The Torah Service
Another important part of certain prayer services is a reading from the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and the Prophets. The Torah has been divided into sections, so that if each of these sections is read and studied for a week, we can cover the entire Torah in a year every year (this works nicely in 13-month leap years, but in 12-month regular years we double up shorter portions on a few weeks). At various times in our history, our oppressors did not permit us to have public readings of the Torah, so we read a roughly corresponding section from the Prophets (referred to as a Haftarah). Today, we read both the Torah portion and the Haftarah portion. The Torah is read on Mondays, Thursdays, Sabbaths, and some "holidays" (including fasts). The Haftarah is read on Sabbaths and some holidays. The Torah and haftarah readings are performed with great ceremony: the Torah is paraded around the room before it is brought to rest on the bimah (podium), and it is considered an honor to have the opportunity to recite a blessing and do the reading (this honor is called an aliyah). For more information, see Weekly Torah Readings. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/liturgy.htm
The public reading from the Torah at the Synagogue , has been one of the most powerful factors of education. Formerly, the reading was accompanied by interpretation so that the Torah became the property of all Israel. Josephus, writing in the first century, says that Moses " showed the Torah to be the best and the most necessary means of instruction by enjoining the people to assemble not once or twice or frequently, but every week while abstaining from all other work, in order to hear the Torah and learn it in a thorough manner - a thing which all other lawgivers seem to have neglected." The custom of reading from the Torah on Sabbath afternoon, when people have leisure, and on Mondays and Thursdays, the market days in early times, is attributed to Ezra the Scribe, who organized Jewish life in Palestine after Israel's return from the Babylonian Captivity. The two blessings pronounced over the Torah, contain forty words which are said to allude to the forty days spent by Moses on Mount Sinai.
Birnbaum
Question: : Is the Torah the first five books in the Old Testament of the bible or is there more?
Answer: The word Torah shares the same grammatical root as the word “morah”, which is an instructor or a teacher. Therefore, Torah is a set of instructions or teachings. Oftentimes, we refer to the Torah as “Toras Chayim”—the Torah of life. In fact, these are instructions for life.
The traditional usage of the term Torah is multifaceted. In its narrowest sense, it refers to the five books of Moses. Our tradition has it that those five books were actually given over to Moses word for word by God, and contain within them the entire spectrum of Jewish Biblical Law and the blueprint by which the Oral Law that was also given to Moses and transmitted to the Jewish People On Sinai over 3500 years ago can be derived.
The Written Law and Oral Law together form what has traditionally been termed as the Torah law by God. Torah Shebeksav – written law. Torah SheBaal Peh - Oral Law. Both Divine and both eternal.
In addition to that there is the works of the prophets (Neviim) and Scriptures (Kesuvim). The words of the prophets contain not only the history of our people in post biblical times until the destruction of the first temple, but also contain many laws and prophecies that have eternal significance. These works were not Divinely narrated (as the five books of Moses were) although they were written by various prophets under Divine inspiration. Together the Written Torah, the Prophets and the Scriptures form what is known as Tanakh which is an acronym of Torah Neviim and Kesuvim and form the entire corpus of Divinely written or inspired Jewish works.
Yet, Torah encompasses much more than that. The oral tradition was recorded and put into shorthand notes called the Mishna in the 1st and 2nd century. That was later elaborated upon and expanded to encompass the sources for the laws the rabbinical traditions and teachings as well as anecdotes and lessons in the work known as the Talmud which was completed and sealed in the early 7th century.
All Jewish teachings since that time focus on the understanding and elaboration of these works, and it is what we refer to today as “the study of Torah.” The study and knowledge of Torah is one of our primary Commandments. Even more so it is the heartblood of our people. “Our nation is only a nation through Torah” is a famous quote of the Rabbi Sadyah Gaon in the 8th century.
We have traveled from the land of Canaan with the Patriarchs into Mitzrayim and 430 years of slavery to Exodus and freedom through the Sea of Reeds and into the Wilderness. Now we arrive at the foot of Mt. Sinai together with our forefathers to receive the Torah from our great leader Moshe as the Torah is taken from the Ark and processed through the congregation before being placed on the Shulchan for reading. And so the Torah Service begins. Our tradition has much to say about the Torah and its importance cannot be overstated. (
"Enlighten our eyes in Thy Torah...", " ...by the light of Thy countenance, Thou hast given us , L-rd our G-d, a Torah of life, lovingkindness, charity, blessing, mercy, life and peace.", " Truly, out of Zion shall come forth Torah, and the word of the L-rd out of Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3", " Blessed art Thou, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who hast given us the Torah of truth, and hast planted everlasting life in our midst.", "It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it, and happy are those who support it." ) It is the symbolic and physical representation of the King of the Universe's communication to our people and by extension to the world, whether we or they are listening or not. We ignore His mighty word, at our peril as it is our heart and soul, that which gives us life, purpose, and being;
for it is said: "By His Word He created all Things." And again: "He spake and it came into being." What does it all mean? Ask your local Rabbi.
quotes taken from the Birnbaum Siddur
As mentioned previously in this blog, we transition into this portion of the service with the Kaddish Shalem.
http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs/bbb-orthodoxO/001shacharit-shabbatO/03shemoneh-esrehO/012kaddishshalemO.pdf
Kaddish Shalem Audio
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http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs/ccc-conservativeC/02shacharit-shabbatC/04Torah-serviceC/001ein-kamochaC.pdf
Ein Kamocha - None may be compared with the G-d of creation. Here we once again worship G-d alone and we pray for the Messianic age to be fulfilled with the coming of The Anointed One who will restore all things and set mount Zion, the city of the Great King aright, rebuilding the walls of Jerushaliyim. -
See Psalms 86:8; 145:13; 29:11
The Ark is opened, all stand
V'Yahi Binsoah - I cannot do more than quote the text here, (Sim Shalom Siddur), as with these words we symbolically begin to act out what is contained in their expression.
