Whew

In a bit of a better place than I've been of late, I think. We'll see how/if it lasts. Never exactly made it to dancing to actually dance, but it was worth it. Next week, a return to your regularly scheduled session. In the mean time, hopefully a better distinction between my ideology and my expectations of reality.

Whew

In a bit of a better place than I've been of late, I think. We'll see how/if it lasts. Never exactly made it to dancing to actually dance, but it was worth it. Next week, a return to your regularly scheduled session. In the mean time, hopefully a better distinction between my ideology and my expectations of reality.

Yom Kippur is LIke Ghost Stories

A couple end of the holiday season thoughts.
Yom Kippur liturgy really is sort of like kids telling ghost stories: we freak outselves out in order to get an effect (repentance), and the chazzanut really is daunting and powerful and awe-creating (since aweful doesn't usually carry the literal meaning anymore). BUt the rest of the liturgy/nusach, especially the parts which the congregation usually also sings is very lullaby-ish, even the bits where the words aren't quite as much in that mode. It's a "approach the breaking point- then calm ourselves down" process. And the music does it really effectively. I think that's why a lot of people cry little bits over the day, rather than building up to one big cry sort of thing.

Psalm 40 seemed very painful and full of images to provoke repentance at the beginning of Elul- and now it seems to be full of comfort. Amazing how differently one can look at the same words- especially when it's in a language you speak Very imperfectly so you can focus on one or two images at any one reading.

Yom Kippur is LIke Ghost Stories

A couple end of the holiday season thoughts.
Yom Kippur liturgy really is sort of like kids telling ghost stories: we freak outselves out in order to get an effect (repentance), and the chazzanut really is daunting and powerful and awe-creating (since aweful doesn't usually carry the literal meaning anymore). BUt the rest of the liturgy/nusach, especially the parts which the congregation usually also sings is very lullaby-ish, even the bits where the words aren't quite as much in that mode. It's a "approach the breaking point- then calm ourselves down" process. And the music does it really effectively. I think that's why a lot of people cry little bits over the day, rather than building up to one big cry sort of thing.

Psalm 40 seemed very painful and full of images to provoke repentance at the beginning of Elul- and now it seems to be full of comfort. Amazing how differently one can look at the same words- especially when it's in a language you speak Very imperfectly so you can focus on one or two images at any one reading.