. The next mention of a King of `Jerusalem’ is when
Joshua conquers the land and fights the king of Jerusalem named
Adoni-zedek (Hebrew - Lord of righteous). To defeat him Joshua has God
stop the sun in the sky.
Jerusalem is a city which has been `washed in blood' during the greater
part of its history, both biblically, during Roman times, Muslim times,
Crusader times and into modern times. Yet s(h)alem means peace and
wholeness. According to Abraham Joshua Heschel `Jeru' (from yirah)
means to see; thus a vision of peace.
"Let us go to the House of the Lord. ... Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem. For the love of the House of God, I will pray for your
well-being. (Ps.122:1,6,9)
Not a city of peace but pray for peace.
In Jewish theology, Jerusalem represents a vision of peace; that vision
is described as follows:
"For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem. . . Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more" (Is 2:3,5).
The first verse is recited in the synagogue four times a week (and
additionally on festivals) as the Torah scroll is removed from the Ark.
The ‘word of the Lord’ from Jerusalem is intended as the Kingdom of
God; a world of peace, where `nation shall not lift up sword against
nation'.
Many recall the Talmud saying that of the `ten portions of beauty that
came down to the world, nine went to Jerusalem and one to the
rest of the world' but few quote the next verse. `Ten portions of
suffering came down to the world, nine went to Jerusalem and one to the
rest of the world'.
Prayer may take many forms - petition, penitence, thanksgiving or praise. As expressed in the Psalms (which has been called a book of prayer) is the language and music of our souls. ‘Prayer is a verbal expression addressed to God and is often paralleled by non-verbal communications of bodily postures and gestures’. 2 It is a substitute to the sacrifices of the Jerusalem Temple. ‘Take my prayer as an offering of incense, my upraised hands as an evening sacrifice’. (Ps. 141:2)
The Siddur - the Book of Jewish Liturgy - is the Jewish book with the
widest circulation surpassing even the Bible. Franz Rosenzweig noted
that it is ‘the sum and substance of the whole of historical Judaism,
its handbook and its memorial tablet. 3 The word siddur comes from the
Hebrew 'seder' - order; it is the order of Jewish liturgy. No
concordance exists for the Siddur, but Jerusalem and Zion appear
hundreds of times. No name or geographic locale appears more often nor
is ascribed greater honor in terms of frequency of mention in Jewish
liturgy. The first official Siddur was collected and codified for
Spanish Jewry by the Babylonian leader Rabbi Amram Gaon (821-875). The
first Ashkenazic Siddur was codified by the great Jewish commentator
Rashi (1040-1105) who followed the order established by Rabbi Amram
Gaon. The most numerous texts in the Siddur are the Psalms; over fifty
full chapters of the Psalms and additionally over 250 diverse passages
are quoted in the Siddur. 4 The significance of this (aside from their
moving beauty) is that the Psalms were composed mainly by David and
sung by the Levites during the time of Temple and its sacrifices. The
Siddur is based on the developments which emerged out of the works of
Rabban Gamaliel II and his successors. Attempted alterations in the
prayer order were in fact proposed by the great Saadya Gaon (892-942)
for what he considered a more rational order were rejected by the
people. And the original version of Rabbi Amram Gaon were retained and
became the basis of today's Siddur.
The Siddur includes all the statutory or fixed prayers for Shabbat,
weekdays and festival days. Dating back to Rabban Gamaliel who
established the first fixed prayer (the Amida) a conflict arose from
those you favored a fixed prayer format and those who favored personal
spontaneous praying and has never been satisfactorily resolved. The
leaders, Rav Amram Gaon, the Saadya Gaon and Maimonides, always
advocated fixed prayer while the lay people primarily favored
individual personal prayers. Undoubtedly individual prayers embody the
elements of spontaneity and Kavanah (personal concentration). "Prayer
without Kavannah, is like body without soul" 5 Such personal expression
suggest a free outpouring of the heart - a direct contradiction to
ritualized fixed prayers. Even ritualized prayer can and ought to
expressed with Kavanah and often is. However at times, the
standardization of prayer itself is done routinely. As God says to
Isaiah "this people approaches me only in words, honors me only with
lip-service while their hearts are far from me" (Is. 29:13). In most
instances prayer in the Bible are spontaneous, tailored for a
particular occasion and are `of the heart'. Hannah, the barren wife of
Elkanah, pours her heart out to God for a child. When God responds and
grants her a son, Samuel, she says joyfully to Him `My heart exults in
God'. (1 Sam. 2:1).
In more set terms the Psalms are the best examples of heart-felt
outpourings toward God. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the
firmament show His handiwork" (Ps. 19:1), as well as "the mountains
skipping like rams, and the hills like lambs" (Ps.114:4) are fine
examples. The Psalms (150) are geared to appropriate expressions for
many different purposes and are used for many different occasions.
Later examples of individual prayers include Piyyutim (religious
hymns), Selichot (confessional hymns), and the inclusion of Kabbalistic
prayers. Despite great opposition by the Rabbis these expressions of
personal liturgy were incorporated into the various Siddurs and
Machzors (a specialized Siddur with specific prayers for festivals) and
gained acceptance as part of the canonized liturgy.
During the talmudic days private or personal prayers were very well
respected. "Do not make your prayers routine, but free supplications
and petitions to God." 6 Rabbi Akiva (whose leadership succeeded
Rabban Gamaliel) created the first verses of `Our Father, our King' -
`Avinu Malkenu' - as a personal prayer and it is still part of the
Selichot prayers on the Days of Awe (the ten days beginning on Rosh
Hashona and ending on Yom Kippur) and fast days. The tension between
private and public prayers continued over the centuries.
The Siddur `Tiferet Emes', originally published in 1806 had been
reprinted 154 times by 1931. It includes all statutory prayers for
weekday, Shabbat, festivals and special occasions. It has 312 pages. A
Machzor including all Piyyutim and Selichot was first published in 1756
in nine volumes for a total of 1,696 pages. 7 (Both the Siddur
and Machzor noted above are only in Hebrew.) The Piyyutim and Selichot
were all originally personal prayers. Thus we can see the significance
(at least in terms of pages devoted) of personal prayers.
The only significant change in the Siddur since the time of the Amram
Gaon (aside from Piyyutim and Selichot) is the inclusion of the
Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday evening prayers welcoming the Shabbat). These
prayers from six of the Psalms and the Lecha Dodi were created by
the Tzfat Kabbalists, approved by Rabbi Isaac Luria (H’Ari) and
remarkably accepted universally by all Jews despite being written in
1570. The Lecha Dodi is a nine verse poem; the second to the eighth
refer to Jerusalem, the Messiah ben David and redemption, the other to
the Shabbat. 8 The Chassidic movement in the late eighteenth
century combined the Ashkenazic Siddur with some elements of the
Sephardic.
