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September 14, 2006
Ellul 21: Too many piyyutim
Teshuva contemplations every day until Yom Kippur here. Each entry includes an mp3 of a Jewish song related to the theme. Genres range from Iraqi folk musicians to Matisyahu. Every day we have been posting Rabbi Amy Scheinerman's guide to teshuvah using the text of Psalm 27; this week the theme is Rejection.
Tomorrow we leave "Rejection" for "Resolution," but let's deal with a knotty aesthetic dilemma first. Well, more a question of mental and physical endurance: How many piyyutim can you stand in one day? Or as Chakira puts it : which piyyutim would you vote off the island (the Machzor)?
Not this one.
The refrain is "Adonai Melech, Adonai Malach, Adonai Yimloch, L'Olam Vaed." ("The Lord is King, the Lord was King, the Lord will be King forever.") One of my favorite Jewish theological concepts. (From another Kehilat Hadar class to prepare for Rosh Hashanah 2005. This clip doesn't have all 12 verses.)
Emma asks a related question which I, not being trained as a posek, cannot answer:
Now, if your theme is "rejection" this week, are you allowed to include, say, emo bands who have frontmen with a Jewish heritage? Or does it have to be hardcore Jewish with lyrics based on the religion? If the definition is broader, I can think of TONS of Jewish emo band frontmen who could help you out in this arena.I think a CD of emo piyyutim would be useful in deciding this.
The Machzor does get very heavy. Standing with one in your hands is an exercise in either back pain or practicing good posture. The most salient characteristic of Judaism is not our endless arguments, our fetish for ever-subtler distinctions, our over-developed sense of responsibility . . . . it's our inability to throw anything away.
At Chakira a long discussion follows the Island question. Everyone has their favorites. Or their unfavorites. A lot seems to depend on melodies and whether it's a "singing congregation" to begin with. Personally, I can concentrate better on prayer when I can punctuate it with song occasionally; the content of the piyyutim themselves is not at issue. They are all pretty flowery Hebrew which I can't understand anyway. And as I sit through yet another naive and politically masochistic leftwing d'var on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, I console myself with the thought that another piyyut will come along soon and that it will probably be longer than the d'var, prettier, and contain more truth.
Judith | 09/14/06 at 11:01 PM | Categories: - Yamim Noraim
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» Preparing for Teshuva: Resolution from Kesher Talk
Teshuva contemplations every day until Yom Kippur here. Each entry includes an mp3 of a Jewish song related to the theme. Genres range from Iraqi folk musicians to Matisyahu. Every day we have been posting Rabbi Amy Scheinerman's guide... [Read More]
Tracked on September 16, 2006 09:22 PM
Comments
May I recommend the Artscroll Machzorim. With their organization and translation they make understanding piyytim much easier.
If you're familiar with the Hebrew (or you read the translation) you see references to p'sukim from T'nach and to midrashim. I've actually come to appreciate piyyutim (and selichos) in the past 20 years or so.
soccerdad ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.keshertalk.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| September 15, 2006 09:08 AM
Good old Artscroll.....
I don't know if my bookshelf will collapse under the weight of one more machzor.
Judith Weiss | September 15, 2006 10:12 AM
I admire the content and craft of most piyyutim, and I too think they're more interesting than many HHD sermons, but the way they're presented in the services I attend (mumble mumble mumble ONE LINE REFAIN mumble mumble mumble ONE LINE REFRAIN...) makes me at least sympathize with the folks who want to vote them all off the island. :)
Naomi Chana | September 15, 2006 12:43 PM
