Friday, September 7, 1956—THE DETROI T. JEW ISH NEWS - 34

Bosh itiftssikanah Prayers 111

By HARRY CUSHING

(Copyright, 1956, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

The most popular of all the
liturgical poets, especially in
the high holiday Machzor, is
Elazar ben Kalir (also known
as HaKalir, Kaliri and HaKa-
liri). Although little is known
about his life, it is assumed that
he lived in Palestine in the
eighth or ninth centuries, since
he is mentioned by Saadi Gaon
in his writings.

"11

Their

Torah Buckle in Jewish Museum
Silver Torah

The Piyyutim
Two elements, praise (Shev- '
and
prayer
(Tefilah)
make
The
line
of distinction be-
ach)
the Jewish prayer service. tween the Siddur and the Mach-
up
zor did not exist always. Origi-
This is based on the principle nally, both terms were applied
expounded in the Talmud "Man to the regular prayer book. The
should always first utter praises first Machzor for use only on
and then pray" (Berachot 32a). the festivals and _high holidays
It is to be noted, however, that was that known as "Machzor
Objection to Piyyutim
very little in the prayer book Romaniyah," having originated
Through the centuries vari-
is original. Most of the material in the Byzantine Empire. It was
has been culled from other edited by Elijah ben Benjamin ous rabbinic and lay authorities
sources of H e b r a i c literary Halevi, who enriched it with objected to the use of the Piy-
achievement: the Bible, the Tal- many of his own compositions. yutim because it was felt that
mud, the Zohar and other
From the Byzantine Empire, there were an interruption of
This beautiful silver Torah belt buckle, photographed by --
the idea of adding Piyyutim, the regular divine service. These Frank J. Darmstaedter, shows a cartouche between two eagles.
sources.
objections
are
found
as
early
as
poems written by medieval au-
It is on display at the Jewish Museum in New York, and bears
thors, -was introduced in South- the eleventh century. Some of the inscription: "For on this day shall atonement be made."
IN MEMORIAM
ern Italy, and from there it the objections were from the
viewpoint and on ac
HARRY CUSHING
spread to Rome. The Roman esthetic
count of the obscure and ar- ish notables like Rabbeinu Gei*- day Machzor. It wasn't until
The author of this article,
1800, however, that a true Ger-
Machzor was published for the
ply- shorn, the Light of the Exile,
Mr. Harry Cushing, passed
man translation w4s available.
first time in 1485. The use of chaic language used in the
grandsOn,
Rab-
his
yutim. In -the eighteenth century Rashi and
away, at the age of 4&, in his
Piyyutim spread to northern strong objections were made to beinu Tam favored the use of This was published by Benja-
home in Chelsea, Mass., last
Europe from Italy. It underwent the piyyutim because it was felt piyyutim in the services. Ger- min Wolf Heidenhiem. -There
week. He was one of Ameri-
a number of changes and be- improper to address prayers shorn claimed the piyyut to be followed a whole series of trans-
can Jewry's leading educa-
came known as "Minhag Ash- to the angels. Among the lead- divinely inspired. He even iden- lations into German, French,
tors and Hebrew scholars.
kenza". (the German Ritual). ing authorities who opposed the tifies Yannai and Kahn as hav- Dutch and other languages.
His JTA-syndicated articles -There also developed a Minhag
One of the first attempts to
insertion of the piyyutim in the ing lived during the period of
have appeared in our holiday
Polin for the Polish Jews and a service was Maimonides. the Mishna. He claims that Ka- translate the Machzor into Eng-
in
issues for the past five years.
Minhag Tzorfat, for the French
In his "Guide to the Per- lir was actually Eleazar Shimon lish was made by David Levi
We mourn his passing.
Jews.
plexed" (M or eh Nebuchim ben Yochai (Shibolet Kaleket, 1789. A copy of that edition is
Changes in Services • -
_Part One, chapter 59, Maimo- chapter 28 as edited by Solomon in the possession of the writer.
Published in London, the vol-
In short, the Machzor of the nides rejects the Piyyut because Buber, Wilna, 1887).
It is to be observed that not
all the prayers are in Hebrew, holidays has gone through the it expresses dangerous and ob- Translations of the Machzor ume is entitled "The Form of