B. PRAYERS FOR REGULAR OCCASIONS
The concept of fixed prayers was introduced by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, the founder of the Talmudic Assembly in Yavne and predecessor to Rabban Gamaliel, after the destruction of the Temple as a substitute for the sacrificial system. Hence the appropriate continuation is named avodah or service. Unlike the Psalms which had been sung by the Levites as part of the sacrificial ritual, and individual prayers as part of the sacrifices, 9 these prayers were independent and self sufficient. While reciting them communally (requiring a quorum of ten men) they can be recited at home; no need for a synagogue or study hall. 10 Some important Rabbis - Rabbi Eleazer - disputed that prayers were of any value, after the destruction of the Temple. "Since the day on which the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer have been locked". 11 Others, of course, disagreed and the efficacy of prayers was accepted. Above all, prayers recited in Jerusalem were deemed of greater value than prayers recited elsewhere. It is stated in a midrash on Psalms 91:7. "If one prays in Jerusalem it is as if one were praying before the Throne of Glory, for the very gate of heaven is located there". 12
Rabbi Yochanan's successor Rabban Gamaliel II fixed both the order of
the texts 13 of the Amida (from previous texts), and the
requirement that they be recited thrice daily. Both order and frequency
of prayer were based on attempts to retain a resemblance to the order
of the sacrificial system. However this fixed elements of the text made
this different than the spontaneous outpouring, whether of request or
of adoration that could be found on occasion in the Tnakh. Active
participation was expanded from the Priests and Levites to the entire
community of Israel. This democratization of the prayer and ritual
service from a hereditary elite to the lay people was a radical
innovation in the history of religion. 14 In the Temple days, the
people were largely onlookers and not participants. Synagogues existed
during the time of the second Temple, both in the diaspora and even in
Jerusalem. Thus people did pray outside the Temple precincts.
The central prayer piece of the Jewish Liturgy is the Amida or Standing
or Silent 15 Prayer required three times daily – morning
(shacharit), afternoon (mincha0 and evening (aravit). The Amida was
originally referred to as the Tefilla - the Prayer. 16 The Mishna
(Berachot 5:1 - composed in 200 CE) refers to reading it with ‘koved
rosh’ – heavy head meaning with concentration. The Talmud tells of
Sages sitting together discussing how to pray the Amida; one suggested: ‘One who prays must look down, as it says: My eyes and My heart shall be there - another ‘The worshipers' eyes should be raised, to heaven’ and still another ‘One who prays must look down, while the heart should be directed heavenward’. 17
It is of a fixed structure always composed of three introductory
praises of God, and three ending prayers of Thanksgiving and an
epilogue. The weekday version is composed of thirteen prayers of
request between the praises and thanksgiving. On the Sabbath and
festivals, special prayers which stress the holiness of the Shabbat
(and festivals) are included. The Sabbath and festival days are not
considered days of requests, but rather specials day of holiness.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most important day of request.
Yet when it falls on the Sabbath, the ancient and awe inspiring prayer
of request, `Avinu Malkenu' - Our Father, our King - composed by the
great Rabbi Akiva, is not recited, although many other requests are
recited. 18 An additional Amida (called the Musaf prayer) is included
on Sabbath and festivals. The Musaf prayer refers to the sacrifices
that were offered during the days of the Temple. Following the musaf
prayer a listing of the eleven spices which formulated the incense
mixture from the Temple days is recited.
The introductory praises and the thanksgiving prayers are the oldest
(dating back perhaps as early as fourth century BCE). Some of the
intermediary prayers of request date back to Ben Sira (second century
BCE) and can be found in the Book of Ben Sira. 19 The antiquity
of these prayers and the discussions in the Talmud between Rabbis who
lived prior to the destruction of the second Temple, lead most scholars
to believe that parts of the Amida were recited on special days - Yom
Kippur, fast days and Sabbath festivals - around the Temple precincts.
Several of the Amida prayers refer to Jerusalem, the Temple and the
coming of the Messiah. Some prayers it would seem, were adjusted after
the destruction of the second Temple by Rabban Gamaliel. The tenth
prayer beginning with `Blow the Great Shofar'. (Hebrew - tekah
beshofar gadol) seek the end of exile. It includes a request asking
`for our freedom'; this is likely to have been added after the
destruction of the Temple, since prior the Jews had an element of
freedom. The fourteenth Prayer (Hebrew - Le'Yerushalim ircha) reads as
follows:
"And to Jerusalem, Your city, may You return in compassion, and may You
rest within it, as You have spoken. May You rebuild it soon in our days
as an eternal structure, and may You speedily establish the throne of
David within it." 20
Certainly the words before the destruction would have been a
thanksgiving for the existence of the Temple. As noted above, this
request for the rebuilding of Jerusalem is the most prominent prayer in
Jewish liturgy. We have numerous versions of this request. The most
elaborate is the Palestinian rite found in the Geniza. 21
"Have compassion, O Lord, in Your abundant mercies, upon Israel, Your
people, upon Jerusalem Your city, upon Zion, Your glorious
dwelling-place, upon Your Temple and upon Your abode, and upon the
kingdom of the house of David, Your righteous anointed, Praised are
You, O Lord, God of David, Builder of Jerusalem." 22
The fifteenth prayer beginning with the `shoot of David' (Hebrew - et
tzemech David) contains a Messianic quest. There is no mention of
rebuilding of Jerusalem in this prayer. The request for the coming of
David is likely to have existed before the destruction.
The seventeenth prayer beginning with `Be favorable' (Hebrew - rezay)
is a request for the restoration of the sacrificial service in the
Temple; prior to the Temple's destruction this would have been a
blessing for its continued existence. The conclusion of this prayer
states "Praised are You, Lord who restores His Presence to Zion."
There are two versions of the eighteenth prayer (Hebrew - modim) (one
during the silent recitation and one during the public recitation), one
says "gather our exiles to the Courtyards of Your sanctuary". The
epilogue prayer `May it be Your will' (Hebrew yehi ratzon) ‘that the
Holy Temple be rebuilt' requests the rebuilding of the Temple and
certainly would have been added after the destruction. The
eleventh paragraph (Hebrew - ha'sheva), while not mentioning Zion,
Jerusalem or the Messiah says `Restore our judges as in earliest times'
a clear reference to the days of the Temple.
Thus we see that in the centerpiece of Jewish daily liturgy, recited
three times by observant Jews, Jerusalem, the Temple and the redemption
are noted in six separate paragraphs. The afternoon prayer - Mincha is
composed exclusively of the Amida with the sole addition of a
prologue of one Psalm and an epilogue,
The Amida includes a section called Kedusha (holiness); it is a
mystical insert. On weekdays it reads "And in Your holy Scripture it is
written: The Lord shall reign forever Your God, O Zion, for all
generations." (Ps. 146:10) On the Shabbat it includes a special section
for Jerusalem.
"From your place, Our King, you will appear and reign over us, for we
await you. When will you reign in Zion? Soon in our days - forever and
ever - may you dwell there. May you be exalted and sanctified within
Jerusalem, Your city, from generation to generation and for all
eternity. May our eyes see your kingdom, as it is expressed in the
songs of Your might, written by David, Your Righteous Messiah."
Directly prior to opening the Ark, the congregation recites "Father of compassion, do good with Zion according to Your will; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem" (Ps. 51:20). Upon taking the scroll out of the Ark the following prayer from Isaiah is intoned. "For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Is. 2:3) Then an Aramaic prayer from the Zohar is recited. "May You display the salvation of Your right hand to Your people in Your Holy Temple".
On Shabbat, a section called the Haftorah, relates the Torah portion to
a reading from the prophets. The concluding blessing is "Have
mercy on Zion for it is the source of our life".
When returning the Torah scroll to the Ark a prayer is intoned
beginning with `And rest' refers to God's resting place, the priests
doing their work, return to us David and ends with `Bring us back, to
you, God, and we shall return, renew our days as of old." This last
verse comes from the penultimate verse of Lamentations 5:21; the book
commemorating the destruction of the Temple.
Psalm 20 is always read on weekday mornings (with the exception of
some festival and fast days) which includes `May He dispatch your
help from the Sanctuary and support you from Zion." (Ps. 20:2) On each
day the daily prayer recited by the Levites at the Temple is recited.
