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find:-God's loft-
Selections From High Holy Day. Prayerbook easily
all His handiwork:'.--For.„-exaMple;
•
In response to "demands for
liturgical creativity," the Rabbini-
cal-Assembly has issued a 90-page
brochure, "Yom Kippur Maariv,"
containing prayers from tile- High
Holy Day ?dahzbr.
-
Edited by Rabbi julei Harlow.
this booklet contains_ the- enmplete
evening service for Wm Kippur,
with a fresh English translation
and an edited Hebrew 'text. -
Incorporated in the text of
this brochure is poetry that has
not been used in prayerbooks
heretofore. Neglected sources
have been resorted to. The for-
mat, type faces and two-color
printing add to the attractive.
ness of this booklet.
A volume of Yom Kippur selec-
tions from a new High Holy Day
Prayerbook, edited by Rabbi Har-
low, Will be published by the Rab-
binical Assembly early in the sum-
mer of 1972.
Many of the innovations marking
the new prayerbook will charac-
terize the new mahzor. Footnotes
have been eliminated, and editor-
ial comment on the text is incor-
porated in such a way that the
worshiper's devotional mood is not
interrupted. The introduction of a
second color, both of ink and
paper, enables the congregant to
recognize immediately passages
recited only on 'the Sabbath, so
that he can omit them on 'other
days without , losing his train of
thought.
Among the contemporary
poems introduced into, the text
is one which probes the ambi-
valence in faith which many re-
gard,as part of the religious ex-
perience. In addition to exem-
plifying an important facet of
Jewish worship, this poem, writ-.
ten. in French by Miriam Ku-
bovy of Jerusalem and translat-
ed into Hebrew by Shulamit •
Klugay and into English by
Rabbi Harlow, is probably the
first original work by a woman
Incorporated into an authorized
Jewish prayerbook.
Most notable features of the new
prayerbook are the new transla-
tions of traditional Hebrew texts,
the deletion of several medieval
liturgical poems and the addition
of alternative selections, some
modern, others selected by the
editor from medieval writings or
from those of earlier periods.
Rabbi Harlow said the transla-
tor's task is "an exercise in frus-
tration," as "perpetuating and in-
terpreting a tradition for those
who are unable to approach the
original. Classic texts," he ex-
plained. "periodically require fresh
translations if they are to become
part of the experience 'of contem-
poraries who do not understand
the original. The Bible, for . ex-:
ample, has been retranslated into
English half a dozen times in the
past decade alone."
• "Part of the problem," he said,
"appears to lie in the transient
nature of symbols and imagery in-
troduced by each translater. The
classic texts of our liturgy for the
High Holy Days focus upon individ-
ual responsibility, compassion and
peace, among other values which
are both contemporary and con-
stantly relevant issues. The ancient
rabbis articulated these and .other
themes through the bold, imagina-
tive, creative use of Biblical tradi-
tion and their own language,
Through fresh translations and de-
votional notes, as well as through
the addition of modern sources,
we must keep these and other con-
tinuing concerns of the liturgy
readily apparent to our contempo-
raries. Too often, preoccupation
with relevance has resulted in the
sacrifice of some of the univer-
sality which is the enduring value
of the original text."
Rabbi Harlow alluded to a re-
currhig liturgical formula, the
benediction, the first words of
'
which have usually been translated "blessed," pointing_out_that while
ws —from God to man;
as "Blessed art Thou . " He blessing flo
was concerned first with the use man directs _praise to-'God. Thus
of "Thee" and. "Thou." These the new translation replaces
forms:. .-have virtually:. disappeared "Blessed: are -Thou" with "Praised
at thei`beginning of
from'- English-usage 'iliewheri and
also are misleading as translations; all benedictions.
Rabbi
.Harlow
further report-
-since the same: Hebrew•Word attikh
is used - in-all 'direct address. The ,ed. ' that numercias rabbis in the
confrontation ,Of God' in Hebrew ConseivatiVe, movement; as well as
have '
iirayer
The-fiew
in. the Reform "
lion, following the approach used placed orders for the new booklet;
in, -the Rabbinical Assembly's which will be used by many con-.
Weekday Prayer Book and Selihot gregationi this Yom Kippur. _:...
service, drops "Thee' and "Thou."
Rabbi Harlow stated that such
words help to reinove - 'God and
religious eoncernsfibm the' realm
of everyday life, and help us to
avoid a real confrontation. He was
also concerned . with the •-• word
12 Friday, September 17, 1971
—
One Atonement Day
Whenever night falls, wheneVer
day breaks, search well into your
dealings, so will your whole life
be one Day of Atonement—Moses
of Evreux.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
-since God is omnipotent Be :could.
have enabled man to see through
one eye. Why did4-.1e -giVecusjsvo?,
The • answer_ ••- .._nite "eye for-
observini our .4feighbaea• virtus
and-. the -other' for detecting our
own failings. •
.
pPY Ate
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