Aleinu

I really should be going to bed now, or really, a good hour ago. But there was a paper to finish, and this has been on my mind of late... (And if I'm up, I should be cooking for the potluck Shabbat dinner tomorrow. But instead I'll write this more quickly that it deserves, and cook insanely tomorrow afternoon.)

So, I've been thinking about Aleinu a lot lately. I remember telling fleurdelis28 that I didn't think that Aleinu was really saying anything, a Very long time ago. That was before I had a clue about what I was trying to read through in the second paragraph. And I wasn't all too sure abotu the point of going back and reiterating "Gee G-d, you're great, we're different and special, and by the way, G-d, you made all of Creation" after a lot of other prayers many of which include these ideas at various points. And to be honest, much as I like and find certain parts of the cool-down (post AMidah) section of the morning liturgy, I don't do the "cool down" thing too well: I start to get impatient. I love the when-we're-not-too-happy-and-not-too-sad Psalm, but it's hard to get into Psalms again after the Amidah. But regardless...

My Hebrew has slowly improved over the last few years, and I've learned a lot about theology and the like. And so- yes, the Aleinu as a whole, and most especially the second paragraph make all sorts of theological problems. And I really liked the idea that I got in Liturgy class last year where the two paragraphs are sort of an attempt at parallel between creation in the past and our hope for redemption in the future (which would work even better if the bowing shtick were at the end of the first paragraph. But it Still works quite well). But well, that just brings me back to the same problem- it's an awfully We're-Right-You're-Wrong idea of redemption. And well, I tend to feel that when we really merit redemption (as much as I tend to actually think seriously about redemption in that way: it's something I believe in, but which really doesn't impact my life much, so I haven't thought about it enough. I really ought to. That and the issue of the afterlife if there is one. And related issues.) it might be, well, Because we aren't quite so Self focused. So it feels a little bit like a contradiction.

And yet- there's a part of me that really, really Likes that paragraph. It would make life so much simpler. But I'm not sure it would work- if everyone believed what we believe (where we = Jews, or some such definition), well, there'd still be huge amounts of disagreement. But even so, I feel like that paragraph is my chance to out my little inner religiously egocentric self, and give it some air. On the one hand, I'm afraid that it will get to grow outside of the little space where it is acceptable, if not at all admirable. On the other hand- the third hand?- maybe giving it this out, and letting it be a tremendously legitimate out, will be enough to contain it, and to harness that energy for working towards positive change in the world- one of my real weaknesses, I think. (certainly so on a large scale. Small scale I can do, but somehow I'm not at all that counts in the eyes of the world.)

Aleinu

I really should be going to bed now, or really, a good hour ago. But there was a paper to finish, and this has been on my mind of late... (And if I'm up, I should be cooking for the potluck Shabbat dinner tomorrow. But instead I'll write this more quickly that it deserves, and cook insanely tomorrow afternoon.)

So, I've been thinking about Aleinu a lot lately. I remember telling fleurdelis28 that I didn't think that Aleinu was really saying anything, a Very long time ago. That was before I had a clue about what I was trying to read through in the second paragraph. And I wasn't all too sure abotu the point of going back and reiterating "Gee G-d, you're great, we're different and special, and by the way, G-d, you made all of Creation" after a lot of other prayers many of which include these ideas at various points. And to be honest, much as I like and find certain parts of the cool-down (post AMidah) section of the morning liturgy, I don't do the "cool down" thing too well: I start to get impatient. I love the when-we're-not-too-happy-and-not-too-sad Psalm, but it's hard to get into Psalms again after the Amidah. But regardless...

My Hebrew has slowly improved over the last few years, and I've learned a lot about theology and the like. And so- yes, the Aleinu as a whole, and most especially the second paragraph make all sorts of theological problems. And I really liked the idea that I got in Liturgy class last year where the two paragraphs are sort of an attempt at parallel between creation in the past and our hope for redemption in the future (which would work even better if the bowing shtick were at the end of the first paragraph. But it Still works quite well). But well, that just brings me back to the same problem- it's an awfully We're-Right-You're-Wrong idea of redemption. And well, I tend to feel that when we really merit redemption (as much as I tend to actually think seriously about redemption in that way: it's something I believe in, but which really doesn't impact my life much, so I haven't thought about it enough. I really ought to. That and the issue of the afterlife if there is one. And related issues.) it might be, well, Because we aren't quite so Self focused. So it feels a little bit like a contradiction.

And yet- there's a part of me that really, really Likes that paragraph. It would make life so much simpler. But I'm not sure it would work- if everyone believed what we believe (where we = Jews, or some such definition), well, there'd still be huge amounts of disagreement. But even so, I feel like that paragraph is my chance to out my little inner religiously egocentric self, and give it some air. On the one hand, I'm afraid that it will get to grow outside of the little space where it is acceptable, if not at all admirable. On the other hand- the third hand?- maybe giving it this out, and letting it be a tremendously legitimate out, will be enough to contain it, and to harness that energy for working towards positive change in the world- one of my real weaknesses, I think. (certainly so on a large scale. Small scale I can do, but somehow I'm not at all that counts in the eyes of the world.)