These include, starting with Sunday, Psalms 24, 48, 82, 94, 81,
93 and 92. Monday's prayer includes "Let Mount Zion rejoice.... Walk
around Zion, circle it, count its towers, take note of its ramparts, go
through its citadels."
In the evening prayer (arvit), prior to the Amida `Lay us down to
sleep' (Hebrew- hashkivaynu) concludes with "Blessed are You, God who
spreads the shelter of peace upon us, upon all his people Israel." On
the Shabbat evening at the end of this prayer "and upon Jerusalem" is
added.
C. PRAYERS FOR FESTIVALS:
Five major festivals, biblically ordained, are celebrated by Jews: the three pilgrimage festivals - Passover, Pentecost (Shavuot) and Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot), and the two repentance festivals - New Year's (Rosh Hashona) and Yom Kippur - the Day of Awe. The pilgrimage festivals had to be celebrated in a "place that God shall choose to make His name dwell there" (Deut. 16:2) - Jerusalem. The special sacrifices eaten on each of the pilgrimage festivals could only be eaten in Jerusalem.
Special inserts/additions for each of these festival days in the Amida
are recited as well as special Piyyutim. (Piyyutim will be discussed
later.) Two of the special inserts begin with `And therefore'
(Hebrew-Uvachan); one continues with "Bring gladness to Thy city,
renewed strength to the seed of David, and a constant light to thy
servant Zion", and the second "And You, O Lord will rule, You alone,
over all Your works on Mount Zion, the dwelling place of Your glory and
in Jerusalem, Your holy city." On all festivals (both the five major
ones noted above and minor ones - in total 35 times a year) a prayer is
included in the Amida beginning with `Our God' (Hebrew – Elohenu
v’eloha avotanu). It includes a remembrance of "Messiah, son of David,
Your servant, the remembrance of Jerusalem, the city of you Holiness."
When the Blessing of the New Moon occurs of the Sabbath a special
prayer included in the Musaf Amida decries that "our City was destroyed
and our Holy Temple was made desolate, our honor was exiled and glory
was taken from the House of our life." God is then requested to return
and `plant' us there.
On Yom Kippur the Amida is recited five times. Each recitation has six
introductory prayers; three refer to Jerusalem or Zion.
"And so too, may your name be sanctified, O Lord, our God, upon Israel,
Your people, upon Jerusalem, Your city; upon Zion, the resting place of
your glory; upon the kingship of the house of David, Your Messiah; and
upon Your dwelling and Your sanctuary." 23
The second paragraph refers to "joy to Your city and the flourishing
pride to David, Your servant and preparation of a lamp for the son of
Jesse, Your Messiah, speedily in our days". The last paragraph refers
to God reigning over Mount Zion.
The centerpiece of the Musaf Amidah is the repetition of the liturgy of
the High Priest in the Temple. The majority of machzors include
Piyyutim describing the the Temple service including `May our
entreaty'.
"...Please O' Merciful One, in your abounding mercy return Your
presence to Zion, Your city, and the order of the Temple service to
Jerusalem... And may our eyes behold when You return to Zion in mercy,
that we may there serve You with awe as in days of old and as in
earlier years."
In addition there is the psalm-like prayer ending with a verse from Isaiah.
"Remember the people You acquired long ago, the nation You ransomed to
be Your very own, and Mount Zion where You dwelled. Lord recall the
love of Jerusalem; never forget the love of Zion. Lord, remember the
day of Jerusalem's destruction at the hands of the Edomites [Romans]
who shouted `destroy it, destroy it, to its foundations. Arise and have
mercy on Zion for now is the time to favor her. Bring us to Your holy
mountain and delight as it is written: `I shall bring them to my holy
mountain and delight them in My house of prayer; their offering and
sacrifices shall be accepted on My alter; My temple shall be called a
house of prayer for all people'." (Is. 56:7)
This beautiful prayer refers to God's choice to elect the Jewish people
and His love of Zion and Jerusalem. In contrast the Romans (Edomites)
are blamed for the destruction of the Temple. The prayer concludes with
the moving verse from Isaiah about God's holy mountain, His house of
prayer; a house for all people.
The concluding Piyyut for the Temple service is usually that composed
by Rabbi Meshullam Kalynomous (c. 1080).
"[We have] No sin-offerings ... No Holy of Holies... No Jerusalem, No
Temple, No alter, No cover of the Holy Ark, No Zion, No High Priest,
and No Aaron and his descendants to bless the people."
In the last Amida service of Yom Kippur - the Neilah - Jerusalem is
described as follows:
"[We have] no burnt-offering, nor sin offering
No staves, nor mingled meal offering
No lot, nor burning coals
No oracles, nor fine beaten incense...
No Jerusalem, nor forest of Lebanon."
On both Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshana the following verses are added to
the evening service.
"Joy to Your land and gladness to Your city.... You shall reign over
all whom You created, You, alone, on Mount Zion, the abode of Your
majesty, in Jerusalem Your holy city, as it is written in Your holy
Scriptures: `The Lord shall reign forever, Your God, Zion, for all
generations." (Ps. 146:10)
On Passover, the Holiday dedicated to the exodus from Egypt and Jewish
national liberation, a prayer composed by Rabbi Akiva, and incorporated
into the Haggada (read during the evening festive meal), in
commemoration of Jerusalem.
"May we enjoy the restoration of Your city and be joyous in Your
worship, and there we will eat of the festival and Paschal sacrifices
whose blood shall be sprinkled on Your alter for goodwill. We will
thank you with new songs for our liberation and our redemption."
Rabbi Akiva strikes a comparison between the liberation of the exodus
and final redemption. During the Seder after drinking the fourth cup of
wine at the Passover Seder (festive dinner) the following prayer is
intoned.
"We pray to You, have pity, Lord our God, on Israel Your people, on
Jerusalem Your city, on Zion Your glorious dwelling place, and on Your
Temple. Restore Jerusalem, the city of the Holy One, speedily in our
days and bring us to it."
The Haggada includes descriptions of the various foods eaten in the
days of the Temple as well as detailed methods and orders of
eating - maror (bitter herbs) and matzoh eaten separately or
together - as methods of recalling the Temple.
The festival days of Passover and Yom Kippur are the most widely
observed throughout the of Jewish world. Both end with the proclamation
`Next year in Jerusalem' as does Simhat Torah, the last day of
Tabernacles.
D. PRAYERS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Most Jewish festival occasions (milestones/rites of passage, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, circumcisions) conclude with a meal which is followed by Grace after the meal - a blessing. Special additions are recited at weddings and circumcisions.
The regular Grace after meals opens on weekdays with a prologue from
Psalm 137.
"By the rivers of Babylon - there we sat - and also wept when we
remembered Zion.... If I forget thee O' Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget its cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I
remember thee not, If I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest
joy." Ps. 137:1,5-6).
This Psalm was designated by the Kabbalists as a reminder of the
destruction of the Holy Temple at moments of celebration. The
clear message is that one must never forget the grief and tragedy of
the both Temple's destruction.
During the Sabbath, festivals and special occasions the prologue to te
Grace after meals is taken from Psalm 126.
"When God returns the captivity of Zion, we will be like the dreamers.
Then our mouth will be filled with laughter and our tongue with glad
song." (Ps. 126:1-2)
It is worth noting that tone of the weekday is one of sadness (wept)
while only on the Sabbath - a day of joy - the prologue emphasizes the
joy of returning to Zion.
