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Introduction to the Siddur Dr. Simon Greenberg, provost of the Jewish Theological Seminary wrote the following regarding the Siddur. "The Jewish people have been called the People of the Book." "The Book" which is referred to is the Tanach (Bible) and this feeling reflects a recognition of the fact that the Jews have become what they are primarily because of the teachings and the laws of the Tanach. Side by side with the Tanach and reflecting its teachings and ideals, the Jewish people developed another book, the Siddur. These two volumes have been the ever present companions of our people in all their wanderings, in their sorrows and joys, in their failures and triumphs. Three times a day the pious Jew uses the Siddur. The Synagogue is still the institution which is used by more Jews than any other institution and the Siddur is of course, "a book of the Synagogue." I believe that Dr. Greenberg makes an unfortunate comparison between the Tanach and the Siddur. Whereas the Tanach is the seat and basic source of Jewish authority as well as the record of his early history, his ethics, his ideals, his objectives and the source of his inspiration; the Siddur does not enjoy any equivalent authority, but rather as a guide serves as an aid to the Jew in his prayers. Whereas the Tanach is related to the Divine, the Siddur is of definite human compilation. The Tanach stems from very ancient days, the Siddur as such, is of comparatively recent origin. There are indications that the Jew always engaged in prayer. Concomitantly with the sacrificial system, there were certain definite prayers cited by the supplicant. Once needs only to leaf through the early pages of the Bible to recognize that prayer was known even to our patriarchs. These were mostly of a very personal nature, the prayer of Abraham for children, prayer of Jacob for Divine protection when he went forth from his father's house and again upon his return when he was threatened by his brother Esau. In Deuteronomy, Chapter 26: 4-10, there is a record of the prayer which the Jew recited in later days when he brought his first fruits, and again in the same chapter when he brought his tithing at the end of the third year to the Temple, verses 12 to 15. These latter prayers were no longer of a personal nature but more in consonance with prayer as we know it, historic reminiscences. The order of the Service was set up into comparatively finite detail by the Rabbis in the Talmud. A great deal of this information is found in the first tractate of the Talmud, Berachot, which begins with the question regarding the proper time for reciting the Shema and then outlines the skeleton for the liturgy to be followed. However, it was only the learned and tutored who had the knowledge to conduct a Service. Even more so than today, there were very few people who could conduct formal prayers and the question is frequently recorded in the Talmud of individuals being asked whether they are able to lead a public Service. The prayers themselves were not recorded, only references were made to them and one must know them verbatim. This situation continued up until about the ninth century when the Jews of Kairuwan in Northern Africa addressed a letter to Saadia, Gaon of Sura (died 875) in Babylonia, asking that he formulate the Service for them. His reply has since become an authoritative responsum in which a detailed order of the liturgy is found. Again the prayers are merely indicated but not set down in their complete form. However, this was the beginning of the Siddur as an integrated individual book as we know it today. Although the outline of the Service was limited and defined, even in the early Mishnaic times as much as the first and second century before the common era (2100 years ago) the Jews at all times felt free to embellish and to expand upon this basic framework. We therefore find a number of different systems of prayer which developed in the course of time, Nusach Ashkenaz, Nusach Sfarad, Nusach Ari - the Spanish Portuguese order, etc. They have the common denominator of the fundamental requirements but differ often quite radically in the prayers that have been gathered up like a snowball in the travels of our people. Cantors and poets busied themselves with the formulation of various piyuttim, pizmonim, selichot, and composed prayers drawing freely upon the Psalms, the Bible, and ancient literature for the vehicle to express their innermost feelings. Everyone seeks to perpetuate his creation and thus these prayers would be incorporated with new editions of the prayer book. The authorship of many of these compositions was forgotten but the prayers remained with us. On the other hand, the creators of many of the prayers are well known in history. Thus the Alenu, one of the most lofty and spiritual of our prayers is connected with a legend that a paper with that prayer upon it fell down from the heavens. Its authorship is also credited to Joshua. We do know however, that it was mentioned by the great scholar of Babylonia, Raav, in the third century of the common era and he might well have been the author of it as well. On the other hand, the Lecha Dodi contains an acrostic of the author's name, Shlomo Halevi, who lived in Spain. The point I wish to make is that the prayer book does not possess any unchallengable authority but is merely to serve as a guide, as an aid and as a delineator for our Service. Just because a prayer is found in the prayer book does not mean that it is of indispensable importance. An understanding of the prayer book, I believe, will help us appreciate the purpose of prayer for our own spiritual happiness. |
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