Tehillah tefillah
Nov. 20th, 2006 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidShabbat morning I davened* with minyan Tehillah, the only local mechitzah minyan I hadn't yet davened with. Their morning davening is at Eitz Chaim, in Cambridgeport (read: not nearly as convenient as their Shabbat evening davening at Tremont St.), but I'd been wanting to go for a while, and finally got myself moving early enough to go.
I hadn't been inside Eitz Chaim before, and foolishly thought it was just a converted house. It's not as simple as that, being a whole warren of rooms. I'm glad I was welcomed at the door and shown the way to the back room where the actual services were. The room is a mustard yellow, not usually one I like, but it worked with the decorations, depictions of Jerusalem and a white-and-gold aron with a tree painted on the doors. The aron wasn't in the middle of the wall, but where it was determined where the mechitzah was, as it was gauzy fabric hung on a cord that stretched from the aron to the door. The fabric was tall, but sheer, and in panels so it could be moved as needed.
I arrived during psukei d'zimrah, which was lead by a woman, standing at the shulchan (an actual table with a couple of tallitot covering it) on the women's side. A couple of tehillim were sung, but not ones I would've expected, nor did I know the tunes. That, plus not having a quorum for shacharit by the time they finished, gave me time to catch up. A quorum, in this case, being ten men and ten women. What I really liked was that instead of people starting to chat while they waited, there were a couple of wordless niggunim sung instead, keeping the mood focused.
Shacharit was lead by a man (all services with an amidah are), then the Torah service by a woman, with a woman doing petichah. Since it was a woman leading the service, the sefer Torah came through the women's section first, then through the men's. I'm not sure whether it's mirror image if a man leads, since I know there are halachot about the direction of circling (though I don't know how many places are careful about them).
The mechitzah came to the middle of the shulchan, though it got pushed back during kriyah a bit to be out of the way. There was a gabbai on each side of the shulchan, as usual, one male, one female, which is not. The woman called people up for an aliyah, using whatever name she was given (ie, if the mother's name was included as well as the father's, it was used). Men read some aliyot, women others, with the recipients matching gender (I'm assuming that's intentional). I was surprised to be offered an aliyah, declining because I wasn't sure how things work, and how I felt about it. I was also offered glilah (or hagbah? or both? I was a bit distracted), which I also turned down; just too nervous-making, especially my first time there. Maybe some day. So I stood watching and listening, hearing the story of Machpelah's cave, and Rivka's marriage. The layners were all competent (and in general I was impressed with not only leaders' abilities, but voices). There was something very moving about the very-pregnant woman going up for her aliyah, too. The haftarah was read by a man (though I assume that's one of the things that can go either way), followed by the usual musaf and such.
Mi-sheberach notes: there were ones said for American soldiers and Israeli soldiers, and the one for cholim was fill-in-the-blank, rather than going up to the gabbai with names. There was a prayer for the American government read in English (the only part of the service in English) and for Israel.
At the end of davening there was a d'var Torah, during which the mechitzah was pulled fully back. The talk started with looking at Avraham at the beginning of the parasha as he 'came and mourned' over Sarah. The question is, why is 'came' necessary? Rashi says that he came from Be'er Sheva, where he'd been sojourning. Ramban disagrees (of course), saying that they'd had separate tents, and Avraham came to Sarah's tent. [This is where I don't remember whether this is Ramban or the speaker.] However, it could also be talking about Avraham coming to himself, focusing on the necessary sad mitzvah of hesped. Similarly, later in the parasha, Yitzchak goes out in the fields to [ambiguous verb, often interpreted as pray or meditate]. There is the parallel language of coming/going, and the speaker linked them together, and citing Rambam's famous dictum that prayer without kavannah isn't prayer at all. In both cases, the avot took a step away from where they had been, taking time to center before the mitzvah before them. And of course, we can learn from their example. (The wrap up was prettier than that in the actual telling, but that's what it boils down to.)
The d'var Torah was followed by announcements, then Adon Olam, and another sung prayer that was handed around on photocopied sheets (that didn't come my way). I looked it over afterward, and it's a prayer about peace, written in the 1800s I think. I'd like to get a copy to look at more closely (perhaps when the eruv's up).