The fourth prayer in the Grace is "Have mercy on Jerusalem and Zion" and the fifth prayer yearn for the rebuilding Jerusalem.
The pervasive tradition of never forgetting the destruction of the
Temple is nowhere more blatant that at a Jewish wedding ceremony. The
final point of a wedding is a glass deliberately broken by the
groom in commemoration of the destruction of the Temple. This
crunching is immediately preceded by the Groom reciting the verse from
Psalms `If I forget thee O' Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its
cunning'. The Jew thus at a moment of extreme happiness (a wedding),
paradoxically remembers the destruction of the Temple. 24
After the conclusion of the festive meal in addition to regular daily
Grace seven additional special blessings are recited in honor of the
bride and groom. The fourth and sixth of these refer to Zion and
Jerusalem respectively. Some Ashkenazic rites add a piyyut composed by
the tenth century poet Dunash ben Labrat which quotes from the
Book of Lamentation the sorrow of the destruction of the Temple (Lam.
1:22). In most versions it ends with the `the blessing of the children
of Zion'. A great Chasidic Rabbi, Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (Ukraine
- 1740-1809) composed an additional unique section to betrothal
contracts composed by him:
"The wedding will, God willing, take place in the Holy City of
Jerusalem. But, if, Heaven forbid, because of our sins, the Messiah
will not have come by then, the wedding will take place in Berditchev."
Upon the birth of a Jewish baby boy a circumcision (brit milah) is
performed. The child is placed on an elaborate chair called the
throne of Elijah, (the precursor of the Messiah) and in Grace after
that meal two special inserts are included - one referring to the
Messiah and one to the righteous priest - an allusion to the High
Priest and the third Temple.
Before the end of the Shabbat as a prologue to the Havdalla (closing of
Shabbat prayer) there is a prayer which reads as follows: "The Lord
shall comfort Zion; He shall comfort her ruins, He shall make her
wilderness like Eden, her desert like the Lord's garden;" (Is. 51:3)
E. PRAYERS FOR PRIVATE OR PERSONAL WORSHIP
Private prayers date back to Biblical times. When God punished Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses their brother, he prayed to God to heal hs sister; God did. (Num. 12:13) It has become common practice to pray for the well being of relatives and friends.
The sacrificial system was, among other things, for a system for performing repentance, a prayer was usually said as well. Sin offerings required confessing of the sin (Lev. 5:5; Num. 5:7), the offering of the first fruit has a specific prayer (Deut. 26:5-10) and similarly tithing (Deut. 26:13-15). Individual requests and prayers were common for ages.
Private prayers composed by paytanim (writers of Piyyutim and Selichot; singular - paytan) were composed since antiquity for festival days, as well as commemoration of special persecutions or upon seeing the remnants of Jerusalem and the Temple. The Talmud instructs Jews to be mourners upon entering Israel. One rends (Keriya) one's garment and says "Your holy cities have become a desert: Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem a desolation" (Is. 64:9). When one enters Jerusalem one rends ones garment again and says "Our holy Temple has been consumed, our pride, where our fathers praised You, have been consumed by fire: all that was dear to us in ruins (Is.64:10). Upon viewing the Western Wall (kotel), one is required to rend a third time. 25
In addition to these required prayers, several important prayers were
composed by Rabbis as they entered Jerusalem. When the Gaon of Fez
(eleventh century) gazed upon the ruins of Jerusalem he recited:
"A lamentation is this, and we lamented it
On Mount Zion, [where] we rhymed it,
In tears we inscribed it
And to the Diaspora we sent it.
Unto Zion we came thus
Crying, and sobbing `alas'
Lamenting in our bitterness
They Disdained us upon seeing us..." 26
When Nachmanides, the Ramban (1195-1270) moved to Jerusalem in 1267 he composed a long prayer dedicated to the Holy city of Jerusalem. This prayer was divided into three parts; the first section extols on the city's great past, the second section an expression of grief over the destruction of the Temple and the last section an expression of his faith in the renewal of Jerusalem. This long personal prayer 27 containing 126 verses includes 274 references almost based on the Tnakh.
The first verse in the prayer of Nachmanides is "Our feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem, House of God and gate of heaven." (Ps. 122:2) 28 He proceeds in part one to describe Jerusalem as the center of law and wisdom and the place of God's throne. The physical description of the Temple is primarily based on quotations from the Psalms. In the second section based on verses from Isaiah and Jeremiah describe "the gloom of anguish and outspread thick darkness" (Is. 8:22). 29 Nachmanides himself wrote "I have likened you, my mother, to a woman in birth whose child died in her lap. The milk in her breast cause her pain and so she gives suck to the pups of dogs." 30 In the third section, he twice rends his garment and requests compassion for Jerusalem. "Our heart has not despaired [of the coming] of the Redeemer, who will build the sanctuary and the altar." 31 He concludes his personal prayer by "Blessed art Thou YHVH". 32 This is highly unusual because the formal structure makes his personal prayer into a formal benediction.
While living in Jerusalem the Ramban composed a letter to his son expressing his longing for the rebuilding of Jerusalem:
"What shall I tell you about the Land. How terrible is its
abandonment and its desolation. The result is that the holier the
place, the worse the destruction. ... Who ever is privileged to see it
in its destruction will be privileged to see it rebuilt and repaired
when the Divine Presence returns to it. You, my son, your brothers and
all your father's household will be privileged to behold the welfare of
Jerusalem and the comfort of Zion." 33
An additional example of a prayer written in response to seeing Jerusalem by an anonymous eleventh century paytan is as follows:
"I thank You, my God, for having sustained me and granted me life and strength to arrive here and behold the site of Your holy Temple for whose restoration all the people of Israel pray, that they may rest in its shade and lie in its dust. I, a servant son of your maidservant, have been privileged to see what I yearned for, and adore the object of my prayers, namely, to stand in front of Your holy Temple. Although it lies in ruins, Your holiness pervades it. The nations may have defiled it, but it remains chaste by virtue of Your presence and your promise; although You deny it to us now. You have sworn to return us to it and rebuild it. May it be Your will, O Lord, our God, and God of our fathers, that You select me among those chosen to behold the fulfillment of Your promises."
This anonymous writer contrasts with the Ramban expressing his positive response to the gratitude for having lived to experience seeing Jerusalem despite its being in ruins. As we have seen the Ramban (in the second section) describes his grief on gazing upon the ruins. In the Talmudic days grief was the more usual response. The anonymous author above sees Zion as `chaste' despite having been defiled by the nations; the Shekhina (God's presence) remains around the Temple. Again this differs from the Talmudic sages who stated that the Shekhina had abandoned Zion. The poet proceeds to tell God that he expects Him to answer Jewish prayers as He has `sworn'.
One of Judaism's great poets and philosophers, Yehuda Ha'Levi, (1075-1141?) composed beautiful poetry with Jerusalem as its central theme. Born and lived mostly in Spain he when Jews were suffering from conflicts between Christians and Muslims to make aliyah to Jerusalem. Documents inform us that he met with members of the Jewish community in Egypt and Damascus. It is generally believed that he never arrived in Jerusalem and it is likely that he was killed on his way. What prayer would he have recited had he reached the city of his love? Perhaps one of his many odes to Zion:
"Perfect in beauty, Zion, how in thee
Do love and grace unite!
The souls of thy companions tenderly
Turn unto thee; thy joy was their delight,
And weeping they lament thy ruin now.
The Lord desires thee for His dwelling place
Eternally, and blessed
Is he who God has chosen for the grace
Within thy courts to rest.