many of them being in Aramaic. same experience as the Siddur scure ideas and primarily be- into the vernacular became pop- Prayers for the New Year ac-
the
Basically, the rabbis had no ob- of the daily and Sabbath pray- . cause he felt it was forbidden to ular as early as the 16th cen- cording to the custom of
jection to prayers being recited ers. Without our fully recogniz- add prayers to those attributed tury. In 1571, Abigdor ben Spanish and Portuguese Jews,
in languages other than Hebrew. ing it, there is gradually devel- to the Men of the Great Syna- Moses published a Judeb-Ger- as read in their Synagogues, and
gogue. On the other hand, Jew-man translation of the high holi- used in their Families."
In fact, Jewish legend relates oping a Minhag America. Amer-
that the Ten Commandments at ican synagogues and temples
Mount Sinai were uttered in 70 have for years been introducing
languages. The prayers are re- changes, omissions, variations 100th Anniversary of Brandeis' Birth
cited primarily in Hebrew be- and additions to the prayer
cause it was always strongly service. It will take several
felt that this was the unifying decades more until we may
tongue of Jews everywhere. It reach truly a representative
a former secretary_ of Theo-
BY MEIR CHARNIAK
dor Herzl.
is to be noted that as the Sid- Minhag America.
Inc.)
1956,
JTA,
(copyright,
,Like the Siddur, the Machzor
dur, the Hebrew Prayer Book,
When Brandeis had read of
developed it became truly an is a volume of anthological pro-
He died at 85, and most of the
the first Zionist Congress, he
anthology of Hebrew literature. portions including the classics photographs we see of him to-
is reported to have remarked,
of Hebrew literature.
day are of the old, white-haired
"Now there is something to
First 'Siddur in 875
The oldest payyetan known Supreme Court Justice, so that
which I could give myself."
The origin and suggestion of by name is Jose ben Jose (or now, as we mark- the birth of
And, with De Haas, he started
many of the prayers and bless- Jose Hayatome, the Orphan). Louis D. Brandeis 100 years
to lead in the movement. He
ings are found in the Talmud. Since he was known to Saadia, ago„ we forget that he was a
was interested in sound busi-
However, the first authentic himself a compiler of one of firebrand of a man, one of the
ness methods and did not relish
compilation of prayers, called the early prayer books, it must most controversial in American
a blend of philanthropy and
the "Seder" or "Siddur," was be assumed that he lived before jurisprudence—and one of the
investments.
the Order of Ray Amram in 875. 850. Another payyetan whose greatest Jews in American his-
It was on this problem that
Since then the Order of Prayers, writings are found in the high
he and Dr. Chaim Weizmann
without the additional -poetry, holiday ritual is Yannai, re- tory.
In a recent book of letters of
disagreed and split, at . the his-
was known as "Seder T'filot." puted to be the teacher of the
toric 1921 Zionist convention in
The first known "Machzor" most popular of all the payyeta- Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, there
is an illuminating p a s s a g e
Cleveland. Brandeis lost, and
was that of Yannai who lived in nim, Elazar HaKalir.
never again really held the
In Germany during the elev- about Brandeis, who was Wise's
the seventh century. Originally,
reins of the movement. Still,
the Machzor contained only po- enth century, there were Moses authentic American -Jew is h
he did not disassociate himself
etry of the medieval era. Later, ben Kalonymus, Meshullam ben hero. In a 1920 meeting be-
from Zionism.
customs, laws and other details Kalonymus, Simon ben Isaac, tween Wise and Charles W.
He founded the Palestine De-
as well as the regular prayers the notable Rabbeinu Gershom. Eliot, retired President- of Har-
were added to the Machzor. An In the twelfth century there vard, Eliot said, "Brandeis has
velopment League, the Pales-
D. BRANDEIS
LOUIS
example of this type is "Mach- were Jekuthiel ben Moses of the most interesting mind I
tine Cooperative Co., the Pales-
zor Vitry," compiled in France Speyer, Meir ben Isaac; in ever met." And Wise respond- was allowed to be graduated tine Development Council, the
