Call and Response
诪砖谞讛 住讜讟讛 讝:讘-讙(讗)
讜讗诇讜 谞讗诪专讬谉 讘诇砖讜谉 讛拽讚砖, 诪拽专讗 讘讻讜专讬诐, 讜讞诇讬爪讛, 讘专讻讜转 讜拽诇诇讜转, 讘专讻转 讻讛谞讬诐, 讜讘专讻转 讻讛谉 讙讚讜诇, 讜驻专砖转 讛诪诇讱, 讜驻专砖转 注讙诇讛 注专讜驻讛, 讜诪砖讜讞 诪诇讞诪讛 讘砖注讛 砖讛讜讗 诪讚讘专 讗诇 讛注诐
诪拽专讗 讘讻讜专讬诐 讻讬爪讚, (讚讘专讬诐 讻讜) 讜注谞讬转 讜讗诪专转 诇驻谞讬 讛壮 讗诇讛讬讱, 讜诇讛诇谉 讛讜讗 讗讜诪专 (砖诐 讻讝) 讜注谞讜 讛诇讜讬诐 讜讗诪专讜, 诪讛 注谞讬讛 讛讗诪讜专讛 诇讛诇谉 讘诇砖讜谉 讛拽讚砖, 讗祝 讻讗谉 讘诇砖讜谉 讛拽讚砖
And these are said [only] in the Holy Language: the first-fruits offering formula [Deut. 26:3鈥�10]; the rite of removing the shoe [Deut. 25:7鈥�9]; the blessings and curses [Deut. 27:15鈥�26], the Priestly Blessing [Num. 6:24鈥�26]; the High Priest’s blessing [on the Day of Atonement]; the section regarding the king [Deut. 17:14鈥�20]; the passage [recited over] the broken-necked heifer [Deut. 21:7鈥�8]; and the anointed warrior’s message when he speaks to the nation [Deut. 20:2鈥�7].
How is it that the first-fruits offering’s formula [must be in Hebrew]? “You shall recite as follows before the Lord your God . . .” (Deut. 26:5), [Scripture states,] and after that it says, “The Levites shall then proclaim . . .” (Deut. 27:14). Just as the [Levites’] proclamation must be in the Holy tongue, so must [the Israelites’ declaration] be in the holy tongue . . .
While many know that a debate over the role of Hebrew in prayer led to the birth of Conservative Judaism, fewer realize that this question actually first arose with our ancient Sages 2,000 years ago. Even less appreciated is a parallel between their teachings in the text above with discussions in our time over making prayer a more participatory, shared experience.
The litany in Mishnah 7:2 above comprises entirely biblical passages that exemplify Judaism’s pre-rabbinic history. Our Sages understood the importance of conducting in Hebrew the rituals found in this and last week’s Torah portions in part because of the unique wording they note in Mishnah 7:3. My translations above of “recite” and “proclaim” are actually both variations on a peculiar double-verb root phrase that literally means “answer and say.” I learned from Professor Marc Brettler, coeditor of The Jewish Study Bible, that the verb for “answer” (v’anitah/v’anu) corresponds to an ancient Semitic verb that means “to chant responsively.”
This insight helps to explain not just these linguistic connections between otherwise unrelated rituals (a major mode of midrash halakhah), but also the role that Hebrew played in an ancient period long after the “holy language” ceased to be every Jew’s mother tongue. Just as Hebrew served even then as a common denominator for Jews of widely varied backgrounds in key religious moments, the responsive nature of these chanted passages demonstrates how ordinary Israelites and elevated priests would perform rites together from the script of a fixed liturgy.
Many of my students have described their sense of meaningful prayer experiences similarly, as encounters that transform them from spectators into full participants. The drama of responsively chanting words gives them鈥攁nd me鈥攁 sense of connection to our ancestors. May those words continue to bind us together and to God in the coming New Year. L’Shanah tovah!