Happy is he that watches, draw near,
Until he sees thy glorious lights arise,
And over whom thy dawn breaks full and clear,
Set in the orient skies
The bliss of thy redeemed ones shall behold,
And see thy youth as in the days of old." 34
F. PIYYUTIM
A Piyyut is a poetic composition - a hymn - used in a religious ceremony. Piyyutim are special lyrical inserts placed into the regular festival Liturgy which resembles the Sabbath service. A special prayer book each festival which includes these piyyutim is called a Machzor. Different piyyutim, have been composed for each respective festival, hence a specific machzor is tailored for each festival. (One exists for Rosh Hashona, Yom Kipuur, and the three pilgrimage festivals – Passover, Shavuot and Succot.) Some older piyyutim (primarily from talmudic days) were incorporated in the Siddur. These paytanim were Cantors and Poets who wrote and recited their own compositions.
Piyyutim were composed primarily during three periods, the Ancient or
Classical period - fifth to ninth century; the Golden Age of Spain -
eleventh to fourteenth century; and the Medieval and Crusader period at
which time Piyyutim were composed in Germany, France and Italy.
All the early Paytanim of the classical period lived in Eretz Israel.
35 They were opposed by the more formal and ritualistic Babylonian
leadership. 36 In the ninth century Rabbi Amram Gaon allowed them to be
recited, but noted that these were optional at the discretion of each
congregation. The Saadya Gaon who was born in Eretz Israel, composed
his own Piyyutim and included the following piyyut in his Siddur (which
was one of the earliest).
"May it be Thy will O Lord, our God, that Thou shalt see... the ruins
of Jerusalem which has become desolate, and Thy Temple which has become
forlorn and abandoned as a desert, and Thou shalt be jealous for Thy
holy name which is desecrated among the nations, and Thou shalt gather
the remnant of Thy flock from wherever they are scattered, and return
Israel to its dwelling-place and the palace reside in its wanted place
... and for the sake of Jerusalem, Thy holy city, from which all
splendor has faded, and our holy Temple and source of splendor which
was turned into ashes and object of delight into ruins." 37
He refers not only to the ruins of Jerusalem but also to the status of
the Jewish people in his day.
For centuries the majority of these early writers were known by
reference only; their works were lost until the discovery of the Cairo
Geniza in the latter part of the nineteenth century. These texts are
located primarily in the library of Cambridge University. The most
important of these writers was Eliezer Kallir. The style, rhyme and
meter of these poets was of Rabbinic Hebrew. Biblical and Talmudic
verses are often quoted. For liturgical purposes the piyyutim were
placed in either the Amida or originally before or after the Shema.
The second period occurred during the Golden Age of Spain - eleventh to
fourteenth centuries. The style of these poets was Biblical Hebrew
which was revived after its decline from the days of the Mishna
(ca. 200 CE). The rhyme and meter however were Arabic.
In the third period during the crusader persecution of the Jews in
western and central Europe and its aftermath, paytanim often described
in vivid detail horrible tortures which Jews were submitted in symbolic
language of the Temple destruction and chosen as a form praying for
mercy.
Ancient Period:
These paytanim composed piyyutim, many especially for Tisha B'Av, and used the Book of Jeremiah and Lamentations as their base. The entire Book of Lamentations is a Piyyut or Kinna (an elegy composed for Tisha B'Av) read on Tisha B'Av. The first four of the five chapters of the Book of Lamentations, composed by Jeremiah, employed an acrostic – based on the order of the Hebrew alphabet - a tradition begun by Jeremiah. Jeremiah also began the tradition of comparing Zion and her pain to a mother suffering for her children.
"A voice is heard in Ramah lamenting and weeping bitterly; is it Rachel
weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more." (Jer. 31:15) "The tongue of the baby
at the breast and suckle to the palate for thirst, little children go
begging for bread; no one spares a scrap for them." (Lam. 4:4)38
We can see this in a refrain by an anonymous author of a Kinna.
"Wail O Zion and her cities,
like a woman suffering from birth travail,
and like a maiden girded in sackcloth,
lamenting for the husband of her youth." 39
Another tradition created by Jeremiah was his use of the term `virgin
daughter' for Jerusalem. This term occurs thirty six times in both of
his books. The term `daughter of Zion' is also found several times.
Eleazer Kallir 40 was the most prolific paytan in the early part
of this period. He wrote extensively of Jerusalem; fifty elegies for
Tisha B'Av. These piyyutim are recited to this day, many having been
rediscovered in the Geniza.
"Jerusalem has fallen, it remains sunk in watery depths.
My eye still longs for the vision of the son of Berechai [Zecharia]....
God caused the destruction, then regretted it.
Summoning Israel to cry, saying, Over things I weep." 41
Each verse (one for each letter of the Hebrew letter) has six lines,
each beginning with the same letter. The last verse contains the
author's name; Eleazer. In another six line per verse alphabetic
acrostic Kallir presents God actually speaking in certain verses.
"He made His plans [to show how] He despised the nation
that He once picked [from among the others]
like a rose [from the thorns],
and [the enemy's soil] was enriched
with the fat of her [slaughtered] infants.
The smoke from her [burning Temple] canopy
arose as from a furnace, and the [starving] people asked,...
Confound my tormentors when the cry go forth from my palace, as I was shocked by the rebuke." 42
In another piyyut he composed in contrasting couplets, the first verse
relating greatness while the second verse depicts terror. In each case
the first refrain is `when I went forth from Egypt' and the second,
`when I went forth from Jerusalem'.
"Moses provided for us, and Aaron guided us,
when I went forth from Egypt.
but Nebuchadnezzar and Hadrian the Emperor
when I went forth from Jerusalem." 43
When he writes of Zion he calls her in Hebrew `Em Ha'Banim' literally
mother of the children. His poem called `Em Ha'Banim ' is translated as
`Mother Zion'.
"Lo, Mother Zion, like a dove she is cooing.
In her heart there's a grumble, in her mouth a
complaint,
Bursting out crying and bitterly speaking,
She is stunned as in silence she is shedding tears..." 44
In the second verse `the mother of the children' speaks in anguish of
her children. In the last verse, written in words of the Song of Songs,
her child `comely and black' returns never to be forgotten. He is, of
course, intimating the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and its return during
the Messianic age.
The classical period of Jewish Poetry was sharply impacted by the
Muslims invasion of the Byzantine Empire in Eretz Israel (669 CE).
Shortly thereafter conflicts arose between the various Muslim dynasties
(Umayyad and Abassid). This period of conflict between different
dynasties is marked by a fervent increase in the expectation of the
immediacy of the Messianic age.
Several important apocryphal books were written during this period and
exerted marked influence on the paytanim. These include the Nistarot de
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer. The motif of
the apocalypse and the `Day of the Lord' was in opposition to the fixed
prayers from which that ideology was absent. The writers of the fixed
prayers were with few exceptions did not come from the circle of
mystics who composed the above books. 45
In the Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer one finds the following Piyyut.
"On that day when Messiah the son of David shall come to the people
oppressed.
These signs shall appear in the world and come to be ...
And the inhabitants of the earth shall be silent.
And the King of the west and the king of the east shall struggle against each other.
And the King of the west, his forces in the land shall become stronger.
And a King will come from the land of Yoktan and his armies [in the land] shall become strengthened ... And Edomites and Ishmaelites shall make war in the Valley Acre.
Until horses will sink in blood and make great stir.46
While the name Jerusalem is not explicitly mentioned, it is clear that
the war in question is focused on the holy city as it is in the Book of
Zerubavel. Edom in Jewish lore is Rome and then Christianity and
Ishmael represents the Arab people. The west is Edom and the east is
the Arab lands.
