Shul stuff

[magid]

I went to Hillel, and found that the crowd was not large. In fact, in the evening, though usually partway through hakafot there's a small 'efficient' ('grown up') end of hakafot, this year there was a request not to do that, so the crowd wouldn't be further splintered. I don't know when it happened, but I've switched from dancing a lot to watching more. I'm not sure why it happened, but I seem to have become old...

In the morning, I went to Tehillah, which was also in the Hillel building. I made a difference, in that there was exactly a quorum when we needed it. I really liked that we joined Ortho for part of one hakafa, though I heard part of some grumbling in the hallway about how certain people didn't want to be there. I avoided hearing any more; I like things feeling like there's detente between the two minyanim. For laining, there were three sifrei Torah being read at once around the room; I had prepared hamishi, but only ended up reading it twice. I still had the nervous butterflies, even though I knew few people were paying attention; I wish I'd get over it.

The other highlights for me were when chatan Breishit was brought up to the shulchan, carried in a chair; and holding one corner of the tallit that was over the shulchan for kol ha-ne'arim, chatan Torah, and chatan Breishit, circling as we sang for each day of Creation. Oh, and seeing Kadden (visiting from Newton) do hagbah with the cross handed lift, which is always cool to see.

The holidays zoom past, and a month later, the season has turned, and having just the regular Shabbat davening feels rather novel (also short). The only part I really wish were different (other than having more time to appreciate autumn, which is a wonderful time of year) is having a bit more time to appreciate parshat Breishit, which is among my favorites (I admit, this might have a tiny bit to do with spending months on the stories of creation in the chumash class at Nishmat the first year, not just the inherently interesting text).

Things of note from shul this morning:
- we didn't have to wait for a minyan
- davening felt like the right balance of singing and not (Tehillah tends to sing much more than I have the focus for)
- a hearing-impaired person lained the short aliyah
- I read the prayer for the state of Israel for the first time (having declined the prayer for the USian government; I can't face reading that with the current administration)
- meeting a visitor who'd just come back from months in Addis, passing through on his way back to med school in San Francisco, and having comfortable conversation through kiddush (unusual partly because I didn't start the conversation, and partly just because it went on so long; I'm used to kiddush at Tehillah being a few short interactions before I can't face being outside any of the social cliques)
- remembering on the way home that the library was open all afternoon, and ducking in to read a novel (taking advantage of the lack of guests (read: lack of set schedule))

Comments

[gingicat]

Sounds nice. Go you on leining Torah!

[magid.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I don't get butterflies when leading psukei d'zimra, but other stuff definitely causes it. I don't think I used to be this nervous...

[cellio]

Congrats on reading torah, even if there were butterflies.

How does a cross-handed lift work? (I assume this was done because the person is right-handed?) I'm sitting here trying to cross my arms such that three columns would still be visible, and I'm failing. 'Course, maybe that's just me, being short.

[magid.livejournal.com]

A cross-handed lift: start with the sefer Torah on the table, open as wide as is usual for hagbah. Instead of taking the right aitz (I think that's what the wooden handles/rods are called) in the right hand, cross hands so the left hand is on the right aitz, and vice versa. Lift and switch hands to their normal position, so the sefer Torah is facing away from the person doing hagbah. Revolve in place so everyone can see. Sit for the glilah person to do their thing. Accept accolades of the few people who noticed :-).

(Does this answer your question?)

[cellio]

Oh! Ok, that's not what I was expecting you to say, so thanks for the explanation. I had inferred from your description that the person had lifted and held with the arms crossed, as a way of having the presumed-stronger right arm holding the heavy side. But I couldn't figure out how that would work. Actually turning/unfolding it like you described sounds nifty -- and like something I'd be too afraid to try. :-)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I think it's (a) usually special for Simchat Torah (at least in the communities I've been around), and (b) particularly for chatan Breishit, which has pretty much all of the sefer Torah on the left. Crossing like this means the heavier weight goes to the right arm, which for most people is the stronger.

But yeah, not something I'd try either.