Jewish styles of worship: A conversational analysis

Bernard Spolsky, Joel Walters

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-66
Number of pages16
JournalInternational Journal of the Sociology of Language
Volume1985
Issue number56
DOIs
StatePublished - 1985

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by a small grant-in-aid from the Bar-Ilan University Committee for Research in the Humanities. We are grateful to Ephraim Bernfeld for assistance with data collection. Cf. Jackendoff (l 983). In general, our rules are intended to cover worship conducted according to halacha, i.e. in any orthodox and many conservative communities. For a useful general introduction, see the article on 'HalakhalT in the Encyclo-pediaJudaica. Shatz is an abbreviation for shaliach tzibbur, emissary or representative of the public. Wekeep the term hazan for a formally appointed cantor. In actual use, the terms are freely interchanged. There are other important nusakhim such äs the Italian, the Roman, the Spanish and Portuguese, the Yemenite, and many specific Oriental rites, but these are generally to be found only in Israel in the synagogues of worshipers who come from those places. Only men have formal roles in orthodox Jewish public worship. In other words, we distinguish cbmpetence from performance. In the Babylonian Talmud, Treatise Berakoth, 26b, it states, 'R. Joshua son of Levi said: The Tefillot [regulär daily prayers] were instituted [by the Men of the Great Synagogue] to replace the daily sacrifices.' In the Babylonian Talmud, Treatise Berakoth, 26b, it also states 'R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: The Tefillot were instituted by the Patriarchs.' The Talmud brings evidence for each position. Various Solutions have been proposed to the general lack of decorum that is common at this point in the Service, including doing away with the silent individual recitation.

Funding

This study was supported in part by a small grant-in-aid from the Bar-Ilan University Committee for Research in the Humanities. We are grateful to Ephraim Bernfeld for assistance with data collection. Cf. Jackendoff (l 983). In general, our rules are intended to cover worship conducted according to halacha, i.e. in any orthodox and many conservative communities. For a useful general introduction, see the article on 'HalakhalT in the Encyclo-pediaJudaica. Shatz is an abbreviation for shaliach tzibbur, emissary or representative of the public. Wekeep the term hazan for a formally appointed cantor. In actual use, the terms are freely interchanged. There are other important nusakhim such äs the Italian, the Roman, the Spanish and Portuguese, the Yemenite, and many specific Oriental rites, but these are generally to be found only in Israel in the synagogues of worshipers who come from those places. Only men have formal roles in orthodox Jewish public worship. In other words, we distinguish cbmpetence from performance. In the Babylonian Talmud, Treatise Berakoth, 26b, it states, 'R. Joshua son of Levi said: The Tefillot [regulär daily prayers] were instituted [by the Men of the Great Synagogue] to replace the daily sacrifices.' In the Babylonian Talmud, Treatise Berakoth, 26b, it also states 'R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: The Tefillot were instituted by the Patriarchs.' The Talmud brings evidence for each position. Various Solutions have been proposed to the general lack of decorum that is common at this point in the Service, including doing away with the silent individual recitation.

FundersFunder number
Bar-Ilan University Committee for Research in the Humanities

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