The Nistarot de Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, was written at the time of the
conquest of Jerusalem by the Muslims and Jews were allowed to return to
Jerusalem. The author tells us that not only does the Temple descend
from heaven but the entire city of Jerusalem will descend from heaven.
"And Jerusalem, built and enhanced, will descend from the heavens with
seventy two pearls which shine from one end of the world to the other."
47
One may infer that the Babylonian leader the Hai Gaon (939-1038) was
influenced by these texts as he wrote:
"At the time when the Temple and Jerusalem will be revealed, the Divine
Presence will descend from Heaven and stand upright like a pillar of
flame from the earth unto the heavenly expanse ... and whoever will
desire to come to Jerusalem will see the pillar of fire from his own
land and will follow its light until he reaches Jerusalem. ... At that
moment they will see the Heaven and the Earth as if they were recreated
and as if the heavens and the earth of subjugation had disappeared, and
new heavens and earths were brought to replace them. ... `For I shall
create Jerusalem as joy, and her people as delight.' (Is.65:18) 48
Golden Age of Spain:
Yehuda Ha'Levi is considered to be the most important medieval Hebrew poet and a staunch lover of Jerusalem. His Piyyutim are included both in Machzors and elegies for Tisha B'av. One of his Piyyutim was recited before Shema.
"Rejected of their neighbors, but sought of their Lord,
He will call them each by name, not one shall be missing.
Their beauty, as in the beginning, He shall restore in the end,
And shall illume as the sevenfold light their lamp which is darkened."
And another is recited after the Shema.
"Let my right hand forget
If I stand not before Thee
Let my tongue cleave
If I desire aught but Thy Law" 49
One notes the allusion to the formula in Psalm 137:5. Yehuda HaLevi
composed the following elegy for Tisha B'Av enroute to the Holy Land
and is alleged to have recited it in Damascus as he was killed.
"For there in Zion, the Divine presence resides,
and there your Creator has opened to you the
gates of heaven.
And only the glory of God was your lamp,
but the moon, sun and stars were not your luminaries....
O Zion consummation of beauty, with love and charm
have you aroused yourself greatly and the souls of your dear friends are bound up with you...
To behold the goodness of your chosen ones,
and exult in your joy when you return
to the youthfulness of early times" 50
Another important Spanish writer and poet Solomon ibn Gabirol
(1021-1056) composed piyyutim for Shabbats following Passover. He
wrote:
"The despoiled and dispersed Thou shall gather to Zion, restoring the
slaves who were sold without fee. ... I will send you an angel My path
to prepare, On the brow of Mount Zion your King to prepare, the Lord
ever regnant shall reign there, Your King, proclaim, comes to Zion." 51
Once again we see the expectation that Jewish exiles will flow to Zion,
as a commitment made by God.
The Medieval or Crusader Period:
During the third period - the times of the Crusader pogroms - Jews were persecuted both in western and central Europe. Piyyutim were written comparing their persecution to the fall of Zion. Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan of Wyrtzburg composed the following piyyut in the thirteenth century.
"O Zion, most desirable crown, joy for multitudes;
accept blessings of peace, as the river flows from Lord....
O Zion, did you not once enjoy fine appearance?
How then, has your form and your face
become transfigured into blackness?..
O Royal city; you were built expressly
for David and Solomon, his son,
and they were the first to lay down your foundations...
Wake up to greet your beloved,
Shake yourself from the dust of the ground,
when He returns to your palace." 52
The author refers back to the `Golden Age' of the Messianic David and
his return. Cleansing ones clothing covered by dust is a motif further
developed in the famous verse from the song to bring in the Sabbath
`Lecha Dodi' written by the Safed Kabbalists in the sixteenth century.
During a Messianic outbreak in the 1830's some Jews communities stopped
singing that verse since they believed the Messianic age was imminent.
Rabbi Joseph bar Chaim Ha'Cohen (1496-1578) composed a Piyyut based on
an alphabetic acrostic. The first verse began with the word Zion
followed by each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The piyyut ended with
five verses each starting with and being a plea for Zion.
"Zion you will ultimately forget your agony.
Purify and prepare yourself in sanctity.
Adorn yourself with precious jewels and with perfumed oils....
Zion, your era of mourning will come to an end.
with joy and jubilation, for your sins will be entirely absolved and your double destruction will be concluded.
Zion once again you will be considered the most precious treasure by all monarchs and kingdoms, and tranquil waters will flow from your fountain springs.
Zion look forward to redemption.
You will again be called a crown of splendor by the mouth of the upright and by the musicians.
Zion, the mighty one of Jacob has decreed blessing and life for you forever and mankind is destined to say that in your ears.
Zion, a multitude of priests shall serve you And God will once again take charge of your leaders." 53
In 1984 a Kinna was composed by the Bobover Rebbi, Rabbi Shlomo
Halberstam whose entire family perished in the Holocaust. He dedicated
this kinna to them in commemoration of Yom Ha'Shoah (the Day of the
Holocaust). He himself escaped, moved to Erezts Israel and is one of
the few Zionists among the Ultra Orthodox Haredim. These are the ending
verses of his elegy.
"Be compassionate with our remnant; look down upon us, please, from
heaven, at the death camps of the martyrs, ten times as many as those
who left Egypt. Rebuild our holy Temple, and provide us with double
consolation, Exalt us and bring back to Zion and Jerusalem." 54
He is noting that God allowed 600,000 Jews to survive in the exodus
from Egypt. But 6,000,000 perished in the holocaust. Is he asking God
why? He is certainly asking God to be compassionate and to remember the
Jewish martyrs and begging for the Temple to be rebuilt and return the
exiles to Jerusalem. In this a great Chassidic Rabbi connects the
present personal Jewish history with Jerusalem and redemption.
G. SELICHOT
Selichah (selichot, plural) translates as forgiveness. These group of poetic hymns are in the form of confessions of sins - the prayer seeking forgiveness from God. These prayers are not part of a standard set prayers, but they are an addition recited on special solemn days. Originally they were composed for Yom Kippur. By the time of the Mishna (200 CE) it was customary for them to be recited on all fast days. As acceptance of the Selichot prayers became increasingly widespread (particularly by the lay people) and they began to be recited during the ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur and eventually one finds these prayers found their way into the daily prayers for the month before (Ellul) Rosh Hashona.
Additions to these a smaller selection of Selichot called Tachanun is
recited on almost all weekdays barring a few exceptions. A longer
section is recited on Mondays and Thursdays (eight additional prayers).
It begins with Merciful One.
`My Lord in keeping with all your righteousness, please let your anger
and your fury turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain;
for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem
and Your people have become the scorn of all those around us." (Dan.
9:16-17)
The first Selichot can be found in the Siddur composed by Rabbi Amram
Gaon. He is a major author and compiler of the Selichot.
One of the defined ritual forms of forgiveness was the service by the
High Priest recited on Yom Kippur. On that day alone, he and only he,
was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. His carefully defined robes
and prayers are noted in the Talmud 55 and both are described and
repeated in the Yom Kippur liturgy.
These prayers for forgiveness begin with a statement of sins, asking
God for forgiveness for the sake of the Patriarchs, Moses and Aaron,
David and Solomon, Jerusalem and Zion and the Temple and the Altar.
