machzor pre-review

[cellio]

The Reform movement is publishing a new machzor (prayerbook for the high holy days) after several decades. The format is similar to Mishkan T'filah, the new rest-of-year prayerbook that was published a few years ago. Just as MT was intended to replace Gates of Prayer (its predecessor), the new machzor is intended to replace Gates of Repentance (

Comments

[richardf8]

Koren Classic FTW!

Morgan and I have been davening at a Conservative synagogue for the past few years. Machzor Lev Shalem came out the first of those years, at a time when Morgan's hand was in a brace pending hand surgery. (All went well). Lev Shalem is a big thick heavy book seems to follow the same principles concerning layout as MT. By the time you hit ne'ilah, fugeddaboutit. We switched to Hebrew only Koren Machzors which are divided into three slim volumes printed on bible paper and lack English and Transliteration. not a congregational solution, but holding the book does not become a disincentive to worship. We use fine point pens too add the matriarchs, adjust other prayers to suit our reform theology, and such.

[cellio]

I've heard good things about Machzor Lev Shalem but haven't seen one yet. Sounds like something I should check out (though I appreciate the warning about its size).

Do you use this machzor at Reform services, or only on your own (or with others using it)? I'm wondering how bringing your own works with a service style that has way more "and we will now read together on page X" than traditional services do. I find it challenging sometimes to do the traditional prayers from Mishkan T'filah when the congregation is doing something else (like those English readings on the facing pages). Got any tips?

[goljerp]

Our (Conservative) Shul has been using Lev Shalem since it came out. I'm mainly comparing it to the Harlow Machsor which was the previous C Machsor, and the Silverman which was the one before that. I like it; while it is "big", I think it's smaller than the Harlow, while still feeling like it has everything. It also has color used appropriately (IMHO). One big difference from the Harlow is that commentary and other related thoughts are in the page gutters, much like Reuven Hammer's Or Hadash (commentary on the "new" Sim Shalom). It's a bit close to Rosh Hashannah, or I'd offer to lend you one of our copies of Lev Ahalem. :-)

[richardf8]

What we use is the Orthodox Koren Classic, marked up to our tastes.

We know the service well enough that we can usually follow. Lev Shalem collects some things that Koren doesn't and vice versa, so it all works out.

We would take our Korens anywhere we are likely to daven. They're easy to carry and easy to hold. The Personal Size editions we use would not find favor in your eyes, but they do sell larger books that would still be easier to handle than Lev Shalem or, likely, whatever they're calling "Mishkan T'Shuvah" these days.

As for using Lev Shalem in a Reform Synagogue, I think it would be fine. It has the readings that Reform uses for YK as an alternate. But really, in a Reform shul, for myself, if I don't have Koren, GOR is perfectly serviceable as long as the English is ignored.

[ext_729277]

Splitting up the Shofar service is standard, at least in Orthodox services that blow a total of 100 blasts. See, e.g., the explanation of "standing" and "sitting" soundings here.

In some services I've attended, the tradition is to do 30 blasts after the Torah reading, three sets of 10 during the silent Musaf (one after each of the three special berachot - individuals pause when they finish each and wait for the shofar), and a set of 40 at the end of the service.

"And by omitting some translations, the book failed to serve people who wanted to actually know what the Hebrew prayers said." reminds me of criticisms of Artscroll for publishing Shir Hashirim with an interpretive translation instead of a literal translation.

[cellio]

Thank you for that correction! I hadn't realized that I was seeing this through Reform blinders. I mean, I know where lots of Reform changes are, but I didn't know about this one and I appreciate you pointing it out. (I did go to what I understood to be a complete, traditional RH service once, and remembered the bits of the shofar service being fairly close together. But it's been a while. And now I wonder if they didn't have a d'var torah between the torah service and musaf.)

I've been meaning to get myself a good machzor for a while, for my own reference. Sounds like it's time.

Wow, I hadn't known that about Artscroll's Shir Hashirim. In general I expect to see translations in their siddurim, so that would come as a surprise. Sounds like that's not just me. :-)

[goljerp]

Ah, yes, Artscroll's Shir Hashirim. Here's a quote from them, explaining why they're not translating it:
"...this highly emotional, seemingly sensuous song is an allegory. As such, a literal translation would be misleading - even false - because it would not convey the meaning intended by King Solomon, the composer. The ArtScroll translation follows the commentary of Rashi..."

In other words, if you don't know hebrew well enough to read the original super sexxxy poetry, you can't be trusted with the plain meaning of the text, because Solomon didn't mean it to mean what it says; he really was writing about G-d and Israel, and not about sensual stuff. For example, 4:5, "Your breasts are two fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing in a field of lillies." (Bloch translation) becomes, "Moses and Aaron, your two sustainers, are like two fawns, twins of the gazelle, who graze their sheep in roselike bounty." Obviously!

Sorry, am I being too sarcastic here?

[richardf8]

This reminds me of the joke about the Yeshiva Bucher found by his Rosh Yeshiva fondling a girl behind the school. When challenged he explained "I was merely trying to discern who is greater, Moses or Aaron!"

[amaebi]

Now I really want to see about getting one or more of these.