Our First Morning Service

We began with a song, Ki Va Moed, "the time is now."

We were welcomed by Yoshi and were handed our own copies of Mishkan T’filah, our Movement’s siddur. They are gifts from the editor of the siddur and her husband, whom I have worked with. They’re pretty amazing people. I should write them a thank you note.

We sang Mah Tovu using the tune Adam and I learned from the Matisyahu song, “Father in the Forest.” I know it’s a traditional melody, but that’s where we learned it.

We read the Asher Yatzar blessing, thanking God for making our bodies work correctly. I still need to learn all of these words.

We sang Debbie’s Elohai N’shamah and chanted the chatima*.

We chanted Nisim B’chol Yom, blessings for everyday miracles, using the same trope as on Shabbat. I can’t wait to learn the difference between the weekday and Shabbat nusach (melodies for chanting). Another set of Hebrew I need to learn.

We said the blessing for the study of Torah. Yoshi taught us the root of the word “v’ha’arev-na” is “sweet,” and is also connected to the word for harmony. Seems appropriate.

We sang a selection from Psalm 100, which is not a Psalm of praise or a song of David, as most are. It is a song of thanks. Again, appropriate for this incredible opportunity.

We sang Psalm 150. I thought about how to teach this to religious school aged kids: “How can we praise God?” We used the standard melody, the one that usually doesn’t go through all of the lines, but we do here because, well, we’re gonna be rabbis and cantors and educators and all.

We heard the Chazzanit (female cantor) chant Yishtabach, "You shall always be praised." I thought about how I want to use Dan Nichols’ version for the chatima. It’s pretty awesome and beautiful.

We chanted Chatzi Kaddish, Bar’chu, Yotzeir, and sang the traditional melodies for Ahavah Rabbah. I can't wait to teach Ben's from last year. I gathered the corners of my tallit at the end. I like that custom.

We sang the Sh’ma. I’ve been trying this new thing where I sing and listen to everyone singing the Sh’ma at the same time. It’s really hard. Try it some time. It’s one of the most difficult things I’ve done while praying.

We chanted V’ahavta. I did the same thing I did at the wedding. I looked around and just took stock of the amazing people and voices around me. This is going to be a great year. We did the full V’ahavta. I need to learn that extra paragraph.

We talked about the word “emet," "truth,” and the Israelite experience after crossing the sea. I thought about “truth” and how Apple thinks the truth is in the cloud.

We sang Mi Chamocha using the same melody for Ki Va Moed. It only kinda worked.

As we began the Amidah, I read the commentary at the bottom: “‘Adonai, open my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise; for You have no delight in sacrifice.’” I thought about mussaf and how we don’t do it. “‘If I were to give a burnt offering, You would not be pleased.’” Amen, brother. “According to Midrash, Israel said to God, ‘We are impoverished now that we cannot offer sacrifices.’ God answered, ‘I seek words from you now, as it is written,”Take words with you when you return to your God.”’” I thought about how it really doesn’t matter if you say the right words, or even the words of the siddur. The kavanah, intention, behind those words matter just as much. I thought it was interesting that this commentary was at the beginning of the Amidah instead of at the end, where more personal words are encouraged.

We prayed silently and sang Ken & Yoshi’s Sim Shalom. I was reminded of how wonderful it is to be surrounded by such talent.

Yoshi lead us in some text study from this week’s Torah portion, Pinchas (Num. 25:10-30:1). We read from Num. 27:15-18, “Moses spoke to the Eternal saying, ‘Let the Eternal One, Source of breath of all flesh, appoint an envoy to the community who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the Eternal’s community may not be like a sheep that have no shepherd.’ And the Eternal One answered Moses, ‘Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired deputy, and lay your hand upon him.’” Although Yoshi focused on the idea of generational leadership and how we are the future leaders of the Jewish people, it started to hit me that going to this school is a big deal. I also was thinking about the first part, that God appoints the leaders of the community. Does this mean that congregational placement committees are doing God’s work for God? Or are they just engaging in God’s work? I thought about Genesis 1:26, when God says “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness” (for now, let’s not focus on who God was referring to when God says “us” and “our”...maybe there’s a whole Super Best Friends team with God) and later in Genesis 5:1 when “God created human beings, making (them) in the likeness of God.” Maybe engaging in choosing our community's leaders is God-like. Maybe God likes getting those “I voted” stickers too. It’s not a complete thought, but it popped up this morning.

We chanted Aleinu, but we did the top one in Mishkan T’filah that changes the words a bit. It made me, and everyone else, confused. I’m not sure how I feel about that particular liturgical change.

We read Kaddish and I said hello to my chevruta partners**: Dawn, Stanley, Michael, Esther, Nissan, Mark, and Sydelle. I mourned their loss and welcomed them to accompany me on this journey. Most wished me luck. Esther said it in Hebrew, then Yiddish. Mike just smiled.

-------------

*A chatima is the concluding sentence of a blessing, usually starting with "Baruch Atah Adonai," "Blessed are You, God."

**Chevruta literally means "friends," but it is often used as study partners.

Note for those reading this who are not family members, the names at the end are my and Sarah's grandparents who have passed away, some before we were born, some in our lifetime.