They are followed by a petition for forgiveness. The unique
combination of Moshe and David with Jerusalem, Zion and the Temple
underscores the importance of Zion and the Temple. Moshe and David are
the `superheros' of the Tnakh. The prayers always include `Thy name is
Merciful God', written by Rabbi Amram Gaon. Then `Answer us O Lord '
and the repetition of the thirteen attributes of God given to Moses
(Ex. 34:6-7). As a secondary subject mercy was sought for the sake of
Isaac's willingness to sacrifice himself at God's request. An example
of one of these Selichot is the prayer composed by Judah ben Samuel ibn
Abbas (eleventh century).
"At the time when the portals of grace will open,
On the day when I spread forth my hands to God,
On the day of Judgement, remember me too.
Remember Abraham who bound'
Remember Isaac who was bound,
And also the alter...
Remember, O God who dwellest on high,
Your covenant with those who are storm tossed and sigh,
Do You list as they sound shofar's every round,
So do speak You unto Zion; `Salvation's come round,
I send you Yinnon and Elijah.' 56
The oldest example of a selichot prayer `Avinu Malkenu' - `Our Father,
our King' - originally composed by Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva composed
the five verses, which were subsequently expanded to twenty verses (in
Rabbi Amram Gaon's Siddur). Recurrent persecutions throughout Jewish
history invoked further expansion to forty and even to fifty verses in
some Sephardic Siddurs.
Jerusalem does not appear as a major subject for Selichot, but it
appear in some of poetic prayers. Solomon ibn Gabriol, in his Selichot
prayers describes how difficult it is to be forgiven after the
destruction of the Temple.
"In former days, when Israel offered sacrifices, my sins, through red
as scarlet, turned utterly white; now I wander about all my years and
lament the destruction of the Temple, and I have nought but my word,
and my prayer is my burnt offering; let my life be given me at my
petition, and my people at my request... O strong Rock of my salvation,
remove my guilt and let my righteousness answer for me; let my life be
given me at my petition, and my people at my request." 57
He suggests that despite his prayers it is not the equivalent of the sacrifices that could turn his red sins into pure white.
Certain verses of the Tnakh referring to Jerusalem and Zion are
repeated in the Selichot prayers. "Thy holy cities have become a
wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, and Jerusalem a desolation.
Our holy and beautiful House ... have become ruins" (Is.
64:9-10). "Do good in thy favor to Zion; rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem" (Ps 51:20). "You will arise and have pity upon Zion; for it
is time to favor her, for the appointed time has come" (Ps. 102:14).
The first verse notes that the destruction of Jerusalem is the result
of Jewish sinfullness. The second states that if God forgives the Jews
He must have pity on Zion. And the third the expectation that the time
is now.
G. MYSTICAL JERUSALEM:
Mystical Jerusalem has impacted Jewish Liturgy. Many of those quoted above were very aware of the legend of Zerubavel; the impact of the Ari on Jewish liturgy is as noted above profound.
The Book of Zerubavel, was a major apocalyptic book of the early
medieval times (seventh century origin but updated many times).
It’s theme includes the rebuilding of Jerusalem as a central motif of
redemption. Restoration will occur under the Messiah ben Joseph, but
the war between good and evil, in Jerusalem, continues with Armilus,
son of Satan, defeating of the Messiah ben Joseph. Nevertheless
miraculous events will take place with the coming of the Messiah ben
David including the ingathering of exiles. One of the spectacular
events will be the descend of the Temple coming directly from Heaven,
so large as to cover five mountain tops. The restoration of sacrifices
and the everlasting Kingdom will begin. The city of Jerusalem defensive
walls will be of fire. 58 This sections ends with the following:
“I, [Zerubavel] continued to ask Metratron, the
commander of the hosts of God: 'My Lord, show me
Jerusalem. What is its length? And its width, and the extent of
its buildings? And show me the walls that surround it, the walls of
fire from the Great Desert to the Western Sea to the Euphrates River.
And he showed me the Great Hall and the Temple, and the Temple was
built on five mountaintops, which the Lord chose to bear His Holy
Sanctuary: Lebanon and Mount Moriah, and Tabor and Carmel, and Hermon."
This vision of Zerubavel emphasizes Jerusalem's role in an
unprecedented fashion. Jerusalem is depicted as being the center of the
world. ‘The city will be in the center of it and will have these
measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits,
the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits.
(Ez.48:16). The last verse of Ezekiel states ‘And the name of the city
from that time on will be: The Lord is There’ (Ez.48:35).
Jewish mystics saw Jerusalem as the female aspect of God – the Shekhina. The great Rabbi Isaac Luria (H’Ari) of Tzfat told one of his disciples Rabbi Avraham ben Eliezer ha-Levi Beruchim to do an act of teshuva ‘Now, know that your days are completed and that you have no longer to live unless you perform an act of teshuva which I shall teach you. If you carry it out you may live another 22 years. Travel to Jerusalem and go to the Kotel - the western wall - where you should pour out your prayers and your tears; and if you are acceptable you will merit a vision of the Shekhina. Then you may rest assured that you will live another 22 years.’
Beruchim did as ‘H’Ari’ suggested. He went to Jerusalem, spent three
days fasting and went to the western wall. He prayed and wept. He
lifted his eyes and saw upon the wall the likeness of a woman with her
back turned toward him in sackcloth, dust and ashes. As
soon as he saw her he fell on his face crying out `mother, mother of
Zion, woe is me that I have seen you thus'! He fell asleep. In a
dream he saw the Shekhina coming toward him and placing her hand upon
his face wiping away the tears from his eyes. She said to him,
‘Console yourself, Avraham my son, for their is hope for the
future; the Lord said `your children shall return to their border.'
He awoke and returned to Tzfat joyful and in high spirits; and lived
another 22 years. This major motif in using the Shekhina and making her
a symbol of Jerusalem remains for kabbalistic Jews. The Shekhina
in kabbalistic terms means love and the nurturing power of women. The
true man according to kabbalists must be a combination of ‘gevurah’
male strength - knowledge and the mercy and nurturing power of women -
the Shekhina.
H. CONCLUSION
This review of Jewish liturgy, from Siddurs to Machzors, from fixed prayers to those for Festivals, for Regular and Special occasions, for private use and the Piyyutim and Selichot shows that Jerusalem and redemption is the central motif of Jewish Liturgy. This has been true since the destruction of the second Temple.
Since King David established his capital in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago
it has represented Jewish identity and is a metaphor for a Messianic
utopian future. Most in the Jewish religious world expect this future
to come miraculously, not as a natural progression; an ‘end of days’
phenomenon perhaps after an apocalyptic war.
The agent and accepted symbol of the Messianic age is the Messiah and
his city is Jerusalem. 59 Redemption is a key to Jewish
thinking and theology; it provides the incentive to sacrilize the
world. A better this world without salvation was not a likely
reality; rather Jews expected the Kingdom of Heaven, a new world order.
Martin Buber stated that the Messianic idea was original to the
Jews. No religious category appears more endemic to
Judaism than the Messiah and this is represented by Jerusalem.
Messianic hope is an historical time; what happens when Jerusalem is
actually historically controlled by the Jews. The Chief Rabbinate
proclaimed a prayer:
‘Our Father in Heaven, the Rock of Israel and her Redeemer, bless You the State of Israel, the beginning of the dawn of our redemption’. Does Israel represent the beginning of the Messianic age to be proclaimed in the eternal Jewish city of Jerusalem?
A fundamental belief of Orthodox Judaism is the separation of exile and
redemption; a belief in one or the other. But Jewish control Jerusalem
exists now but redemption seems far apart.