by Rabbi Simcha ben Samuel of Spain, where Hebrew poetry ed, "He is easily the first Jew from the Harvard Law School. Palestine Endowment Fund and
Vitri, a disciple of Rashi. The reached its highest, the most fa- of the world."
He was, as few_ remember the Palestine Economic Corpo-
volume contains not only the mous liturgical poets were Solo-
It is as "the first Jew of the at this time, an eminent corpo- ration. He thought in terms of
text of the prayers, but \ many mon Ibn Gabirol, Judah Halevi world" • that he is remembered ration lawyer, and -became rich helping to develop Palestine's
piyyutim, z'mirot for Sabbath and Abraham. and Moses Ibn with admiration and affection early in his career. But he -was basic industries, to assist in
Ezra.
and the festivals.
by American Jews today, as his a man of immense courage and low-cost housing projects and
100th birthday (Nov. 13, 1956) eventually became known as to make it easier for small busi-
is about to be commemorated. "The. People's Lawyer."
nessmen to make industrial
Yet Brandeis was far more
When Woodrow Wilson, loans.
than a man who devoted him- whom he supported for t h e
As a writer, Brandeis was
self to his people. This is how Presidency, picked him for a crystal-clear and because he
A. T. Mason, his chief biogra- Supreme Court post, the storm has stated the case for Zionism
pher, characterizes him in a that was blown up was enor- so eloquently, it is worth re-
few lines, prior to explaining mous. Fifty-five leading Bos- producing one of his classic
him and his career in a fasci- tonians, headed by the then statements. It is the one that
nating biography.
Harvard President, A. Lawrence has become a Bible for all Zion-
a m o us at twenty-one Lowell, said that Brandeis "has ists, particularly American
years, and to the end of his not the confidence of the peo- Zionists:
• "Let no American imagine
days, Louis D. Brandeis is ple." Yet slowly, his friends
among the most controversial proved that case for him, and that Zionism is inconsistent
public figures of our time. he was named to the Court. It with patriotism. Multiple
He was a great lawyer, un- is. history that he was one of loyalties a r e objectionable
commonly effective both as the finest Justices in the Court's only if they are inconsistent.
advocate and counselor. He annals.
A man is a - better citizen of
The Jewish community re-
the United States for being
was a great judge. But re-
a loyal citizen of his state,
lentless curiosity and ardor members Brandeis for his Zion-
for seeing things whole broke ist labors, his championship of and of his city; for being
down the conventional bar- Jewish causes, his founding of loyal to his family, and to his
profession or trade; for being
riers of his profession, drove the American Jewish Congress
him beyond the law into life and the Palestine Economic loyal to his college or his
itself, forcing him to see that Corporation, among other sig- lodge. Every Irish American
-In the year 5716
who contributed towards ad-
no man, no group, can lay nificant Jewish organizations.
American Jews
exclusive claim to truth."
In the year 1910, Brandeis' vancing home rule was a bet-
through UJA made
ter man and a better Ameri-
possible t h e move-
He was born in Louisville, was called in to settle a strike
can for the sacrifice he made.
Ky., the son of Adolph and in the ILGWU. Here, he be-
ment to Israel of tens
Every American Jew who
Fredericka Brandeis, a young came acquainted with East
of thousands of immi-
aids in -advancing the Jewish
European
Jews—and
he
liked
couple
born
in
Prague.
Louis
grant Jewish families.
settlement in Palestine,
entered Harvard at 19, and he what he saw. His J e w ish
Pictured here are typ-
though
he feels that neither
background
had
been
prac-
graduated before 21. The rules
ical immigrant fam-
. he nor his descendants will
the law school had to be tically non-existent, and it
of
ilies that found a
ever live there, will likewise
waived in order to permit him was at this point that he be-
be a better man and a better
haven in the n e w
to receive his degree, for until came a Zionist, thanks to a
-
American -for - doing- so:.'
' state.
Meeting
with
Jacob-De
_he came along,- no one under 21

Great Jurist, Great American, Great Jew
:•

Permanent Home and Hope

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