"Whenever the Ark was carried forward, ( as we will process the Torah), Moses would say;
Arise, Adonai! May Your enemies be scattered; may Your foes be put to flight.
Torah shall come forth from Zion and the word of Adonai from Jerusalem.
Praised is G-d who gave the Torah to Israel in holiness. " - See Numbers 10:35; Isaiah 2:3
____________________________________________________________________________http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs/ccc-conservativeC/02shacharit-shabbatC/04Torah-serviceC/002berich-shemehC.pdf pg140 second line from the top, 3rd word from the right of the side
Bei Ana Rachetz - Here we act out or role as a nation of priests, joining with the Levites and Cohanim, stating: " I am a servant of the Holy One before Whom, and before whose glorious Torah, I bow at all times:"; pledging allegiance to the Almighty and interceding for ourselves and Israel.
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http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs2/015shema_echadO.pdf
Torah Service Shema - In these next two sections of the Service I sometimes envision that the words of the Shema are coming down to us from the heavens above and flowing out in our song to the community and onto the rest of the world. We like Moses and our ancient people Israel,at the foot of Mt Sinai, engage with G-d under the shadow of His presence as we declare that in His fullness, in His Greatness, and in His holiness, that He is one "Echad." -
See Deuteronomy 6:4
Gadlu and L'cha Adoshem - See Psalm 34:4
Romemu - A prayer for HaShem, by His mercy and grace, to rescue us from the world and ourselves.
See I Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 99:5, 9
Upon processing the Torah the following song may be sung. It is common for men and women in the synagogue to touch the Torah with the siddur, Tzit Tzit, or kiss the Torah as it passes.
Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe
© Stuart Dauermann
Torah tziva lanu Moshe,
Morasha kehilat Ya’akov
Down from Sinai Moses
descends
In his hands bearing G-d’s
Holy Law
Torah tziva lanu Moshe,
Morasha kehilat Ya’akov
Sing His praise again and
again
House of Jacob,
give thanks to the L-rd.
Blest be your Name HaShem,
King of the World
Your throne will endure,
And your kingdom is sure
You’ve come to abide with
us,
Here on the earth
Sustain us in life and
establish your truth.
Look on your chosen ones,
Daughters and sons
Count us among them,
And shield us from harm
King who provides for all,
Sovereign on whom we call
Send forth your Ruach,
And open our hearts to
your holy word.
All are seated once the Torah is placed upon the bimah or shulchan for reading.
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Blessing before Torah reading
Link to Practice canting and reading the Torah and Haf-Torah Parshot here
Blessing after Torah reading - contained in this blessing is the mystical idea that the Torah is an integral part of bringing life, and more than that, everlasting life.
songs for prayer or the sick while the Torah is out.
Mi Sheberach
© Debbie Friedman
Mi sheberach avoteinu,
Mekor HaBracha l’imoteinu
May the Source of Strength,
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage,
To make our lives a blessing
And let us say, Amen.
Mi sheberach imoteinu,
Mekor HaBrachah l’avoteinu
Bless those in need of healing,
With rafuah sh’leimah,
The renewal of body,
The renewal of spirit
And let us say, Amen.
Mi Sheberach
El Nah Rafah Nah Lah
El na rafah na lah
Rafuah shlemah
Please G-d, bring healing
A complete healing
El Nah Rafah
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Hagbah, the raising of the Torah. during the raising of the Torah is is common for men to take their Tzit Tzit and to reach out their right hand toward the Torah, (some with their little finger extended symbolizing the finger of G-d) some may take Tzit Tzit in both hands and reach out toward the Torah; and yes, both men and women may be found doing this depending on the congregation.
וְזאת הַתּורָה אֲשֶׁר שם משֶׁה לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשרָאֵל:
עַל פִּי ה' בְּיַד משֶׁה:
V’zot
ha’Torah asher sam Moshe lifnei
b’nei
Yisrael, al pi Adonai b’yad Moshe.
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This is the Torah that Moses set before the people of Israel:
The Torah, given by G-d, through Moses. -
See Deuteronomy 4:44; Numbers 9:23
V'zot haTorah - The Torah is raised all stand
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http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs/bbb-orthodoxO/001shacharit-shabbatO/04Torah-serviceO/017Haftarah-blessingsO.pdf
The Jewish Scholar and Commentator Rabbi Abudarham of 14th century Spain, as interpreted by other scholars, is believed to have postulated the idea that the first use of the Haftarah came as a substitution for reading the Torah when it became prohibited to do so under the persecution and rule of Antiochus Epiphanes during the time of the Maccabees.
Birnbaum, also www.virtualjudaic.com
Blessing before the HafTorah
Blessing after the HafTorah part1
Blessing after the HafTorah part2
Blessing after the HafTorah part3
Blessing after the HafTorah part4 -
the blessings before and after the Haftarah are taken from the Sofrim tractate 7th century.
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while the Torah is being placed back in the ark.
http://www.kakatuv.com/pdfs2/10kilekach_etzchaiyimC.pdf
Etz Chaiyim Hi - All stand as the Torah is placed back into the Ark.
"It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it..." Our life is wrapped up intimately with the Torah. It is the instruction for our lives, the representation and writing out of our Creator's words by which all things were made, His words to us, to the world, His words that hold all things together and that cannot be broken.
See Numbers 10:36; Psalm 132:8-10; Proverbs 4:2; 3:18, 17; Lamentations 5:21