Shortly after the destruction of the second Temple Rabbi Akiva visited
Rome and saw its grandeur. He laughed while his colleagues cried. They
asked why he laughed at the enormity of the power of these pagans.
Rabbi Akiva responded: `If this is what God gave those who destroyed
the Temple, can you imagine what He will give us when he sends the
Messiah'.
1 Talmon, Shermaryahu - The
Biblical Concept of Jerusalem - Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1971.
The two most prominent names, Jerusalem and Zion are not
mentioned in the Torah - the Pentateuch, but begin in the books of
Prophets.
2 Smith, Mark, S., The Pilgrimage Pattern in Exodus, (JSOT #239, Sheffield University, Sheffield, 1997) pg. 118.
3 Glazter, Nahum, M.m Franz Rosenzweig: His life and thought, (JBS, Philadelphia, 1953) pg. 251.
4 Idelsohn, A.Z., Jewish Liturgy and Its Development, (Henry Holt, NY, 1932) Pg.33. Macy Nulman in The Encyclopedia Of Jewish Prayers (Jason Aronson, Northvale, New Jersey, 1996) lists 104 Psalms quoted in Siddurs and Machzors.
5 Eric Friedland, in Poorthuis, M, and Safrai, Ch., eds. The Centrality of Jerusalem, (Pharos, N.Y.), P. 139.
6 Rabbi Eliezer in BT Berakot 28b.
7 Green, W.S., ed. Approaches To Ancient Judaism, Vol IV, (Scholars Press, Chico, California, 1983), Jacob J. Petuchowski, The Liturgy of the Synagogue, P. 47.
8 The Tzfat kabbalists also created several liturgical holidays: 1. The midnight to dawn prayer and studying on two separate nights; the eve of Pentecost and the eve of Hoshana Rabba - the eve before the end of the holiday of Tabernacles. This midnight to dawn program is carried out by many hundreds of thousands of Jews. 2.They also created the celebration of Tu ba'Shvat - the spring celebration of the trees. 3.And they created a prayer day before the New Moon.- which as is observed today primarily by women.
9 For sin offerings see Lev. 5:5 and Num. 5:7 and for the and first fruit offerings see Deut. 26:5- 15.
10 While the communal nature of these prayers were important very few of prayers can only be done with a quorum of ten males. The vast majority can be done at home. The most important sections that could not be done without a quorum were the kaddish recited by mourners and the reading of the Torah from the scroll.
11 B.T. Breakhot 32b.
12 Midrash Psalms
13 As we shall see there were many variants of the specific words in each of the eighteen prayers, but Rabbi Gamaliel fixed the number of these prayers and the concept behind each paragraph. The words themselves could and were changed by the prayer leader. The first written text as noted above, came almost 1,000 years later by the Rabbi Amram Gaon. There are a few scholars who believe this writing of the Amida was done by Ezra after the Jews returned from Babylon and rebuilt the second Temple.
14 Heinemann, P. 15.
15 Hannah, the mother of Samuel, is the only person in the Tnakh to pray silently.
16 Reif, Stefan C. Early History of Jewish Worship, in Poorthuis, M. P. P. 114.
17 BT Yevamot 105b.
18 As noted below there are five Amidot recited on Yom Kippur. If Yom Kippur falls on a Shabbat, in four of the Amidot `Avinu Malkenu is omitted. It is only recited in the concluding service, the Neila service. In some Sephardic rites the `Avinu Malkenu' is recited in all the Amida services on Yom Kippur even if it falls on the Sabbath.
19 Schechter, Abraham, Lectures On Jewish Liturgy, (Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1933) Pg. 12.
20 Quotations from the Siddur come from `The Complete Art Scroll Siddur, translated by Rabbi Nosson Scherman (Mesorah Publications, N.Y., 1986).
21 A Geniza is a synagogue repository where Jews keep holy texts that are no longer used because of their condition. In 1897 Rabbi Solomon Schechter found almost 200,000 fragments of documents in an early medieval synagogue in Cairo. 60,000 of these were Piyyutim, more than doubling the number previously known. Most of what was known before that find was about the rites of the larger Jewish communities in Babylonia.
22 Green, ed. Petuchowski, The Liturgy of the Synagogue, Pg. 47.
23 This is only in the Sephardic rite. The Ashkenazic rite has only five introductory prayers. The quotations from the Machzor come from The Complete Art Scroll Machzor', Translated by Rabbi Nosson Scherman, (Mesorah Publications, N.Y., 1986). This publication has a separate machzor for each festival and one for the Ashkenazic rite and one for the Sephardic rite.
24 Similarly when an observant Jews builds a new house, he leaves a corner unpainted to remember the destruction of the Temple.
25 B.T. Moed Katan 26a.
26 Prawer, Pg. 277
27 Translated by Rabbi Charles B. Chavel, Prayer at the Ruins of Jerusalem (Shilo Publishing, N.Y., 1978).
28 Jewish legend tells us that the Levites sang this prayer as they entered the Temple.
29 Chavel P. 10.
30 Chavel P. 14.
31 Chavel P. 14.
32 Chavel P. 25.
33 Hammer, R. ed. The Jerusalem Anthology, (Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, PA, 1995) P. 158-159.
34 Grindea, M. Jerusalem, The Holy City in Literature, (Kahn&
Averill, London, 1968), P. 74.
35 Prawer, by Avraham Grossman, Pg. 229.
36 The Palestinian rite, many versions of which were found in the Geniza, were more varied and elaborate than the Babylonian.
37 Prawer, Pg. 306.
38 The idea of Zion being likened to a milk-giving breast is also found in Isaiah 66:11. It is difficult to date this section of Isaiah and thus whether this was written prior to Jeremiah is unknown.
39 Chaim, A. Rabbi, and Gold, Rabbi Avie, The Complete Tishah B'Av Service, (Mesorah Publications, N.Y., 1992), Kinnot 45.
40 Kallir is thought by most scholars to have lived in the seventh century. There is, however, a legend that he was the second son of Shimon bar Yochai, the second century sage and the reputed (although this is disputed by Gershom Sholem) of the Zohar and therefore the most important early kabbalist.
41 Chaim, Kinot 6.
42 Chaim, Kinna 9.
43 Chaim, KInna 31.
44 Grindea, P. 128-130.
45 The exceptions being the writers of the Kedusha prayers as inserts into the Amida as well as Rabbi Akiva who was both a great traditional and mystical figure.
46 Prawer, Grossman, Pg. 230.
47 Prawer, Grossman, Pg. 304.
48 ibid. Pg. 307.
49 Speigel, Shalom, On Medieval Hebrew Poetry, in Finkelstein, L. ed. The Jews, (JPS, NY 1949) P. 545.
50 Chaim, Kinnot 36.
51 Zangwill, I. Translator, Selected Religious Poems of Solomon ibn Gabriol, (Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, PA, 1923) P. 20-22.
52 Chaim, Kinna 38.
53 Chaim, Kinna 43.
54 Prawer, Pg. 390.
55 B.T. Yoma 36b.
56 Heinemann, J., Petuchowski, J.J. ed. Literature of the Synagogue, (Behrman House, N.Y., 1975), P. 268. Yinnon one of the names of the Messiah in the Talmud.
57 Rosenfeld, Rabbi Abraham, Selichot, (The Judaica Press, N.Y., 1991) P. 49.
58 Prawer, Grossman, P. 301.
59 This is obviously also true of Christianity but not of Islam. In the Koran Jerusalem is never mentioned and only once referred to as the ‘Far Temple’ referring the already destroyed Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.