It wasn't the quickest davening, but it didn't drag, either. It was good to be there.
For comparison purposes, a bit about the other three mechitzah minyanim in Cambridge.
* If there are words you want explanations of, feel free to ask. I'm just not in the mood to make major annotations unless someone wants them.
I hadn't been inside Eitz Chaim before, and foolishly thought it was just a converted house. It's not as simple as that, being a whole warren of rooms. I'm glad I was welcomed at the door and shown the way to the back room where the actual services were. The room is a mustard yellow, not usually one I like, but it worked with the decorations, depictions of Jerusalem and a white-and-gold aron with a tree painted on the doors. The aron wasn't in the middle of the wall, but where it was determined where the mechitzah was, as it was gauzy fabric hung on a cord that stretched from the aron to the door. The fabric was tall, but sheer, and in panels so it could be moved as needed.
I arrived during psukei d'zimrah, which was lead by a woman, standing at the shulchan (an actual table with a couple of tallitot covering it) on the women's side. A couple of tehillim were sung, but not ones I would've expected, nor did I know the tunes. That, plus not having a quorum for shacharit by the time they finished, gave me time to catch up. A quorum, in this case, being ten men and ten women. What I really liked was that instead of people starting to chat while they waited, there were a couple of wordless niggunim sung instead, keeping the mood focused.
Shacharit was lead by a man (all services with an amidah are), then the Torah service by a woman, with a woman doing petichah. Since it was a woman leading the service, the sefer Torah came through the women's section first, then through the men's. I'm not sure whether it's mirror image if a man leads, since I know there are halachot about the direction of circling (though I don't know how many places are careful about them).
The mechitzah came to the middle of the shulchan, though it got pushed back during kriyah a bit to be out of the way. There was a gabbai on each side of the shulchan, as usual, one male, one female, which is not. The woman called people up for an aliyah, using whatever name she was given (ie, if the mother's name was included as well as the father's, it was used). Men read some aliyot, women others, with the recipients matching gender (I'm assuming that's intentional). I was surprised to be offered an aliyah, declining because I wasn't sure how things work, and how I felt about it. I was also offered glilah (or hagbah? or both? I was a bit distracted), which I also turned down; just too nervous-making, especially my first time there. Maybe some day. So I stood watching and listening, hearing the story of Machpelah's cave, and Rivka's marriage. The layners were all competent (and in general I was impressed with not only leaders' abilities, but voices). There was something very moving about the very-pregnant woman going up for her aliyah, too. The haftarah was read by a man (though I assume that's one of the things that can go either way), followed by the usual musaf and such.
Mi-sheberach notes: there were ones said for American soldiers and Israeli soldiers, and the one for cholim was fill-in-the-blank, rather than going up to the gabbai with names. There was a prayer for the American government read in English (the only part of the service in English) and for Israel.
At the end of davening there was a d'var Torah, during which the mechitzah was pulled fully back. The talk started with looking at Avraham at the beginning of the parasha as he 'came and mourned' over Sarah. The question is, why is 'came' necessary? Rashi says that he came from Be'er Sheva, where he'd been sojourning. Ramban disagrees (of course), saying that they'd had separate tents, and Avraham came to Sarah's tent. [This is where I don't remember whether this is Ramban or the speaker.] However, it could also be talking about Avraham coming to himself, focusing on the necessary sad mitzvah of hesped. Similarly, later in the parasha, Yitzchak goes out in the fields to [ambiguous verb, often interpreted as pray or meditate]. There is the parallel language of coming/going, and the speaker linked them together, and citing Rambam's famous dictum that prayer without kavannah isn't prayer at all. In both cases, the avot took a step away from where they had been, taking time to center before the mitzvah before them. And of course, we can learn from their example. (The wrap up was prettier than that in the actual telling, but that's what it boils down to.)
The d'var Torah was followed by announcements, then Adon Olam, and another sung prayer that was handed around on photocopied sheets (that didn't come my way). I looked it over afterward, and it's a prayer about peace, written in the 1800s I think. I'd like to get a copy to look at more closely (perhaps when the eruv's up).
