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GUIDE TO SERVICES cont'd
By Rev. Dr. Louis C. Gerstein Tisha B'ab Service On the black fast day of the Ninth of Ab the synagogue is draped in black and the services are read not from the Tebah, the reading desk from which every service is read during the entire year, but as a sign of sadness and mourning, from a table especially set low in front of the Tebah. This table is also draped in black and has chairs for the Hazzanim and the presiding officer. The twelve white tapers which surround the reading desk are covered in black, and the Hehal (the Ark), also has a black covering. The reading-light permitted for the evening service is that which comes from candlelight. However, in recent years because of fire hazard, flashlights have been used instead. Small candlelights are placed upon the table for the Hazzanim. There is virtually no other source of light. All is shrouded in darkness to commemorate one of the most mournful events in our history, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hazzan begins the service with the chant of Psalm 137, "By the rivers of Babylon there we sat, yea, we also wept..." The melody with its sorrowful and dolorous intonation sets the mood for the entire service. The evening service is that used during the course of the year, but the chant is more solemn and more mournful, pervaded with the note of lamentation and sadness. Following the Amidah, the service continues with a kinah, a dirge. This is expressive of the plaintive sadness which is characteristic of the occasion. This leads to the reading of the Bible Book of Lamentations. The first chapter is read by the Hazzan, and each chapter is read thereafter either by another Hazzan or by one of the congregants. When the reading of the Book of Lamentations is concluded, there are additional dirges, each of which has a melancholy and touching melody of its own. One of the unusual aspects of this secion of the service is that often the accentuation in the reading is purposely incorrect. For example, if the word were normally to be accented on the final syllable it is at this service often accented on the penultimate syllable. This emphasizes all the more the unusually sorrowful occasion and the fact that everything is changed fo the worse on this sad day. Before the closing dirge is read, the announcement is made by the reader of the number of years which separate us from the destruction of the Temple. Following the announcement in Hebrew, the final chapter in the evening liturgy is read commencing with the words "For the sake of my Temple and for the glory of Zion, the renowned city, will I weep day and night." The normal conclusion to any service, "May our prayer be accepted with loving favor" is omitted., The solemnity and the sadness of the occasion is made the more vivid when on the morrow even the Sefer Toray is covered in black, and the beautiful silver bells which normally adorn the scroll are replaced with two black coverings. Thanksgiving Day Services Since 1781 by proclamation of the first President of the United States, Thanksgiving Day Services have been held in houses of worship throughout the United States. Congregation Shearith Israel has held services on Thanksgiving Day without interruption since that time. It is a service lasting not more than an hour, expressing the deeply felt gratitude which we hold in our hearts for the privilege of living in America and enjoying the glorious freedoms of this country. Throughout its history Shearith Israel has held many patriotic services to commemorate days of national and international importance. In these few pages we have sought to look into the religious services as they are held at Congregation Shearith Israel. It would, of course, be presumptuous to think that such a brief summary could suffice to give a thorough understanding of the order of prayers. It is only after years of sincere and devoted participation in the services of the synagogue that one may begin to appreciate the deep sense of inspiration and the inherent beauty of the prayers. < Previous |
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