Weird Judaic Thoughts, not terribly comprehensible

[debka_notion]

Humor first: So today we learned during the torah reading that all Yisraelim are named Phil (aka both Phils were at minyan, and got the 2 Yisraeli Aliyot). So- if everyone is named Steve, and all Yisraelim are Phil- does that make them Steve Phil? And that leaves all gentiles, kohanim and levi'im with only one name... HaHA. FOr whatever that's worth.

More seriously, I've been noticing that the bow in Aleinu, especially the was I was taught it (knee bend on Korim, straighten legs and bow from waist on Umishtakhavim, stay bowed and bend knees on umodim) keeps one's head down for a decently significant period of time, so that when I at least stand up, I get a sort of lightheaded rush for the next few words. I wonder how much that was planned into the bows by whichever rabbis put them there. I'm not sure if that sort of manipulation of sensation (which does seem appropriate to the prayer, somehow) is helpful or cheating or both. I mean- if it helps one's awareness of the prayer, that shouldn't be bad. On the other hand, if it is too much of a helping along, then it's jsut physical sensation that you're focusing on, not a spiritual experience. I don't think it's a problem- but I suppose it could be.

Comments

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

Originally, one went down on both knees on kor`im, down on two hands on mishtahavim, and touched one's forehead to the floor on modim. (As is still done on Yom Kippur.)

I think it says something quite interesting, from a cultural standpoint, that the automatic response to lightheadedness is to daven very quickly. :)

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

It is? Hmm- I guess so, that last paragraph plus seems to swoop b at the speed of lightening. I don't know...

So the usual bow nowadays is the abridged form- so maybe that sort of lightheadedness would be more likely to function as a reminder of what was originally involved...

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

I was taught in day school that the reason we don't bow prostrate anymore is because it caught on with the Christians and we had to find a way to differentiate ourselves. No idea if this opinion is substantiated in the wider world -- I always found it weird on many levels.

[belu.livejournal.com]

it's jsut physical sensation that you're focusing on, not a spiritual experience. I don't think it's a problem- but I suppose it could be.

Well, if you attach spiritual value to a sensation, why would it matter what the physiological source of the sensation is?

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

If there is spiritual value attached, then it isn't just physical sensation. But being lightheaded on its own doesn't necessarily make me think about G-d- it's that sensation in combination with the text- one straightens on the words "before G-d"- it works for me. But if someone just feels lightheaded, that doesn't mean that necessarily they're focusing on the text at all or anythign spiritual, I suppose. And if so, and they just believe that feeling lightheaded is feeling spiritual without knowing what that means or having had other spiritual experiences- than I think that that is a limitted understanding of prayer, and not one that I think would be worthwhile.