It wasn't the quickest davening, but it didn't drag, either. It was good to be there.
For comparison purposes, a bit about the other three mechitzah minyanim in Cambridge.
- Harvard Hillel's orthodox minyan used to be the only Orthodox game in town. Now that there are more options (mainly due to the eruv having been constructed, so more people stay, so there's critical mass for other minyanim), it's become a bit more student-centric (though there always was tension between what the undergrads and community members want, which doesn't overlap nearly as much as it might). It's still a large minyan, with a couple hundred people Shabbat morning during the school year, and the only one that has daily minyanim as well as for Shabbat and yom tov. The main minyan has a shoulder-high front-to-back thick cloth mechitzah, and the aron is about in the middle. Men lead all davening (except in the occasional women-only services, of course :-), though a woman may give a d'var Torah or do the announcements. Divrei Torah may or may not be incorporated into Shabbat davening; it fluctuates by the year. If so, it's at the end, around the announcements. Usually the rabbi speaks after kiddush. The sefer Torah stays on the men's side, but always moves along the mechitzah, so women can reach it. The misheberach for the sick has changed to be fill-in-the-blank (not my preference, which is why I tend to notice which is done). There are prayers for both armies' soldiers and both governments. There are organized shiurim and other events going on as well, some with the greater Harvard Hillel community. Services are about two hours.
- MIT Hillel is a much smaller minyan, with some dozens of people on Shabbat. It's pretty much only MIT affiliates, mostly undergrads. The space they use has a library feel, with books lining the walls (the only windows are high on the wall with the aron). The mechitzah is a little shorter than at Harvard, but still front-to-back thick cloth, with the space being a bit larger for the men. Services are lead by men only, and I haven't seen a woman giving announcements (though I doubt that it's institutional). I don't remember there being divrei Torah with davening. Services are fairly quiet (which I like), if a bit crowded in the space, and last about two hours Shabbat morning. The misheberach for the sick has the gabbai saying individual names. There are prayers for the governments and the Israeli soldiers; I don't remember whether for American soldiers as well.
- Tremont Street shul traditional minyan meets downstairs (in the Alef-Bet space, now painted white and blue). The mechitzah goes front to back, and is made of fabric that is waist high, going from just to one side of the aron to the back of the space. It's a small minyan, with perhaps twenty people Shabbat morning. Davening is lead by men at a very relaxed pace, with Shabbat morning davening tending to be at least two and a half hours. The sefer Torah goes through both the men's and the women's sections. The misheberach for the sick has the gabbai saying individual names. There are prayers for the governments I don't remember whether for soldiers as well.
* If there are words you want explanations of, feel free to ask. I'm just not in the mood to make major annotations unless someone wants them.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-20 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-20 07:02 pm (UTC)PS
Date: 2006-11-20 07:04 pm (UTC)What's the front quote in Greek?
Re: PS
Date: 2006-11-20 07:21 pm (UTC)I really should spend more time on Hebrew.
The quote is from Phillipians 1:3, 'I thank my God every time I remember you.'
The Hebrew is (as I'm sure you can tell) 'Tom', which is my fiance's name, and coincidentally the word for 'perfection'. :)
Re: PS
Date: 2006-11-20 07:55 pm (UTC)That's a lovely quote.
Actually, I'd read the Hebrew as the word "tam" (not the tam o'shanter kind, but I don't have a better way to transliterate it), because I'd ignored the vowel (I've gotten out of the habit of expecting them most places that aren't liturgical). (Tam meaning simple, that is.)
I'm glad he's perfect for you :-).
no subject
Date: 2006-11-21 03:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-21 05:27 am (UTC)It definitely felt different to me, btw, knowing that they'd wait until ten women as well as ten men if they didn't have either at barchu.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-22 04:00 am (UTC)No idea when that'll be, but it'd be nice to visit there if they're having services when I'm in town. The part about waiting for ten men and ten women struck me too.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-22 01:52 pm (UTC)